Uzbek Forum is one of the few NGOs monitoring human rights directly from the ground in Uzbekistan. Our evidence-based reporting informs policymakers, the media, and international partners—shaping decisions, driving accountability, and strengthening advocacy worldwide.
Human Rights Reporting
Uzbek Forum’s reporting is regularly cited in international media outlets, academic journals, and government policy papers. Our monitoring findings have triggered investigations by the World Bank Group and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development into allegations of rights violations linked to development investments in Uzbekistan and galvanized international support to ensure accountability and remedy for victims. Uzbek Forum engages UN mechanisms, filing petitions that have led to official opinions on freedom of expression and the barbaric use of punitive psychiatric detention—raising pressure on the Uzbek government to uphold its human rights commitments.
Ending Forced and Child Labor
As a frontline member of the Cotton Campaign—a global coalition of NGOs, trade unions, academics, and industry representatives—Uzbek Forum has played a central role in ending forced and child labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton sector. Over 15 years of harvest monitoring ensured the dismantling of state-imposed, systematic forced labor, once pervasive in the country’s cotton fields.
Asset Recovery
Uzbek Forum has been instrumental in advancing the responsible return of Gulnara Karimova’s stolen assets to Uzbekistan. We work to ensure that this process is transparent and accountable, with oversight provided by a civil society committee.
Land Grabbing and Forced Evictions
Since 2018, Uzbek Forum has monitored the forced transfer of farmland to private cotton enterprises, documenting widespread violations of property rights and unlawful evictions.
In collaboration with local activists, we produced a joint report exposing these abuses. Our findings were cited by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing in his 2024 report, following his engagement with our activist network during his visit to Uzbekistan.
Strengthening Uzbek Civil Society
Central to Uzbek Forum’s work is strengthening the capacity of Uzbek civil society, particularly when human rights defenders face government retaliation. By securing legal representation and mobilizing public support, Uzbek Forum has successfully halted punitive actions and obtained appeal hearings to overturn wrongful convictions.
Through training and networking, we strengthen activists’ skills, resilience, and advocacy capacity that advances our mission: a stronger, more empowered civil society in Uzbekistan, capable of defending rights and holding power to account.
