25 April 2012 “We should never abandon the people of Uzbekistan because they deserve much better than what they have now under this repressive regime” said former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Theo van Boven on March 1, 2012 in Berlin. On that day, Uzbekistan’s state-sponsored forced child labor and the relationship and leverage of the West with Uzbekistan were discussed at the occasion of a High Level Hearing organized by ECCHR, “From the Uzbek Cotton Fields to the Termez Military Base”, with the support of six NGOs.

Read more … Forced Child Labor and Responsibility of Western Actors: Seven films from the High Level Hearing on Uzbekistan

24 January 2012 Between October 2010 and January 2011 ECCHR submitted seven complaints to National Contact Points (NCP) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Germany, Switzerland, France and Great Britain. The complaints targeted European traders who directly or indirectly purchase Uzbek cotton that was harvested using child labor. They were submitted in collaboration with the Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights (UGF), Sherpa and the Swiss attorney Guido Ehrler.

Read more … Cotton produced through forced child labour – European companies held responsible

15 December 2011 Between October 2010 and January 2011, ECCHR submitted OECD complaints relating to the trade of Uzbek cotton against seven cotton traders. Complaints were submitted to the respective national contact point in Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain and France. ECCHR has now carried out comparative evaluations of three of the national contact points.

Read more … Best Practice in OECD-Complaints Procedures – Comparing National Contact Points

8 December 2011 On the occasion of the upcoming December 10 International Human Rights Day, ECCHR, the Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights (UGF), INKOTA-netzwerk, terre des hommes Deutschland, Brot für die Welt, the Eurasian Transition Group, and the Uzbekistan Press Freedom Group have sent an Open Letter to German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel on the human rights situation in Uzbekistan.

Read more … Seven German NGOs ask Chancellor Merkel to adopt a strict human rights agenda on Uzbekistan