Cotton Campaign lifts Uzbek cotton boycott
11/03/2022
Citing a recent report on Uzbekistan’s 2021 cotton harvest by partner organisation the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights as the key driver behind its decision, the move comes hot on the heels of the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s announcement of similar findings in early March.
The ILO’s own report will be published in full on March 29.
The Cotton Campaign launched its pledge against forced labour in the Uzbek cotton industry in 2009. Up until the pledge was lifted on March 10, 331 brands and retailers had signed up, including Zara, H&M, Gap Inc, Walmart, C&A and Tesco.
Campaign co-founder and Responsible Sourcing Network chief executive, Patricia Jurewicz, said: “After encouraging hundreds of companies to avoid Uzbek cotton over the past 12 years, we’re happy to announce that 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.”
Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the United States and Canada, Javlon Vakhabov, commented on social media that the decision was “great news everyone has been waiting for, for almost 15 years”.
Image: Government of Uzbekistan.
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