LABOR DEPARTMENT UPDATES LISTS OF PRODUCTS MADE BY INDENTURED CHILDREN

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
US Labor Department updates list of products made by forced or indentured child labor

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a revised "List of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor," adding six new products from five countries. Federal contractors supplying products on the list must certify the goods were not produced by forced or indentured child labor in accordance with Executive Order 13126.

The Departments of Labor, State and Homeland Security published a Federal Register notice updating the list that adds cattle from South Sudan, dried fish from Bangladesh, fish from Ghana, garments from Vietnam, and gold and wolframite from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Public comments were solicited, received, and considered in the agencies' final determination.

ILAB published the first list in 2001 and revisions each year from 2010 through 2012.  Information about ILAB and its program activities is available at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/. The notice is scheduled to be published in the July 23, 2013, Federal Register.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S CALL TO SOUTH SUDAN PRESIDENT MAYARDIT

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Readout of Call with South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit

Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
July 27, 2013

I spoke yesterday with South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit to reiterate the United States’ concerns about the political situation in Juba, as well as the deeply disturbing violence and worsening humanitarian crisis in Jonglei State.

I urged President Kiir to form a new government quickly and transparently in a manner that respects South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution, and in a way that also reflects the diversity of its people.

I also encouraged him to act expeditiously to protect civilians, end human rights violations, and take urgent steps to cease ethnically motivated violence in Jonglei State.

Those responsible for human rights violations and attacks on civilians – including members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – must be held accountable

Lifesaving humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach the estimated 100,000 civilians affected by the fighting.

I was present for South Sudan's historic, peaceful referendum, and I saw firsthand the hopes of a people for a better future.

Too much sacrifice has been made to see that effort go backwards.

The world is watching to see if South Sudan pursues the path of peace and prosperity, or the tragic path of violence and conflict that has characterized much of its past.

The United States will remain a steady partner to those who aspire to stand on the side of democracy, justice, respect for human rights, and who work for the brighter future the South Sudanese people deserve.

JOINT TROIKA ON SUDAN, SOUTH SUDAN TENSION

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Joint Troika Statement on Heightened Tension Between the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
June 14, 2013

Following is the text of a joint statement by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, and United Kingdom Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Begin Text:


We are deeply concerned at the heightened tension between the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan. We call on both governments to comply fully with all of their September 27 agreements, including ceasing any support to rebel movements in each other’s territories and withdrawing their forces fully from the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone. The Government of Sudan's announcement that it intends to stop the flow of South Sudanese oil transported via Sudan’s pipeline is in contravention of these agreements. We urge the Government of Sudan to reconsider its position and call on both governments to continue constructive dialogue on implementation of these agreements, especially on oil and security.

The Troika reminds both sides of the commitment they made to a peaceful resolution of their disputes in signing the Addis Ababa agreements on 27 September 2012 and calls on them to cease their increasingly hostile rhetoric. Full implementation of all agreements, without conditionality, as well as progress on unresolved issues such as Abyei, presents the best path toward realizing these goals. We call on both governments to cease any interference in the internal affairs of the other state. In particular, we condemn any military support being provided to rebel movements in Sudan or South Sudan. Such support is clearly in breach of both the spirit and the letter of the Addis agreements and should end immediately.

We remind both governments that they committed under the Addis agreements to withdraw forces fully from the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone consistent with the African Union map which they have both accepted, and as called for by UN Security Council Resolution 2046. The UN Security Council has made a substantive commitment to support border security arrangements, by increasing the force levels of the UN Interim Security Force in Abyei for its participation in the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism. We urge both governments to resolve their concerns through the Joint Political Security Mechanism, the Petroleum Monitoring Committee and the other established bilateral mechanisms.

Abandoning internationally-supported security mechanisms and unilaterally shutting down oil will have serious implications for the viability of both states. We call on the two governments to recover their spirit of cooperation exhibited in past months and to commit to overcoming their differences. President Mbeki and the AU High-Level Implementation Panel have now proposed to the Heads of State practical measures to help the parties honor the commitments that they have already made to each other. The Troika supports these next steps as the only viable way forward and repeats our rejection of unilateral actions in word or deed that would damage our collective goal of lasting peace.