LANSING – Yesterday Sen. Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit) called on Congress to remove trade barriers from some of the world’s least-developed countries. Sen. Clarke’s Senate Resolution 217, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) and Sen. Jason Allen (R-Traverse City), asks Congress to enact the New Partnership for Development Act to create new economic partnerships and offer trade incentives to some of the poorest countries in the world.

“We need to view ourselves as global citizens, and recognize our responsibility to support development and progress on a global scale,” said Clarke. “Enacting the New Partnership for Development Act would not only promote trade and economic growth worldwide, but support basic human rights, fair labor practices, and environmental responsibility, which benefits all of us.”

The New Partnership for Development Act is sponsored by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) and offers significant trade incentives, including duty-free status for products coming from some of the world’s least-developed countries. In return for these trade incentives, countries must assure that they are making significant efforts toward protecting and promoting basic human rights. This includes fair labor practices such as protections against child labor, unsafe working conditions, and unfair collective bargaining practices, as well as environmental responsibility. In addition, these countries would be encouraged to allow monitoring of their efforts to safeguard human rights and environmental protection, and a new federal compliance director would be designated to provide effective oversight of these efforts.

Sen. Clarke’s resolution has been sent to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.

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