Around 1,500 people across 35 etraps (districts) in Turkmenistan participated in a three-month awareness-raising initiative on preventing child and forced labour, particularly in the cotton harvest.
Organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with national stakeholders and with funding from the European Union (EU), the initiative consisted of 15 national and local events, held from 12 June, World Day Against Child Labour, to 12 August 2026. The series included an initial capacity-building session, 13 awareness-raising events across velayats and etraps, and a final recap seminar. Local events were held in Tejen, Gokdepe, Ak Bugday, Kerki, Sayat, Turkmenabat, Mary, Yoloten, Bay-ramaly, Dashoguz, Akdepe, Koneurgench and Gyzylarbat gathering representatives of 20 more etraps.
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Participants included representatives of local authorities, ministries, education and healthcare institutions, farmers' associations, employers' and workers' organizations and other stakeholders.
The sessions focused on how to recognize and prevent child labour and forced labour. Participants discussed the difference between light work permissible for children and child labour prohibited under Turkmen legislation, as well as the legal prohibition on involving children in the annual cotton harvest.
The events also addressed the measures taken by the Government to eliminate and prevent practices of forced mobilization during the cotton picking. They highlighted the importance of ensuring that all work is undertaken voluntarily and without the threat of a penalty, as well as the relevant provisions of national legislation.
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"Awareness-raising is a practical prevention tool. By bringing national expertise to local communities and workers, the project helped ensure that the message is clear and consistent: children should be protected from hazardous work, and adults should work voluntarily and under fair and safe conditions," said Oxana Lipcanu, ILO Project Manager in Turkmenistan.
The events were delivered with members of the Working Group of the Interdepartmental Commission on Ensuring the Implementation of Turkmenistan's International Obligations in the Field of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and representatives of relevant ministries and state institutions. Participants agreed that outreach work should continue and practical materials should be developed and distributed.
The activities form part of the EU-funded ILO project running from 2026 to 2027. The project combines national-level policy support with practical action at local level, aiming to promote decent work and prevent child and forced labour, particularly in the cotton sector in Turkmenistan.
