Child Labor, Trade and Investment: Toward the Harmonization of International Law

Growing awareness of the economic exploitation of millions of children around the world has catapulted the issue of child labor into the public eye and brought it to the forefront of debate within governments, international organizations and the business sector. Arousing diverse interests, the debate juxtaposes the multilateral trade regime with international law governing labor standards and human rights. Each of the charters establishing the primary international organizations for cooperation in those areas is premised on the interdependence of economic and social progress. Nonetheless, the legal norms governing the various regimes differ in their scope and application to child labor, and formal linkages do not exist between the multilateral trade regime and international supervisory bodies dealing with labor standards and human rights.