NGOs protest coalescing of cotton harvesting & child labor
09 Apr '08
2 min read
Government of Uzbekistan is keen on ensuring that cotton exports that brings revenue amounting to $1 billion annually, thrives uninterruptedly.
However, obstacles in the way are posed by Human Rights Activists, who have fiercely opposed the employment of child labor in cotton fields.
An anti-child labor roundtable conference was held in Bremen, Germany on April 3, which coincided with the 29th International Cotton Conference, also held in the city.
The meeting held discussions about bringing an end to engaging child labor in Uzbekistan for producing cotton. This they intend to achieve by calling international corporations to boycott Uzbek cotton.
The appeal was made for the first time in November 2007, which met with an impressively favorable response from clothing enterprises. Several European apparel companies vouched for ostracizing Uzbek cotton in the bid to support the call against inhumane practice of child labor.
Government has assured NGOs of having a clean record on the issue of child labor, but if there are such widespread demonstrations against the country's policies, its time for the central authorities to wake up for a more strenuous implementation of anti-child labor act.