Working to End Forced Labor and Promote Decent Work for Cotton Workers in Central Asia
We use independent reporting, human rights advocacy, supply chain research, and accountability actions to end state-imposed forced labor and establish strong labor practices in the cotton industries of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
We are a coalition of international human and labor rights NGOs, independent trade unions, brand and retail associations, responsible investor organizations, supply chain transparency groups, and academic partners.
News
![German Businesses Should Cut Ties with Turkmenistan’s Textile Industry [Cotton Campaign Correspondence with German Business Association]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618550501fe9be0ff3428860/1690274874970-Q51FTO081GFS4LWNNI7Z/Screenshot%2B2023-07-25%2Bat%2B10.14.36.jpg)
![Ending State-Imposed Forced Labor in Cotton Supply Chains [OECD Side Session]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618550501fe9be0ff3428860/1676969642065-JGYHFW1BBIDELD2OF8MS/CC-News-OECD-Forum.png)
Our Focus
Since 2007, the Cotton Campaign has been at the forefront of human rights advocacy to end state-imposed forced and child labor and promote decent work in the cotton industries of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
When the Campaign began, both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were led by repressive authoritarian regimes. Forced labor in cotton production was widespread and systemic, and independent civil society lacked the space and freedom to organize.
Today, we are witnessing significant and meaningful change in Uzbekistan, while Turkmenistan continues to be one of the most closed and repressive countries in the world.
Uzbekistan
Years of intense policy advocacy and campaigning, led by Uzbek and international civil society, combined with the Uzbek Government’s political will, made the elimination of state-imposed forced and child labor a reality. Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, a frontline partner of the Cotton Campaign that has monitored the annual cotton harvest since 2010, found no state-imposed forced labor in the 2021 harvest.
Despite these gains, the Uzbek civic space remains constrained and arbitrarily restricted, which puts the reforms to end forced labor at risk. With its primary focus on economic reforms and supply chain integration, the Uzbek transformation process has not sufficiently emphasized the need to empower civil society and develop effective institutions for transparency and accountability in the cotton sector.
The Cotton Campaign remains focused on implementing a human rights agenda in Uzbekistan and supporting Uzbek human rights defenders in their efforts to widen the space for civic participation, strengthen the protection of freedom of association and expression, and encourage responsible sourcing of cotton products from Uzbekistan.
Turkmenistan
Every year during the harvest, the Government of Turkmenistan forces tens of thousands of public sector workers to pick cotton in hazardous and unsanitary conditions and extorts money from public employees to pay harvest expenses. The Government has taken harsh actions against those who report on abuses in the sector.
Our Turkmen NGO partners work with brave human rights activists in the country, who provide first-hand reports of conditions in the cotton fields. We use these reports to advocate with global brands and retailers, foreign governments, international organizations, and investors to leverage their influence and push for reform.
A critical aspect of our strategy to end forced labor in Turkmen cotton production is to increase the economic pressure on the Government of Turkmenistan by limiting access of Turkmen cotton goods to international markets. We are making efforts to trace Turkmen cotton and are working with global brands and retailers, policy makers, and customs authorities across jurisdictions to eliminate it from the global market.
Coalition Members
The Cotton Campaign is Coordinated and Hosted By
