Ending the Uzbek Cotton Pledge and the Transition to a Responsible Sourcing Approach

Forced labor in the annual cotton harvest in Uzbekistan started in the Soviet Union and continued at the hands of the Uzbek Government after independence. As a co-founder of the Cotton Campaign in late 2007, RSN joined with others in this multi-stakeholder coalition to bring these massive systemic abuses to the attention of the international community. One avenue of action was signing the Uzbek Cotton Pledge, where signatory companies committed to not knowingly sourcing Uzbek cotton in their products. 

In recent years, the Uzbek government eliminated state-sponsored forced child labor in the cotton harvest, and for the 2021 cotton harvest, the Cotton Campaign is happy to report that Uzbekistan has eliminated systemic, state-imposed forced labor. Since 2017, the government has turned the cotton industry over to private enterprises––called ‘cotton textile clusters’––to grow and process all of Uzbekistan’s cotton as well as turn it into yarn, fabric, or finished goods within the country. 

Although the work to end forced labor and guarantee core labor rights in the now-privatized sector remains unfinished, we are encouraged by the significant changes the Uzbek government has enacted, and thus have decided to lift the Uzbek Cotton Pledge. The Cotton Campaign deems worker protections as vital as Uzbekistan begins to rejoin the global cotton economy. 

The Cotton Campaign is now managing next steps in Uzbekistan.

A Path Forward

Although the Uzbek Cotton Pledge has been lifted, there is much to be done to identify and address human rights risks in the newly privatized cotton sector. The Cotton Campaign is laying out a Framework for Responsible Sourcing to empower and protect workers throughout the value chain in Uzbekistan.

Based on best international components of a responsible sourcing framework, key components of a responsible sourcing framework include: 

  • Transparency;

  • Enforceability;

  • Adherence to the ILO’s fundamental labor rights;

  • A worker-driven grievance and remediation mechanism;

  • A multi-stakeholder, co-governed board; and

  • An independent monitoring body.

Combined with RSN’s initiative YESS: Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced, the responsible sourcing framework is a model to protect cotton pickers and provide assurances of due diligence and decent working conditions.