Activities of Heidi HAUTALA related to 2022/2195(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on Uzbekistan
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (4)
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Welcomes Uzbekistan's efforts to eradicate the worst forms of child labor and sexual exploitation by bringing its legislation into compliance with international standards and introducing more adequate penalties for individuals who commit such crimes; commends the elimination of systemic child labor in the cotton harvest but expresses concern on still widespread individual cases in the cotton industry and beyond where children occasionally are still used as labor force; urges Uzbekistan government to make data on child labor more transparent for all stakeholders and allow registration of NGOs working on the issue of forced labor, child labor and exploitation;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Welcomes that after years of intense policy advocacy and campaigning, led by Uzbek and international civil society, state-imposed forced labour is no longer systematically used in the cotton harvest; is concerned that independent monitoring shows that human rights risks, including individual cases of forced labour, remain in the cotton industry; is concerned that independent groups that conduct field level monitoring and capacity building are unable to register and operate freely; calls on Uzbekistan to introduce broader reforms to empower civil society and develop effective institutions to provide transparency and accountability and consolidate progress across all parts of the cotton sector;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reiterates the importance of Uzbekistan’s membership of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus, which contributes to economic growthsustainable development and economic diversification and yields very positive results (exports to the EU increased by 34 % in 2021); underlines that joining this arrangement entails a commitment to effective implementation of 27 core international conventions on human and labour rights, environmental and climate protection and good governance; calls on the Commission to prioritise the impact of the upcoming constitutional referendum in its ongoing monitoring of Uzbekistan’s GSP+ obligations, as well the decriminalisation of homosexuality; calls on Uzbekistan to uphold its commitments to effectively implement ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining and encourages the ratification of the ILO Minimum Wage Fixing Convention (No. 131);
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that owing to the lack of direct access to seaports, developing infrastructure and logistics corridors, in particular the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, is crucially important for trade and for connecting Uzbekistan with the markets of potential trading partners;