Tireless Work and Strong Political Will Crucial for Reforms in Uzbekistan: Cotton Campaign Report.
The leader of the international coalition, Cotton Campaign, Bennett Freeman, has urged the Uzbek government to continue opening up and giving opportunities to young people, calling on them to “return to reform”. Speaking at a consultation meeting held by the US National Endowment for Democracy, Freeman discussed measures taken to combat forced labor in Uzbekistan, which has included no longer forcing people to become cotton farmers and adopting new laws to improve working conditions. However, Freeman highlighted the need for continued progress in adhering to international labor and human rights norms, adding that the government of Uzbekistan has two options: to be a repressive regime or to continue to open up and facilitate development to become a prosperous country.
