The Uzbek Cotton Pledge for Companies
About the Pledge
In 2010, the Cotton Campaign and its partner Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN) launched the Company Pledge Against Forced Labor in the Cotton Sector of Uzbekistan. By signing it, brands and retailers publicly committed to not use Uzbek cotton in their products as long as it is produced with state-orchestrated forced labor. The Pledge was signed by 331 brands and retailers.
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.
As a result, the Cotton Campaign announced it ends its call for a global boycott of Uzbek cotton and lifts the Uzbek Cotton Pledge, at a press conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on March 10, 2022. The recording of the press conference is available here.
Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of each individual company to assess whether sourcing Uzbek cotton goods meets its human and labor rights commitments and legal obligations to not use forced and exploitative labor in its supply chains. Each company looking to source from Uzbekistan must evaluate whether it has the means and capacity to effectively implement human rights due diligence and mitigate human rights risks in its Uzbek supply chain.
“After encouraging hundreds of companies to avoid Uzbek cotton over the past 12 years, we’re happy to announce the time has come to lift the Uzbek Cotton Pledge. Companies now need to conduct due diligence and make their own policy decisions regarding sourcing in Uzbekistan”
Opportunities and Challenges for Sourcing from Uzbekistan, Following the Lifting of the Pledge
Uzbekistan has the potential to become an attractive sourcing country for cotton textiles, offering new state-of-the-art facilities and the possibility of full supply chain visibility and traceability. However, serious labor and human rights risks remain, and any company interested to begin sourcing from Uzbekistan must develop and implement, in consultation with affected stakeholders, a risk mitigation plan to address these risks.
Although Uzbek Forum’s report found that cotton was harvested without 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.
In Uzbekistan, integrated cotton textile clusters control multiple aspects of production: cotton growing and harvesting (either directly or by contract with local farmers) and ginning, spinning, fabric production and textile manufacturing operations. The vertical integration of the Uzbek supply chain requires brands to conduct human rights due diligence to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for adverse human rights impacts at all levels of production, including cotton farms, spinners, fabric mills, and cut-make-trim units.
Achieving this as an individual company can be challenging, given that Uzbekistan has no mechanisms to mitigate forced labor or labor exploitation in cotton and textiles production. This is why the Cotton Campaign developed a Framework for Responsible Sourcing. Through this Framework, brands, clusters, and labor groups can work collaboratively and at scale to establish and maintain strong standards in the emerging Uzbek textile industry.
Tailored to the context of Uzbekistan, the elements of the Framework — independent monitoring, capacity building, the operation of an independent grievance mechanism, accountability, and traceability — are based on international best practices to safeguard workers’ rights and ensure compliance with mandatory human rights due diligence and other supply chain obligations.
All companies looking to source from Uzbekistan are invited to contact the Cotton Campaign to discuss the possibility of sourcing within the Framework for Responsible Sourcing.
Text of the Pledge
We, the undersigned companies are working to ensure that forced labor does not find its way into our products. We are aware of reports documenting the systemic use of forced labor in Uzbekistan's cotton production. We are collaborating with a multi-stakeholder coalition to raise awareness of this very serious concern, and press for its elimination.
As a signatory to this pledge, we are stating our firm opposition to the use of forced labor in Uzbekistan's cotton production. We commit to not knowingly source Uzbek cotton for the manufacturing of any of our products until the Government of Uzbekistan ends the practice of forced labor in its cotton sector. Until the elimination of this practice is independently verified by the International Labour Organization as well as determined by the Cotton Campaign, we will maintain this pledge.
Pledge Signatories
331 brands and retailers had committed to not use Uzbek cotton in their products as long as it was produced with state-imposed forced labor
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Total Signatories: 331
1) AAFA (American Apparel & Footwear Association)
2) Adelington Design Group (kate spade & company)
3) adidas (adidas Group)
4) adidas Golf (adidas Group)
5) Aerie (American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.)
6) Agenda Brands (David Jones Ltd.)
7) Alexander McQueen (Kering)
8) Alannah Hill (Factory X Retail Group)
9) Alice In The Eve (General Pants)
10) Alta Linea (David Jones Ltd.)
11) Amart Sports (Super Retail Group)
12) Amazon
13) American Eagle Outfitters (American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.)
14) Amethyst Jeans (Jade Marketing Group)
15) Ann Taylor (ANN INC)
16) APG and Co
17) Argos (J Sainsbury Plc)
18) Ariya (Onyx Design Group)
19) ARN Mercantile
20) ARROW (PVH. Corp.)
21) Arthur & Henry
22) Arvust (General Pants)
23) ASDA (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
24) Autograph (Mosaic Brands)
25) Avenue (City Chic Collective)
26) Axe & Crown (Jade Marketing Group)
27) B.O.D. by Finch (Vision Brands Group)
28) Balenciaga (Kering)
29) Beme (Mosaic Brands)
30) Berkley Jensen (BJ’s Wholesale Club)
31) Bershka (INDITEX)
32) Better Homes & Gardens (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
33) BIK BOK (Varner Retail AS)
34) BJ’s Wholesale Club
35) Black Pepper (The PAS Group limited)
36) Bnwr (General Pants)
37) Boating Camping Fishing (Super Retail Group)
38) Boden
39) Bottega Venetta (Kering)
40) Boucheron (Kering)
41) Breakaway (The PAS Group limited)
42) BRICOR (GRUPO EL CORTE INGLÉS)
43) Brioni (Kering)
44) Brooks Sports, Inc.
45) Bubaloo Baby (Kids Organic Clothing Company, Inc.)
46) Burberry
47) By Design (Peacocks Stores Ltd)
48) C&A
49) Callula Lillibelle
50) Calvin Klein (PVH Corp.)
51) Candidate (General Pants)
52) Canopy (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
53) Carlings (Varner Retail AS)
54) Carrefour
55) Carter’s
56) CCX (City Chic Collective)
57) City Chic (City Chic Collective)
58) CleanAide (Eurow & O’Reilly Corporation)
59) Code of Casual (Coop Cooperative)
60) Columbia Sportswear Company
61) COMPTOIR DES COTONNIERS (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd)
62) Converse (NIKE, Inc.)
63) Coop Naturaline (Coop Cooperative)
64) Costco Wholesale Corp.
65) Cotton On Group
66) Country Road (Woolworths Holdings)
67) Crewcuts (J. Crew)
68) Crossroads (Mosaic Brands)
69) Cubus (Varner Retail AS)
70) Cue (Cue Clothing Co.)
71) Dangerfield (Factory X Group)
72) DaysLikeThis (Varner Retail AS)
73) Darling Dress (Kids Organic Clothing Company, Inc.)
74) David Jones Brands (David Jones Ltd.)
75) Dept (Veldhoven Group)
76) Designworks Clothing Company Pty Ltd
77) Detailers Preference (Eurow & O’Reilly Corporation)
78) Deyao Textile Industry Co., Ltd
79) Disney (The Walt Disney Company)
80) Dodo (Kering)
81) Don’t Ask Amanda (General Pants)
82) Dotti (Just Groups Ltd.)
83) Dressmann (Varner Retail AS)
84) Dwindle Distribution (Globe International)
85) Econscious
86) Eddie Bauer
87) EILEEN FISHER
88) EL CORTE INGLÉS (GRUPO EL CORTE INGLÉS)
89) Elk
90) Enrico Meierhofer SRL
91) Equus (The PAS Group limited)
92) Eurow (Eurow & O’Reilly Corporation)
93) Eurow & O’Reilly Corporation
94) Evans (City Chic Collective)
95) Extra Pepper (The PAS Group limited)
96) F&F (Tesco Stores Ltd.)
97) Factory X Retail Group
98) Faded Glory (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
99) Fast Retailing Co., Ltd
100) Flex Knit Factories Inc.
101) F21 OpCo, LLC (Forever 21)
102) Forever New Clothing Pty Ltd
103) Fox & Royal (City Chic Collective)
104) Fragile Club, The
105) Fred Bare (Designworks Clothing Company Pty Ltd)
106) Fruit of the Loom (Fruit of the Loom, Inc.)
107) F.X.D (Globe International)
108) Gap Inc.
109) General Pants Group Pty Ltd
110) George (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
111) Girard-Perregaux (Kering)
112) Glassons (Hallenstein Glasson Holdings Ltd.)
113) Globe International
114) Globe (Globe International)
115) Gorman (Factory X Retail Group)
116) Green Sprouts, Inc. (formerly i play., Inc.)
117) GroomTex (Eurow & O’Reilly Corporation)
118) GP Co Basics (General Pants)
119) GP Tees (General Pants)
120) GU (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd)
121) Gucci (Kering)
122) Guest Supply
123) H & M (Hennes & Mauritz AB)
124) Habitat (J Sainsbury Plc)
125) Hakro (HAKRO GmbH)
126) Hallenstein Brothers (Hallenstein Glasson Holdings Ltd.)
127) Hallenstein Glasson Holdings Ltd.
128) Harry Kroll (HAKRO GmbH)
129) Hayleys Fabric PLC
130) HIPERCOR (GRUPO EL CORTE INGLÉS)
131) Hips & Curves (City Chic Collective)
132) Hoka (Decker Brands)
133) Hollander Home Fashions, LLC
134) Home Trends (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
135) Hudson’s Bay Company
136) Hurley (NIKE, Inc.)
137) IKEA Supply AG (IKEA)
138) Ilio Nema Pty Ltd
139) Indigenous Designs
140) INDITEX
141) Industrie Clothing Pty Ltd
142) Insight (General Pants)
143) ivivva athletica (lululemon athletica, inc)
144) IZOD (PVH Corp.)
145) J BRAND (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd)
146) J. Crew
147) Jack London (Factory X Retail Group)
148) JACK SPADE (kate spade & company)
149) Jacqui E (Just Group Ltd.)
150) Jade Jeans (Jade Marketing Group)
151) Jade Marketing Group
152) JAG (APG and Co)
153) Jay Jays (Just Group Ltd.)
154) JCPenney Purchasing Corp.
155) Jeanswest (Jeanswest Corporation Pty Ltd)
156) Jerzees (Fruit of the Loom, Inc.)
157) Joe Fresh (Loblaw Companies Limited)
158) Jones Group, The
159) Just Jeans (Just Group Ltd.)
160) Kate spade new york (kate spade & company)
161) Kate spade saturday (kate spade & company)
162) Kathmandu
163) Katies (Mosaic Brands)
164) Kering
165) Kids Organic (Kids Organic Clothing Company, Inc.)
166) KidZlab (Kids Organic Clothing Company, Inc.)
167) Kirkland Signature (Costco Wholesale Corp.)
168) Kohl’s Department Stores
169) Koolaburra (Decker Brands)
170) Ksubi (General Pants)
171) KYND Baby (Vision Brands Group)
172) Lacoste
173) Lay-Day (Lay-day International Pty Ltd.)
174) Levi Strauss & Co.
175) Li & Fung Limited
176) Licensing Essentials Pty. Ltd.
177) Lindex
178) Loblaw Companies Limited
179) LOFT (ANN INC)
180) Lorelle By Dj’s Brands (David Jones Ltd.)
181) lululemon athletica (lululemon athletica, inc)
182) L’urv (Factory X Retail Group)
183) Mackays Stores Limited (M&Co)
184) Macpac
185) Macy’s Inc
186) Madewell (J. Crew)
187) Mainstays (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
188) Marco Polo (The PAS Group limited)
189) Marimekko (Marimekko Corporation)
190) Marks & Spencer Group plc
191) Massimo Dutti (INDITEX)
192) McQ (Kering)
193) Metalicus (The PAS Group limited)
194) MGF Sourcing Far East, Limited
195) Milana (David Jones Ltd.)
196) Millers (Mosaic Brands)
197) Mimco (Woolworths Holdings)
198) Modavanti.com
199) Mooks (Designworks Clothing Company Pty Ltd)
200) Moving Comfort (Brooks Sports, Inc.)
201) Myth Jade (Jade Marketing Group)
202) Neon Hart (General Pants)
203) New Balance
204) Nien Hsing Textile Co. Ltd
205) Nike
206) No Boundaries (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
207) Noni B (Mosaic Brands)
208) Nono (Veldhoven Group)
209) Nordstrom Product Group
210) Novelle Legende (Eurow & O’Reilly Corporation)
211) Nulu (Coop Cooperative)
212) Obus
213) Oku (David Jones Ltd.)
214) Olasul
215) Olga (PVH Corp.)
216) Olsen (Veldhoven Group)
217) Onyx Design Group
218) Organic Apparel (Kids Organic Clothing Company, Inc.)
219) Organic Bed Threads Pty Ltd
220) OshKosh B’gosh (Carter’s)
221) Oysho (INDITEX)
222) Patagonia
223) PB teen (WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC.)
224) Peacocks London (Peacocks Stores Ltd)
225) Pearl Lowe for Peacocks (Peacocks Stores Ltd)
226) Peter Alexander (Just Group Ltd.)
227) Pikolin Home (Spacio Repos, S.L.)
228) PLST (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd)
229) Pomellato (Kering)
230) Portmans (Just Group Ltd.)
231) Pottery Barn (WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC.)
232) pottery barn kids (WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC.)
233) Primark
234) Princess Highway (Factory X Retail Group)
235) PRINCESSE tam・tam (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd)
236) Prix Garantie (Coop Cooperative)
237) Pull & Bear (INDITEX)
238) Puritan (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
239) PVH Corp. (Phillips-Van Heusen Corp.)
240) Qeelin (Kering)
241) Raven + Lily
242) Rays (Super Retail Group)
243) Rebel (Super Retail Group)
244) REDCAR SL
245) Reebok (adidas Group)
246) Rejuvenation (WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC.)
247) Republic (Designworks Clothing Company Pty Ltd.)
248) Retail Apparel Group Pty Ltd
249) Review (The PAS Group limited)
250) Revival (Factory X Retail Group)
251) Rhythm in Blues (Jade Marketing Group)
252) Rivers (Mosaic Brands)
253) Rockmans (Mosaic Brands)
254) Rowlinson Knitwear Limited
255) Royal Bermuda, LLC.
256) Russell Athletic (Fruit of the Loom, Inc.)
257) SABA (APG and Co)
258) Sainsbury's
259) Saint Laurent (Kering)
260) Salty Crew (Globe International)
261) Sam’s Club (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
262) Sandwich (Veldhoven Group)
263) Sanuk (Decker Brands)
264) Sergio (Coop Cooperative)
265) Series 31 (Jade Marketing Group)
266) SFERA JOVEN (GRUPO EL CORTE INGLÉS)
267) Sophie Theallet
268) South Asia Textiles Limited
269) Spacio Repos, S.L.
270) Spalding (Fruit of the Loom, Inc.)
271) Sportscraft (APG and Co)
272) St. James (David Jones Ltd.)
273) Standard (General Pants)
274) Stills (Veldhoven Group)
275) Stockmann (Lindex)
276) Storm (Hallenstein Glasson Holdings Ltd.)
277) Stradivarius (INDITEX)
278) Study NY
279) Subtitled (General Pants)
280) Suitsupply
281) Super Retail Group
282) SustainU
283) T.K. Axel (Jade Marketing Group)
284) Tailgate Clothing Company
285) Target Australia Pty Ltd
286) Target Corporation
287) TaylorMade (adidas Group)
288) Tesco Stores Ltd.
289) Teva (Decker Brands)
290) The Just Group
291) The Talbots, Inc.
292) The TJX Companies, Inc
293) Theory (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd)
294) Trenery (Woolworths Holdings)
295) Turnover (Veldhoven Group)
296) Tommy Hilfiger (PVH Corp.)
297) Tu (J Sainsbury Plc)
298) TXO Flex (Vision Brands Group)
299) Udderly Clean (Eurow & O’Reilly Corporation)
300) Ugg (Decker)
301) Ulysse Nardin (Kering)
302) UNIQLO (Fast Retailing Co., Ltd)
303) Urban (Varner Retail AS)
304) Uterque (INDITEX)
305) Van Heusen (PVH Corp.)
306) Vanity Fair Brands (Fruit of the Loom, Inc.)
307) Veldhoven Group
308) Vera Bradley
309) Veronika Maine (Cue Clothing Co.)
310) VF Corporation
311) Volt (Varner Retail AS)
312) Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
313) WE Europe BV
314) west elm (WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC.)
315) Warner’s (PVH Corp.)
316) White Stag (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
317) Williams Sonoma (WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC.)
318) Williams Sonoma Home (WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC.)
319) Willow (APG and Co)
320) Wilster Apparel Group
321) Winter Kate
322) Witchery (Woolworths Holdings)
323) W. Lane (Mosaic Brands)
324) Woolworths (Woolworths Holdings)
325) WOW (Varner Retail AS)
326) Yarra Trail (The PAS Group limited)
327) Your Zone (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
328) YuMiChi (Kids Organic Clothing Company, Inc.)
329) Yvonne Black (The PAS Group limited)
330) Zara (INDITEX)
331) Zara Home (INDITEX)
“Signing this common Pledge demonstrates solidarity by the industry to block cotton using any form of slave labor from entering the global market. Having the largest brands and retailers in the world standing united shows that they are committed to doing their part to end forced labor, both of children and adults.”