A New Better Work program is being launched in Uzbekistan by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) to enhance working conditions and boost the nation's apparel industry's competitiveness.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) outlining the terms of a new plan that will run for 24 months initially was signed on May 30 by the ILO, IFC, and the government, employers, and workers' associations of Uzbekistan.

Through compliance evaluations, training, and consulting services, Better Work seeks to advance labor standards and competitiveness in textile and apparel manufacturers.

According to IFC, this agreement is a significant step in Uzbekistan's efforts to expand the export markets for its cotton, textile, and apparel manufacturing.

In fact, it continues, Uzbekistan is among the top 10 cotton producers worldwide, and the industry has recently undergone substantial reforms.

In order to ensure that labor standards are respected in the textile and apparel manufacturers in Uzbekistan, Better Work will serve as an industry convener.

The MoU is also expected to expand on ongoing initiatives by the government of Uzbekistan, the World Bank Group, the International worker Organization, and other stakeholders to raise worker and environmental standards in cotton fields.

“The program will support the sustainable growth of textile and garment manufacturing, which has the potential to create thousands of new, decent jobs for mostly women garment workers in rural areas across the country,” said Conor Boyle, officer-in-charge of Better Work.

Since 2016, IFC has provided investment and consulting support to Uzbekistan's cotton and textile sector. Since 2013, the ILO has had a presence in the Uzbek textile industry. Monitoring the cotton crop has been a part of this, and in 2022 it announced that systemic child and forced labor had been eliminated from the Uzbekistan cotton production cycle.

“We hope Better Work’s presence will send a strong signal to global apparel brands and retailers, some of whom are already considering sourcing from Uzbekistan, about the strength and sustainability of the Uzbekistan textile and garment industry,” said Lukas Casey, IFC manager for manufacturing, agribusiness and services in the Middle East, Central Asia and Türkiye.

The Better Work Uzbekistan program has received first funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).