Training for civil society activists involved in independent monitoring of the 2023 cotton harvest in Uzbekistan

16 civil society activists and 14 Regional Directors of the State Labour Inspectorate participated the event, which aimed to update their knowledge, provide them with practical skills in data collection and monitoring of working conditions, as well as ethical aspects of the monitoring exercise.


This training was led by Simon Hills, Technical Specialist of the Fundamentals Branch, ILO Geneva. Co-chair of the ACPHA's (alliance for child protection in Humanitarian Action) child labour task force was assisting with the training. Simon Hills has over 10 years of experience in humanitarian and development settings, including work in Peru, Somalia, Cambodia, Lebanon and the Philippines.

During the event, participants learned the legal definition of forced labour,ю other related terms; international legal and policy frameworks for child labour, forced labour and decent working conditions; national legal and policy frameworks in Uzbekistan; gaps and challenges in the national legal framework; legal concepts related to forced labour and ethical considerations related to child labour and forced labour.


At one of the sessions, state labour inspectors spoke about their work and mandate. Another session was devoted to sharing knowledge and experience by monitors, case studies and examples of situations they faced, and how they “should/could” handle different situations.

On the last day of the seminar, Behzod Musaev, Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction of Uzbekistan attended the training. He thanked the participants, wished the civil society activists success in the independent monitoring of the 2023 cotton harvest, and expressed his willingness to provide assistance and support as needed. He also presented civil society activists with official badges that would allow for unhindered independent monitoring, as well as memorable gifts including backpacks with tracksuits, t-shirts, caps and sneakers.