The European Parliament’s international trade committee backed the plan on Thursday 10 November to include a protocol in the EU-Uzbekistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) of 1999 on textile trade in order to encourage the Uzbek authorities to eliminate any form of forced labour in the country.
The draft Parliament recommendation prepared by Belgium’s Maria Arena (S&D) was adopted by 31 to 4 with 2 abstentions. It is accompanied by a separate resolution welcoming appreciation for the country’s efforts in working with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to eradicate child labour, but which urges further action to end all other forms of forced labour during the country’s cotton harvest.
MEPs welcome the fact that over the past three years, Uzbekistan has virtually eradicated child labour and has started to work with the ILO. They urge Tashkent to intensify its awareness-raising campaign to completely eradicate child labour.
Members also expressed appreciation for the progress Uzbekistan has made regarding adult forced labour, but note that NGOs are still reporting massive forced mobilisation of students and public employees during the cotton harvesting season, as well as the interrogation of citizens who speak out about the harvest and the persecution and harassment of human rights defenders and civil society activists.
MEPs will therefore continue to monitor developments in Uzbekistan and could ultimately request that the Commission and the Council suspend the entire partnership agreement if authorities fail to follow through on their commitment to abolish forced labour.
The resolution invites the Commission to unveil as soon as possible an EU initiative on responsible management of the supply chain in the textiles sector.
"We want the Uzbek government to fully cooperate with the International Labour Organization to eradicate child and forced labour. In the case of serious human rights violations, the Parliament will immediately ask for the suspension of the agreement", commented Arena, after the vote.
The European Parliament plenary is expected to vote on the draft recommendations in December. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)