The government of Turkmenistan has begun developing its first National Program on Child Protection and Child-Friendly Justice, with technical support from UNICEF, according to a report published on April 15. Officials described the initiative as a major step toward strengthening systems that safegua
A new joint project is being launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Union aimed at combating child and forced labor in Turkmenistan. Its focus is primarily on the country’s cotton sector, which has long faced criticism from human rights groups and international comp
The European Union used its latest human rights dialogue with Turkmenistan to press Ashgabat on the gap between outward engagement and domestic control. The 18th annual EU-Turkmenistan Human Rights Dialogue was held in Ashgabat on June 22. It came during a period of slightly more visible contact bet
The authorities in Turkmenistan have again mobilized public-sector employees for the annual cotton harvest, forcing teachers, doctors, municipal workers, and other state employees either to work in the fields or pay for replacement laborers from their own salaries. The renewed campaign comes as inte