CHILD LABOR BANNED.

Nicaraguan Labor Minister Wilfredo Navarro has signed an agreement with managers of companies in the free industrial zone of Managua to prevent the exploitation of children under 18, reports Xinhua News Agency (June 22, 1999).

Studies show that 160,000 youngsters under age 18, forced by poverty, are working in Nicaragua, where 53% of the total population of 4.9 million is under 18.