Wal-Mart has instructed its global supply base to cease sourcing cotton and cotton materials from Uzbekistan in an effort to persuade the Uzbek government to end the use of forced child labor in cotton harvesting. This action follows months of work with industry trade associations, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and socially responsible investment groups to form a common position in condemning the Uzbek government's practices…[T]he Uzbek government issued on Sept. 12, 2008 a National Action Plan which details steps to eradicate the use of child labor. Once these steps can be independently verified, Wal-Mart will modify the direction to its suppliers.