Submitted by crinadmin on
The production and export of cotton continues to be a major feature of the economy, politics and everyday lives of the people of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Bringing in the cotton harvest in Central Asia has traditionally involved mobilizing wide sections of the community, including young people. However, since independence in 1991 Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have been faced with the challenge of reforming their agricultural sectors in response to not only the pressures of international markets but also their commitment to international norms, including ratification of International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. This report draws from an original data set from the 2009 harvest to assess the extent to which Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have made progress on this commitment, and to use this comparative perspective in order to analyse the nature and causes of their use of child labour in the cotton sector. The report builds on the analysis in the previous SOAS report, Invisible to the World: They Dynamics of Forced Child Labour in the Cotton Sector in Uzbekistan, bringing it up to date by drawing from new original data from the 2009 cotton harvest in Uzbekistan and introducing a comparative dimension by including the first systemtic survey on the issue in Tajikistan. The report argues that despite nominal government commitments and some international pressure, many of the underlying drivers of the use of child labour remain and the practice is still widespread, though with important differences between the two countries. Progress in eradicating this worst form of child labour must therefore take into account the distinctive political economies of the two countries. Further Information:
pdf: http://www.crin.org/docs/Child_Labour_Uzbekistan&Tajikistan.pdf