On August 14, First Deputy Minister of employment and labor relations Erkin Mukhitdinov held online talks with the British envoy on migration and modern slavery Jennifer Townson, during which they discussed the prospect of joining the Ministry to the 8.7 Alliance, as well as further bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and the UK in the field of ensuring labor rights.

During the meeting, the First Deputy Minister brought to the foreign side the essence and content of the country's ongoing reforms in the field of ensuring labor rights of citizens, in particular, the key measures implemented by the Government to eliminate all forms of forced labor, ensure decent working conditions, and promote safe and organized migration. He drew attention to the changes made in labor legislation, the reform of labor authorities, and the role of the State labor inspectorate in ensuring the rights and legitimate interests of workers.

In turn, J. Townson, envoy on migration and modern slavery of the British Foreign and Commonwealth office, stressed that in recent years, with its progress, "Uzbekistan has been able to set a trend for other countries in the elimination of child and forced labor."

A separate issue on the agenda of the meeting was the discussion of the experience of the UK's participation as a partner in the 8.7 Alliance.

Alliance 8.7 is a multilateral organization designed to provide a platform for global cooperation aimed at taking immediate and effective measures to eliminate forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labor.

According to Mrs. Townson, the 8.7 Alliance is helping to build momentum and reach a global consensus to achieve Target 8.7 within the UN Sustainable development goals – the complete elimination of forced and child labour by 2025.

Also, one of the strategic objectives of the Alliance is to exchange experience and information between countries on the fight against child and forced labor. So, in 2018, the Knowledge Platform Alliance 8.7 (Delta 8.7) funded by the UK Government, was created.

The foreign side noted that Uzbekistan's accession to the organization will serve as an effective tool for the exchange of best practices and experience in the field of ensuring labor rights, as well as an opportunity to inform the international community about the results of the reforms carried out in the country.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation on a number of issues, including forced labor in the supply chain, migration and strengthening of civil society.

In conclusion, Mrs. Townson noted that the UK Government welcomes Uzbekistan's intention to join the 8.7 Alliance, and is also ready to support the Government's efforts in all possible ways, both within the framework of multilateral projects and at the bilateral level.