Video Recording of the Cotton Campaign Press Conference, March 10, 2022
On March 10, 2022, during a press conference in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), the Cotton Campaign announced it ended its call for a global boycott of Uzbek cotton and lifted the Uzbek Cotton Pledge.
The announcement was made following the release of a report by Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, a frontline partner of the Cotton Campaign, that found no systemic state-imposed forced labor during the 2021 cotton harvest. The Cotton Campaign encourages responsible sourcing from the country, to ensure the reforms continue to benefit Uzbek workers, farmers, and civil society.
Although Uzbek Forum’s report found that cotton was harvested without systematic state-imposed forced labor, the monitors found cases of coercion and interference by local authorities, as well as individual cases of forced labor. In addition, independent groups that conduct field level monitoring and capacity building are unable to register and operate freely, putting progress at risk.
Given repressive policies that limit freedom of association in Uzbekistan, and supply chain practices that have contributed to eroding labor standards in garment producing countries around the world, both the Uzbek government and brands must take the next steps to ensure not only the end of forced labor but also to support workers’ rights as the industry is poised to grow.
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