September marks the beginning of the cotton-picking season in Uzbekistan. Cotton is often called the “white gold of Uzbekistan”, and Uzbek authorities and farmers alike seek maximum yield from the fields. A problem that has been present in Uzbekistan for many years is the use of forced child labor in the cotton fields. The issue has already received great attention locally, as well as from the international community. In 2008, Uzbekistan’s authorities admitted that child labor was used and launched an official campaign to eradicate it, adopting a state program on the protection of child rights. At the start of this year’s cotton-picking season in Uzbekistan it is possible to observe and evaluate whether the promises are kept.

In the beginning of 2009, the Center of Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus, based in London, published a report on the use of forced child labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields. One of the major conclusions of the report is that child labor in Uzbekistan may be eradicated only with an integrated reform of the agricultural sector and a change of the monopolistic policy that favors cotton cultivation. In other words, the report assumes that the state cannot afford to abolish the use of child labor from the most important revenue generating sector of economy. The forecast of the report is not optimistic, stating that if necessary reforms are not introduced, Uzbekistan’s rural population will both remain poor and lose trust in the authorities, which may in turn hamper the country’s overall development.

Uzbekistan has signed several international conventions that are directly related to the use of child labor. For instance, it signed the Conventions of International Labor Organization, which contains provisions prohibiting child labor. Certain provisions of the Child Rights Convention which Uzbekistan has also signed are also in conflict with the present practice. 

In September 2008, the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan adopted a National Action Plan for realizing these conventions by adopting a resolution on prohibiting the use of forced child labor by enterprises, organizations and private persons. In line with this, the Cabinet recommended the Prosecutor General to toughen control over the requirements for the minimal age of employment and take immediate measures to eradicate the worst forms of child labor. The Ministry of Education also conveyed a message on its intentions to prevent disruption of the academic year through mobilization of pupils and students to the cotton fields.

Nevertheless, while the authorities make promises and elaborate their Action Plans, the situation on the ground does not seem to change. Local human rights organizations report that in several provinces, children are already being mobilized to the cotton fields and schools are being closed for the cotton season. For instance, in Surkhandaryo province seven-to-nine-graders are already in the fields; in Djizakh province nine-to-eleven-graders are mobilized; in Namangan and Andijan province students of vocational schools and lyceums are already involved in “helping the farmers”. So far only the authorities of Ferghana province have officially stated that this year, children will not be mobilized for picking cotton as the protection of their rights needs to be prioritized. Thus, in Ferghana province the staff of organizations and institutions will instead be involved in the harvest this year.

Meanwhile, the authorities of Uzbekistan conduct active propaganda among the population on the importance and value of contributing to the “common cause”. On September 22, Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoev announced the beginning of universal cotton hashar (a local practice of voluntary contribution of financial or labor resources). This message did not explicitly promote the use of child labor. However, since the Prime Minister called for a massive mobilization of resources, it could be assumed that necessary contributions from pupils are expected. Another way of mobilizing people for cotton-picking was used in Andijan province. A local newspaper notes a case when imams in mosques stated that every plant growing out of the soil is the will of Allah; and since cotton is a national wealth, a symbol of well-being and prosperity of the nation, it is a duty of every good Muslim to help pick it. Thus, the newspaper reports, after praying in the mosque many go right to the fields to pick cotton. 

Some changes are underway in Andijan province, where the authorities have compelled school principals to assure that parents take responsibility for their schoolchildren’s health and safety, including while they are in the cotton fields. Thus, the responsibility would shift from the authorities and their local representatives onto the parents. It is reported that many parents are shocked by such an initiative as they do not see any possible way to supervise their children while they are in the fields. Others interpret it as a statement of the authorities’ inability to provide safety and protection to children involved in the cotton harvest.

In sum, the use of child labor on Uzbekistan’s cotton fields of does not seem to have changed much. Even though the state has officially launched a National Action Plan to eradicate forced child labor and the authorities of some provinces attempt to stress the involvement of the adult population, there still seems to be little incentive for giving up the cheapest source of labor.