The ILO welcomed the Cotton Campaign's decision to cancel the global boycott of Uzbek cotton

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has published an information message "The ILO welcomes the cancellation of the Cotton Campaign boycott in Uzbekistan." As noted in the official press release, agricultural and economic reforms have led to the eradication of the systematic use of child and forced labor in cotton harvesting in Uzbekistan.

"The International Labour Organization (ILO) welcomes the Cotton Campaign's decision to cancel the global boycott of Uzbek cotton products and congratulates the Government of Uzbekistan, workers' organizations and employers on their achievements in reforming the industry, the publication says. The boycott was introduced in 2011 due to the use of child and forced labor in the harvesting of Uzbek cotton. 331 international brands and retailers have joined this campaign. The boycott was lifted on March 10." The report notes that the ILO report on the independent monitoring of the cotton harvest in Uzbekistan for 2021 showed that Uzbekistan has eradicated systemic forced and child labor during the cotton harvest.
According to the publication, international partners of the ILO, Uzbek tripartite participants, representatives of civil society and other interested parties collaborated with the ILO in efforts to eliminate systematic child and forced labor and ensure decent work in Uzbekistan. Earlier it was reported that the Cotton Campaign international coalition announced the end of the global boycott of Uzbek cotton, which was introduced in 2010 due to the use of child and forced labor in the fields. In early March, the International Labour Organization (ILO) stated that 99 percent of those who participated in the cotton harvest in Uzbekistan in 2021 worked voluntarily. There were very few or no cases of forced labor in all regions.