Ten organizations call on U.S. Department of State to continue U.S. funding and participation in the International Labor Organization
Today, ten organizations — including the Fair Labor Association, American Apparel & Footwear Association, Global Seafood Alliance, National Fisheries Institute, National Foreign Trade Council, National Retail Federation, Retail Industry Leaders Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Council for International Business, and U.S. Fashion Industry Association — called on the U.S. Secretary of State, the Honorable Marco Rubio, to immediately restore, and continue, U.S. funding for and U.S. participation in the International Labor Organization (ILO) in a joint letter.
The letter reads in part, “Our members and industries rely on the essential work of the ILO, whose purpose is to work globally to ensure a level playing field for all workers, including American workers. In fact, the ILO’s work, because of U.S. participation and influence, puts America first by reflecting the values of the American people as it furthers the interest of American workers and American businesses.Â
“The ILO builds institutions in countries around the world so that they can effectively implement and enforce internationally recognized labor standards, standards the U.S. created and upholds in its own laws. Further, the ILO’s core international labor standards focus heavily on combatting forced labor, which is an administration priority as demonstrated by the recent Section 301 actions on forced labor and the Trump administration’s vigorous enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and the U.S. Forced Labor Statute (Section 1307).Â
“The ILO’s partnership with U.S. business helps protect and promote internationally recognized labor standards, including combatting forced labor, in every country from which we source, which in turn provides a stable business environment for American businesses, protects the tens of millions of American workers we employ, and levels the playing field for American manufacturers, American farmers, and American workers.”Â