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ln Lhe lead up Lo uzbeklsLan's annual coLLon falr, a mounLlng number of lnLernaLlonal brands
and reLallers have declared Lhelr refusal Lo source from Lhe counLry unLll Lhe forced labor of
chlldren and adulLs ln Lhe coLLon flelds ceases. 8epresenLlng an esLlmaLed $1.024 1rllllon uSu ln
markeL cap*, 136 brands and companles have now slgned Lhe Company ledge AgalnsL lorced
Chlld and AdulL Labor ln uzbek CoLLon."

Slnce 2011, 8esponslble Sourclng neLwork (8Sn), a nonproflL organlzaLlon dedlcaLed Lo brlnglng
LogeLher lnvesLors, companles, and human rlghLs acLlvlsLs Lo creaLe susLalnable supply chalns,
has been collecLlng slgnaLorles Lo Lhe pledge. 8y slgnlng, companles commlL Lo noL knowlngly
source uzbek coLLon unLll Lhe pracLlce of forced labor ls ellmlnaLed. ln dolng so, Lhey add Lhelr
economlc lnfluence Lo a growlng number of companles uslng Lhelr comblned leverage Lo ralse
awareness and pressure Lhe uzbek governmenL Lo sLop Lhls egreglous pracLlce.

We welcome lkLA, lululemon aLhleLlca, and Marks & Spencer Lo Lhe growlng coallLlon of
apparel companles Laklng a sLand agalnsL oppresslon and forced labor ln Lhe uzbek coLLon
lndusLry," sald aLrlcla !urewlcz, ulrecLor aL 8esponslble Sourclng neLwork. Slgnlng Lhls
common pledge demonsLraLes solldarlLy by Lhe lndusLry Lo block coLLon uslng any form of slave
labor from enLerlng Lhe global markeL."

AlLhough Lhe CovernmenL of uzbeklsLan for Lhe flrsL Llme ls allowlng Lhe lnLernaLlonal Labor
CrganlzaLlon (lLC) Lo conducL an lnspecLlon mlsslon durlng Lhe 2013 coLLon harvesL, lLC
represenLaLlves are belng accompanled by uzbek offlclals, maklng lL dlfflculL for clLlzens Lo speak
openly wlLh lLC monlLors. 1raglcally, regardless of Lhe lnspecLors, Lhe deaLh of slx-year-
old Amlrbek 8achmaLow on SepLember 13Lh

was Lhe fourLh faLallLy ln Lhe flrsL monLh of Lhe
harvesL. ConLlnued forced moblllzaLlon of chlldren and adulLs has been well documenLed Lhls
year.

1he pledge has unlLed an unprecedenLed number of Amerlcan and Luropean apparel brands and
consumer favorlLes. owerhouses such as Carrefour, lnul1Lx, 1argeL, and WalmarL have already
slgned Lhe pledge. 1he message belng senL by lndusLry ls LhaL Lhe uzbek governmenL musL meeL
lLs commlLmenLs Lo lnLernaLlonal labor sLandards ln order Lo parLlclpaLe ln global markeLs. 1he
full pledge LexL and llsL of slgnaLorles ls avallable aL hLLp://www.sourclngneLwork.org/Lhe-
coLLon-pledge.


# # #

#7DN./DA6B7 ,.F84A/I ?75O.8M (www.sourclngneLwork.org) ls a pro[ecL of Lhe nonproflL
organlzaLlon As ?ou Sow (www.asyousow.org). 8Sn ls dedlcaLed Lo endlng human rlghLs abuses
and forced labor assoclaLed wlLh Lhe raw maLerlals found ln producLs we use every day. 8Sn
supporLs neLwork parLlclpanLs ln leveraglng Lhelr lnfluence Lo achleve slgnlflcanL and
measurable soluLlons ln Lhe areas of confllcL mlnerals and slave labor.

* 1he esLlmaLed MarkeL CaplLallzaLlon was derlved on CcLober 10-13, 2013. 1he MarkeL Cap for prlvaLely
held companles was calculaLed uslng an average /S raLlo of Lhe publlc companles LhaL slgned Lhe pledge
and revenue lnformaLlon avallable ln Lhe publlc domaln.