Human Rights Concerns Regarding Cooperation with Turkmenistan’s Textile Sector

Human Rights Concerns Regarding Cooperation with Turkmenistan’s Textile Sector To the Leadership of ACIMIT (Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) Dear Sir or Madam, The Human Rights Platform of the Civic Movement “Dayanch” / Turkmenistan respectfully addresses ACIMIT regarding its current and future cooperation with the textile sector of Turkmenistan. We recognize the important role that international cooperation, investment, and technological development play in promoting economic growth and industrial modernization. At the same time, we firmly believe that any economic partnership should be based not only on commercial interests but also on respect for internationally recognized human rights standards, labor rights, and principles of corporate responsibility. In this regard, we would like to draw your attention to serious concerns that have been documented for many years by international organizations, independent journalists, human rights groups, and experts regarding the human rights situation in Turkmenistan. According to the latest monitoring conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), significant labor rights violations continue to persist within the country’s cotton sector. Despite certain reforms and official statements, international observers continue to document a number of systemic problems. These include: The use of forced labor practices; Pressure on employees of public institutions and state-owned enterprises to participate in cotton harvesting campaigns; Financial extortion and coercive monetary collections imposed on workers; The involvement of children in cotton-related work and their continued presence in cotton fields; Interference by government officials in independent labor monitoring activities; The absence of effective and safe mechanisms for reporting labor rights violations. These findings raise serious concerns regarding compliance with international labor standards and fundamental human rights obligations. Particularly alarming is the fact that, according to the latest findings based on the International Labour Organization’s monitoring of the 2025 cotton harvest in Turkmenistan, the presence of children in cotton fields increased compared to the previous year. The monitoring also documented continued pressure on public sector employees, coercive monetary collections, and increased interference by government officials in monitoring activities. Information regarding these findings has been published by the independent media outlet Turkmen.News and is available at: https://turkmen.news/2026/06/05/mot-v-2025-godu-vyroslo-chislo-detey-na-hlopkovyh-polyah-turkmenistana-chinovniki-chashe-meshali-monitoringu/ The findings described in this publication are based on the results of the International Labour Organization’s monitoring mission and raise serious concerns regarding compliance with international labor standards, workers’ rights, and the protection of children in Turkmenistan. In light of these concerns, we respectfully urge ACIMIT and its member companies to take these circumstances into account when developing cooperation with enterprises operating in Turkmenistan’s textile and cotton industries. Furthermore, we would like to emphasize that this appeal is addressed not only to ACIMIT and its member companies but also to all international companies, business partners, investors, suppliers, industry associations, and organizations cooperating directly or indirectly with Turkmenistan’s textile and cotton sectors. This includes companies and institutions based in Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, and other countries that maintain commercial, technological, financial, or industrial relations with enterprises operating in Turkmenistan. We believe that all participants in international supply chains share a responsibility to ensure that their business activities do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to forced labor, child labor, labor rights violations, or other human rights abuses. We therefore respectfully call upon all companies and organizations engaged in cooperation with Turkmenistan’s textile sector to: Exercise enhanced human rights due diligence; Support transparency throughout supply chains; Actively promote compliance with international labor and human rights standards. We also encourage ACIMIT and its partners to support: Compliance with international labor standards throughout supply chains; Independent and transparent monitoring of labor conditions; Accountability and human rights due diligence mechanisms; Effective measures to prevent forced labor; Effective measures to eliminate child labor; Protection of workers from pressure, coercion, and retaliation; The implementation of effective mechanisms for responding to reports of labor rights violations. In addition, we would like to draw your attention to another serious issue: the systematic practice of transnational repression carried out by the authorities and security services of Turkmenistan. For many years, Turkmen civil activists, journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders, and critics of the government living abroad have faced threats, surveillance, pressure on family members, restrictions on their rights, attempts at forced return, enforced disappearances, and other forms of persecution. These cases have been repeatedly documented by international human rights organizations, media outlets, and international institutions. The practice of transnational repression continues to raise serious concerns among civil society organizations and the international human rights community. We believe that responsible international partners should be informed not only about the economic aspects of cooperation but also about the broader human rights environment in the country with which they engage. More detailed information regarding labor rights violations, the human rights situation, cases of forced labor, child labor, and documented instances of transnational repression can be found on the website of the Human Rights Platform of the Civic Movement “Dayanch” / Turkmenistan: http://dayanchcivil.com/ We are well aware that the Italian Republic is a democratic state founded upon respect for human rights, the rule of law, and the principles of social justice. For many years, Italy has consistently supported international mechanisms for the protection of human rights, workers’ rights, and efforts to combat modern forms of exploitation. We also recognize that values such as democracy, human dignity, freedom, justice, and social responsibility are not merely declarations for Italy, but an integral part of its public policy and civic life. For this reason, we are confident that ACIMIT, as a respected Italian organization, will carefully consider the information presented in this letter and take human rights and labor rights concerns into account when further developing cooperation with Turkmenistan. We sincerely hope that cooperation between Italian companies and Turkmenistan will contribute not only to economic development but also to strengthening respect for human rights, protecting workers’ rights, eliminating forced labor, preventing child labor, and promoting compliance with international human rights standards. We thank you for your attention to this important matter and hope for a responsible consideration of the concerns outlined above. Respectfully, Human Rights Platform of the Civic Movement “Dayanch” / Turkmenistan http://dayanchcivil.com/