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News - The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (Textiles Partnership)

12 July 2023 Stop forced labour in the cotton harvest in Turkmenistan. The textile alliance avoids a clear position for a boycott

Joint press release from HEJSupport, INKOTA network, FEMNET and SÜDWIND Institute

Bonn, Berlin, Dachau. In Central Asian Turkmenistan, state authorities force tens of thousands of people from state and private companies as well as universities to work in the cotton harvest every year. This makes Turkmenistan one of the states in which forced labour is systematically and state-organized.

The textile alliance, set up to implement fair working conditions from the cotton field to the hanger, remains inactive. NGOs requested the recommendation to all member companies to stop the processing of cotton from forced labour in Turkmenistan and to sign the call for a boycott of Turkmen cotton (Turkmen Cotton Pledge of the Cotton Campaign). By refusing, the Textile Alliance misses an opportunity to contribute to the abolition of a state-organized forced labour system. In the run-up to the 2023/24 cotton harvest, clear positioning could have increased international pressure on Turkmenistan.

Forced labour is one of the most basic human rights violations. Accordingly, the fight against forced labour in Turkmenistan is also on the agenda of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which has already sent high-level missions to Turkmenistan to investigate the ongoing reports of forced labour in cotton production. With the Turkmen government, the ILO reached According to own information an agreement on a plan to reform the cotton sector and abolish forced labour. According to Cotton Campaign However, the Turkmen government still denies the existence of forced labour. Such an approach is nothing new, as has been practiced in Uzbekistan for years.

The Textile Alliance could have contributed to increasing international pressure to eliminate forced labour in Turkmenistan, thereby supporting the ILO. Civil society in the Textile Alliance has submitted a draft decision to the Steering Committee, which states:

"The Textile Alliance recognises an increased risk of state-imposed forced labour in Turkmenistan's cotton cultivation and therefore recommends that all members:

• terminate their supply relationships with suppliers offering or processing Turkmen cotton.
• sign and publicly communicate the Turkmen Cotton Pledge.’

A clear supportive vote by the steering committee would have given the Alliance credibility in terms of zero tolerance for forced labour. Due diligence obligations under human rights law, in particular with regard to the risk of forced labour, require consistent and consistent action. Because in cases where the state itself is the cause of forced labour, such as some time ago in Uzbekistan and today still in China or Turkmenistan, companies can only avoid the risk by not purchasing products from these countries.

The fact that systematic state forced labour can be ended is demonstrated by the example of Uzbekistan, where systematic forced labour was abolished due to the Cotton Campaign and in a multi-year process under the supervision of the ILO.

That the Textile Alliance does not oppose forced labour and for the Turkmen Cotton Pledge positioned, is a missed opportunity – this is the conviction of civil society in the Textile Alliance.

Press contacts

Dr. Sabine Ferenschild, SOUTH WIND Institute, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 0228-76369816
Berndt Hinzmann, INKOTA network, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Telephone: 0160 94 69 87 70
Luise Tegeler, FEMNET, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Alexandra Caterbow, HEJSupport, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

The organisations

This press release was written by the following civil society organisations in the Textile Alliance and does not necessarily represent the opinion of all civil society members.

SOUTH WIND Institute is committed to economic, social and environmental justice – worldwide. We research, uncover unjust structures, make them public and offer alternative courses of action. We combine development education, public relations and lobbying work and carry demands in campaigns, society, companies and politics. For 30 years.

INKOTA network - defeat hunger, fight poverty, make globalization fair: With these goals, people at INKOTA are committed to a fairer world - for 50 years now. Together with our partner organisations, we are committed to a peaceful world without poverty and injustice, in which all people can lead a self-determined life with dignity, preserve natural resources and respect the needs of future generations.

FEMNET For more than 15 years, she has been campaigning for women's rights in the global apparel industry through political engagement, educational and advisory work, and local projects. We demand that companies take responsibility for their actions and that politicians create binding rules.

HEJSupport is committed to a healthy environment and environmental justice for all. We support groups of people and regions worldwide that are affected by pollution. We work with NGOs, governments as well as UNEP, WHO and UNDP on a global, regional and national level.