Letters about Ecuador
  • As currently negotiated, the U.S.-Andean Free Trade Agreement would not require countries to ensure that their domestic anti-discrimination laws comply with international standards nor even to enforce their existing laws. The Andean countries, however, have proposed language that would at least require countries to enforce their domestic non-discrimination laws, but the United States has reportedly not accepted this proposal. Human Rights Watch urges the United States to reconsider this wrong and misguided position.

    Sep 6, 2005
  • Human Rights Watch welcomes the acknowledgement by the Ecuadorian banana industry of child labor in that sector and the drafting of an agreement to address the problem. In particular, we commend the industry for strengthening its commitment to uphold Ecuadorian child labor laws and for increasing the minimum age of employment in the industry to fifteen from the legal minimum of fourteen. Nonetheless, we are deeply concerned about the substance of this agreement and the process by which it was reached.

    Aug 19, 2002