U.S. Senator Tom Harkin
		U.S. Representative George Miller
		Enlarged view

In letter to FIFA officials, Iowa Senator enlists congressional colleagues in calling for an end to the use of soccer balls made by the hands of children

FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2002

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), with other members of the House and Senate, today called on the global organization that runs the World Cup Soccer competition (FIFA - Federation Internationale de Football Association) to honor their own Code of Labor Practice and cease the use of soccer balls made using child labor. FIFA adopted its Code in 1998 under pressure from human rights groups, international trade unions, Harkin and other members of the United States Congress.

"The FIFA Code was among the first voluntary corporate codes adopted with much fanfare," Harkin noted. "The full implementation and independent monitoring of its results are a crucial test of how much stock to put in such codes as effective tools for stopping abusive child labor. If FIFA continues to endorse the use of brutally manufactured goods in global events like the World Cup, they aide in the abuse of basic human rights, ignore the inhumane treatment of children in places like Morocco, India and Pakistan where these soccer balls are made and defy the very premise of this competition," he added.

In 1996, Life magazine published an expose on child labor abuses worldwide, including in the manufacture of soccer balls (Life Magazine, June 1996, p.38-48). Under considerable pressure from the world community including Harkin and other members of the U.S. Congress, FIFA voluntarily instituted their Code of Labor Practice, which clearly prohibits the use of child labor and promises fair wages for adult workers in the production of FIFA licensed products. Various reports from international groups, including the Global March Against Child Labor, indicate that FIFA has not implemented their own policy.

Harkin and other lawmakers are considering congressional hearings, as well as sanctions against sporting goods that are manufactured with the use of child laborers. Earlier this month, as part of the debate on trade promotion authority (TPA), Harkin authored legislation that passed ending the use of the worst forms of child labor in international commerce a principle U.S. negotiating objective in all new American trade agreements.

Text of the letter:

Dear Mr. Zen-Ruffinen, General Secretary, Federation of International Football Associations:

We are writing to express our concerns about the enforcement of FIFA's commendable policy on labor standards in the production of its licensed goods. This is of particular interest as we eagerly await the World Cup 2002. We want to ensure that those who benefit from this wonderful sporting event are not inadvertently using FIFA licensed goods that might have been made by the sweat and toil of children or exploitative adult labor.

Soccer fans are proud to note FIFA's 1998 Code of Labor Practice, which clearly and appropriately prohibits the use of children and promises fair wages for adult workers in the production of FIFA licensed products. However, a number of reports have been brought to our attention alleging that children are still exploited to produce soccer balls and are denied their rights to receive basic education. Meanwhile, their parents working in the sporting goods industry, which includes making balls, shoes and FIFA licensed clothing, are often not paid sufficient wages to support their families. Obviously, there are still many indications that the sporting goods industry is not free from exploitation including child labor and sweatshops in countries such as China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan.

We understand that FIFA has informed some groups that monitoring mechanisms are in place to ensure the implementation of your Code of Labor Practice and that FIFA is in the process of improving these mechanisms. We sincerely support and acknowledge the steps FIFA, as a responsible organization dedicated to the integrity of soccer (football), took in the right direction by agreeing to the Code of Labor Practice. However, our understanding is that these efforts are limited to specific cases rather than broadly improving working conditions to bring sustainable changes. Further steps must be taken with the improvement of existing monitoring systems and making the total elimination of child labor and the provision of fair wages an end result. As we are sure you are aware, claims of strict monitoring and enforcement by the garment and sporting goods industries have frequently been proven false under public scrutiny.

To gather full and accurate information on the effective implementation of the FIFA Code of Labor Practice for all FIFA licensed goods used in or associated with the World Cup competition, we are requesting that you provide a full description of actions taken to implement, monitor and enforce the code in all production facilities. To create the transparency necessary for achieving the elimination of child labor and full implementation of and enforcement of fair labor standards, evidence should be made public immediately of the functions and impact of FIFA's existing monitoring systems, as well as future plans of action to reach the full compliance of your Code.

While we look forward to cheering on the sidelines of the World Cup, we believe that your joint campaign with UNICEF to "Say Yes For Children" during the matches will only be honest and successful if you first document publicly the enforcement of your policy to ban child labor and ensure fair labor practices for your licensed products.

We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to a prompt reply from FIFA.

Sincerely,
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and U.S. Representative George Miller (D-CA) and others

cc: Joseph S. Blatter, President, FIFAChuck Blazer, FIFA Executive Committee, USA Representative and General Secretary, Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)
Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia, President, United States Soccer Federation Mr. Daniel T. Flynn, Secretary General, United States Soccer Federation
Ms. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, UNICEF
Ms. Elaine Chao, Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor
Mr. Juan Somavia, Director-General, International Labour Organization

Source "Tom Harkin" Website