Viewing results 1 - 6 of 40
BISHKEK (TCA) — Central Asian countries intend to increase their export of agricultural products to the partner countries in the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as to the European Union. Continue reading
ASHGABAT (TCA) — The U.S. government has banned all imports of cotton goods from Turkmenistan, which activists have accused of rampant use of child and forced labor in cotton harvesting, RFE/RL reported. The Withhold Release Order, filed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) service on May 18 and made public on May 24, did not specify the reason for the ban. But members of the U.S. Cotton Campaign, Alternative Turkmenistan News, and International Labor Rights Forum had petitioned the CBP to ban importation of all goods made with Turkmen cotton that was produced with forced labor. "These three groups alleged that the Turkmen government forces public-sector employees under threat of punishment, including loss of wages and termination of employment, to pick cotton," the Crowell & Moring International Trade Group said on its website on May 24. U.S. law prohibits the importation of products produced through slave or child labor or by violating labor laws. "The decision of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service is an important step towards the complete cessation of one of the most egregious practices of using forced labor still left in the world," said Erik Gottwald, director of the International Forum on Labor Rights for Policy Development and Legal Affairs. Ruslan Myatiev, editor and founder of Alternative Turkmenistan News, said that "annually, the Turkmen government forces tens of thousands of public sector employees, including teachers, nurses, and doctors, to pick cotton, pay a bribe or hire a replacement worker, all under threat of punishment, including loss of wages and termination of employment.” Several leading global retailers, including H&M and IKEA, have said they were no longer using Turkmen cotton and textiles in their products. The 2016 Global Slavery Index listed the countries it said have systematically forced their population into labor, including Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus, China, Eritrea, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam. The report said that an estimated 15,800 people were believed to be held in "modern slavery" in Turkmenistan.
TASHKENT (TCA) — The government of Uzbekistan has issued a decree aimed at completely ending the practice of forced labor in the Central Asian country, RFE/RL reported. Continue reading
TASHKENT (TCA) — A new International Labour Organization (ILO) report to the World Bank finds that the systematic use of child labour in Uzbekistan’s cotton harvest has come to an end, and that concrete measures to stop the use of forced labour have been taken. Continue reading
DUSHANBE (TCA) — For Tajikistan, diversification of agricultural crop production and shifting away from cotton monoculture is vital for improving the wellbeing of local farmers and achieving the country’s food security. We are republishing this article by Irna Hofman* on the issue, originally published by EurasiaNet.org: Continue reading
TASHKENT (TCA) — The 76th Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee and the 13th International Uzbek Cotton and Textile Fair are being held in Tashkent, the Jahon information agency reports. Continue reading
