World Bank Document

working with Uzbek authorities, to address issues of governance in the cotton sector, with an 

emphasis on eliminating mitigating the risk of child and forced labor and promoting decent work. 

 

27. 

Since Soviet times, citizens have been mobilized to carry out work considered of 

community or national importance. In particular, high peak labor demand during the cotton 

harvest period, in combination with the state production quota system, has led to state-sponsored 

mobilization of organized labor, with staff from schools, universities, hospitals, and other 

government organization joining the cotton harvesting. The International community and Civil 

Society Organizations (CSOs) have been continuously raising concerns about this practice, 

including the 2013 complaint received by the Inspection Panel on Bank-financed agriculture 

project. The World Bank has been undertaking a holistic approach on the issue, through project-

level safeguard measures, policy dialogue with the authorities, and collaboration with other 

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Completion and Learning Review 

 

43 

 

international organizations, CSOs and development partners. Recognizing the importance and 

complexity of the forced and child labor issue in Uzbekistan, third party monitoring and a feedback 

mechanism were incorporated in selected Bank-supported agriculture, irrigation and education 

projects. This work was carried out in partnership with the International Labor Organization, and 

with political and financial support from key bi-lateral donors. In addition, arrangements have also 

been made for some project land to be exempted from the state cotton production quota, and 

additional efforts are made to enhance diversification and mechanize the cotton harvest that were 

complemented by trainings and outreach campaigns. These comprehensive efforts aim to address 

the issue of child and forced labor in cotton harvesting.