Fighting Child Labor: What Works and Why.

Much opposition to globalization rests on the assumption that globalization will lead to a race to the bottom concerning core labor standards. Yet, in fact, more countries subscribe to more human rights conventions, declarations, and treaties than ever before. A transnational movement combating child labor has emerged. But what do these phenomena have an impact? This paper studies what influences actual change in the structure of the labor market measured by the percentage of children aged 10 to 14 working. It examines if and under which conditions there is a coupling between formal endorsement (ratification) and change (reduction of child labor rates) and, more specifically what role international non-governmental organizations play (NGOs). The time frame spans from 1960 to 1990. My guiding thesis is that pressures and influences accruing from the world society, especially in form of links via international NGOs, can better account for the decline of child labor rates, as predicted by the world society approach, than the particular characteristics of the respective countries. This guiding thesis leads to the three questions I will address in this paper: (1) Is there a measurable post-ratification effect on child labor rates if countries ratify the child labor convention (C138) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the oldest surviving governmental human rights organization? (2) What is the cumulative effect of international governmental and NGOS on child labor rates? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]