On August 4 this year, there was the third meeting of the Advisory Board of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) project on the development of socially responsible and environmentally sustainable cotton production in Uzbekistan via video-conferencing.

The representatives of the World Bank Group, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), the Responsible Sourcing Network, nongovernmental organizations being the part of Cotton Campaign coalition and foreign textile companies attended the event.

The top officials of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations, the Uztekstilprom Association, industry departments and local government authorities, as well as the heads of cotton and textile clusters represented the Uzbek side.

The IFC project on the development of socially responsible and environmentally sustainable cotton production in Uzbekistan launched in 2017 aims to introduce processes and technologies for growing cotton that meet modern international requirements according to the standards of the BCI (better cotton initiative) sustainable cotton production system.

BCI is an international non-profit organization focused on the transformation of cotton production globally through the development of Better Cotton production (i.e. cotton grown according to BCI sustainable production standards) as a sustainable commodity.

Most well-known apparel brands such as H&M, Levi's, Adidas, Nike, etc. have set the goal of using only sustainable raw cotton in their products, including raw cotton grown according to the BCI standards. IKEA has completely switched to raw cotton grown using the BCI methodology and other sustainable raw cotton such as organic and processed raw cotton.

The meeting provided a detailed discussion of a progress in the Project to promote reforms in the cotton sector and the introduction of modern methods of cotton production that meet the requirements of sustainability and responsible supply to international markets.

The members of the Cotton Campaign presented the results of an independent monitoring of raw cotton harvest in 2019, and a draft Responsible Sourcing Agreement. The signing of this Agreement will provide the introduction of the best corporate management practice in the cotton processing industry, compliance with the requirements of responsible procurement and due diligence by international brands, as well as the establishment of a mechanism, where Uzbek cotton and textile clusters will be assessed according to the RSA Eligibility Scorecard System.

During the meeting, the top officials of Ergon Associates (one of the Project consultants) provided information on the progress in survey research of BCI (Scoping Study) system of standards, which is a preparatory stage for considering the Plan of this system launch in Uzbekistan.

The Uzbek side provided information on the results of the measures taken by the Government of Uzbekistan to ensure transparency in the cotton processing sector, as well as to increase the automation and mechanization of cotton production processes and to continue cooperation with international organizations, including the IFC, the International Labor Organization and the Cotton Campaign.

They noted that the Government of Uzbekistan highly appreciates the instrumental role of the IFC in encouraging reforms in the cotton sector of the country and is aimed at effective interaction.

The meeting resulted in agreement to intensify the joint development of a draft Agreement on Responsible Sources of Supply, which provided direct cooperation with the world's largest brands in the near future for cotton and textile clusters of Uzbekistan.