Petition the World Back to Suspend Loans to the Uzbek Cotton Industry
The World Bank lends money to developing countries like Uzbekistan. However, the country's cotton industry relies on forced labor.
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The World Bank and State-Sanctioned Forced Labor in Uzbekistan
The World Bank is an international financial institution which loans money to developing countries. It currently provides approximately 500 million USD to Uzbek agricultural projects. Uzbekistan, the world's eighth largest producer of cotton, has traditionally relied upon state-supported forced labor to produce that fabric. While the Uzbek government has taken positive steps towards curbing the practice, Freedom United reports that the 2017 harvest was carried out with forced labor.
Trans-national cotton companies, backed by the Uzbek government, forced workers into the fields to pick that year's crop. Since 2017 tragic stories have come to light, including the death of a 23-year-old teacher. Despite these practices, the World Bank has not suspended its loans.
Click the button above to sign Freedom United's petition that the World Bank no longer support state-sanctioned forced labor in Uzbekistan. You can also learn more about the World Bank's role in supporting the Uzbek cotton industry, as well as the death of forced laborer Sohibjon Mutalibov. Click here for more information about Uzbekistan in general.
Forms of Abolition:
Awareness
Forms of Slavery:
Forced Labor,
Child Labor
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