ILO: neither child nor forced labour is used in Uzbekistan anymore

The Government delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tanzila Narbaeva attended a discussion forum on "The way Uzbekistan eradicates child and forced labour in cotton harvesting" on 1 April. The event was organized by the International Labour Organization, the World Bank, the embassies of Uzbekistan, the United States and Switzerland with the participation of the European Institute for Asian studies in Brussels.

According to the Mission of Uzbekistan to the EU, the forum saw high representatives of the European Commission, international non-governmental organizations, as well as labour and human rights NGOs, business and investment companies advocating for the elimination of child and forced labour in the production of cotton.

The participants welcomed the process of large-scale reforms implemented in Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. It was stressed that "Uzbekistan has achieved great results in eradicating child and forced labour. These problems are no longer systemic in the Republic."

Heinz Keller, Deputy Director General of ILO, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, thanked Uzbekistan for the ratification of all 15 key ILO conventions and the commitment of the government to their implementation. "The visit of ILO Director-General G. Ryder to Uzbekistan in December 2018 was a recognition of the progress made by Uzbekistan in the elimination of child and forced labour," said Heinz Keller.

He stressed that neither child nor forced labour is no longer used in the country.