TASHKENT – Positive talks and several agreements struck between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and political leadership of Uzbekistan has led the ILO’s director-general to hail the country as a “role model” for its work to eliminate forced and child labour from its cotton harvest.
During the latest round of discussions, the ILO has heaped praise on the nation for its adoption of over 40 national labour-focused regulatory documents and the ratification of 22 international conventions.
Despite these pledges, talking about the nation’s cotton production in wholly glowing terms sits at odds with several reports in recent months – with alleged harassment of workers’ rights advocates as well as claims of the perpetuation of forced labour in regions with workforce shortages among concerns to have emerged earlier this year.
