Editing Uzbekistan (section)

=== Recent developments ===
Islam Karimov died in 2016 and his successor Shavkat Mirziyoyev is considered by most to be pursuing a less autocratic path by increasing co-operation with human rights NGOs,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/human-rights-watch-delegation-visit-uzbekistan/28629300.html|title=Human Rights Watch Delegation To Visit Uzbekistan|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=20 July 2017 |access-date=22 February 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222104846/https://www.rferl.org/a/human-rights-watch-delegation-visit-uzbekistan/28629300.html|archive-date=22 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://tashkenttimes.uz/national/1451-shavkat-mirziyoyev-meets-un-high-commissioner-for-human-rights|title=Shavkat Mirziyoyev meets UN High Commissioner for Human Rights|last=akbaryusupov|access-date=22 February 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222225601/http://tashkenttimes.uz/national/1451-shavkat-mirziyoyev-meets-un-high-commissioner-for-human-rights|archive-date=22 February 2018}}</ref> scheduling Soviet-style [[exit visa]]s to be abolished in 2019,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-exit-visa-scrapped-2019-mirziyoev/28680124.html|title=Uzbekistan To Abolish Exit Visa System In 2019|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=16 August 2017 |access-date=22 February 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222104911/https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-exit-visa-scrapped-2019-mirziyoev/28680124.html|archive-date=22 February 2018}}</ref> and reducing sentences for certain misdemeanor offences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://geopoliticalfutures.com/uzbekistan-flirts-disaster/|title=Uzbekistan Flirts With Disaster – Geopolitical Futures|date=11 July 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711120617/https://geopoliticalfutures.com/uzbekistan-flirts-disaster/|archive-date=11 July 2017}}</ref>

The Amnesty International report on the country for 2017–2018 found some remnant repressive measures and lack of rule of law in eradicating modern slavery.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=Uzbekistan 2017/2018|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/europe-and-central-asia/uzbekistan/report-uzbekistan/|publisher=Amnesty International|access-date=26 May 2018|archive-date=20 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220113216/https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/europe-and-central-asia/uzbekistan/report-uzbekistan/|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2020, the United Nations announced that Uzbekistan had made "major progress" on stamping out forced labour in its cotton harvest as 94% of pickers worked voluntarily.<ref>[https://news.trust.org/item/20200205173450-nltm5/ U.N. sees 'major progress' on forced labour in Uzbek cotton harvest] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425131330/https://news.trust.org/item/20200205173450-nltm5/ |date=25 April 2020 }}, Reuters, 5 February 2020</ref>