Economic sanctions may be a noble way to show solidarity of some players of international community but those are rarely successful. It may seem obvious but yet it is exactly what is missing in the debates on the issue of child labor in Uzbekistan.

Child labor in Uzbekistan is nothing new. Thousands of children spent months in the open cotton fields under pouring rain and freezing cold in 50’s and 60’s without any compensation. Some of those children became handicapped for life due to brutal physical pressure and unbearable living conditions.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the issue of child labor has been silently transferred from the corridors of politburo to the government offices of independent Uzbekistan. It is widely known in the country that the cotton industry has always been the field where real money is being made. In other words, the cotton industry is the filed with the most amounts of profits.

As every college student knows, profits equal to income minus expenses. By maximizing income and minimizing expenses, a private enterprise – or family business – called “The Republic of Uzbekistan” manages to make enough profits to keep the people in power fed, warm, and financially secure for life.
The decision of 25 major brands and retailers not to buy raw cotton from Uzbekistan (ENG) may be noble but, unfortunately, it is unlikely to amount to anything substantial. This season’s cotton-picking campaign shows that a year of “sanctions” changed little (ENG) in the wicked practice of child labor.

It will take some bold decisions on behalf of international community to stop Uzbek government officials using kids as tools to make more money. As we leaned a long time ago, economic sanctions do not usually work. Untill the international community realizes that political pressure is a more effective way to change things in the country for the better, Uzbek children will continue to hit the cotton fields for the benefits of the corrupted elite instead of hitting the books for the benefits of society.