A new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that children harvest 40 percent of Tajikistan\'s cotton. Frederic Chenais, acting head of the IOM mission in Tajikistan, presented the report at a 16 July press conference in Dushanbe. \"Although Tajik legislation prohibits child labor, they harvest up to 40 percent of the cotton for paltry wages and to the detriment of their health and education,\" Chenais said. \"Over the 4-5 months of the cotton harvest, they earn on average less than $20. Approximately 70 percent of parents state that the cotton harvest negatively affects their children\'s health,\" he added. The report is based on independent research conducted in three cotton-growing regions of the country. (Asia Plus-Blitz)