abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

21 Oct 2019

Author:
Annie Kelly, The Guardian

Lawyers & activists challenge UK importation of Uzbekistan cotton with judicial review, following reports of continued forced labour

"Lawyers challenge UK import of 'slavery-tainted' Uzbek cotton", 21 October 2019

The government is facing legal action to try and stop the importation of cotton harvested with state-sponsored forced labour from Uzbekistan into the UK.

The Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights and the Global Legal Action Network (Glan), a team of human rights lawyers, are launching a judicial review of preferential tariffs applied to Uzbek cotton, arguing that it is promoting the importation of goods tainted with modern slavery...

...The Glan says that these preferential trade measures are expected to continue if the UK exits the EU on the 31 October but hopes that the legal case may prompt the government to change its stance...

...the Glan and the German-Uzbek Forum says that it hopes the judicial review will ultimately lay the groundwork for new legislation that would ban all goods made with child or forced labour from entering the UK...