National Consultations on the draft of the National Human Rights Strategy of Uzbekistan were held in Tashkent

TASHKENT, February 28. /Dunyo IA/. National Consultations were held to discuss the draft version of the National Human Rights Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The current event was organized by the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, in collaboration the UN Resident Coordinator for the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA) and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

Director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (NHRC) Akmal Saidov, UN Resident Coordinator for Uzbekistan Helena Fraser and Acting OSCE project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan Hans-Ullrich Ihm warmly welcomed the participants of discussion. Further, they noted the high significance and importance of adoption a National Human Rights Strategy that are aimed at ensuring effective protection and guarantees of human rights.

The Head of NHRC mentioned that the Draft version of the National Human Rights Strategy of Uzbekistan was developed in accordance with the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev that presented in his Address to the Parliament.

The National Strategy defines the main goals and directions of state policy to ensure human rights and freedoms in Uzbekistan. The document is aimed at ensuring the implementation of international obligations of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of human rights; increasing the effectiveness of mechanisms and procedures for the implementation of international standards in the field of human rights and freedoms in the legislation and in the practical activities of state bodies, in particular law enforcement, developing a national system for monitoring and evaluating state human rights policies, improving mechanisms for monitoring the observance of citizens’ rights and freedoms creating a system of legal and other measures aimed at ensuring reliable protection of human rights and freedoms, improving literacy and legal awareness of the population in the field of human rights, deepening cooperation with international and regional human rights structures, as well as with national human rights institutions.

The Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna on 25 June 1993, recommended that each State should develop a National Action Plan (Strategy) to improve the protection and promotion of human rights. Currently, more than 40 countries have adopted its own National Human Rights Strategies.

According the information of the Press-service of the NHRC, during the development of the draft National Strategy, more than 300 proposals were received from over 50 government bodies and civil society institutions, of which over 200 were accepted and taken into account for further improvement of this document.

The draft National Strategy was also posted on www.regulation.uz for public comment. More than 30 national electronic sites and over 10 foreign sites submitted positive feedback on the draft National Strategy.

During the National Consultations, a thorough exchange of views took place between experts and human rights experts, representatives of international organizations, civil society institutions, as well as issues related to the implementation of the National Strategy were discussed, proposals and comments on further improvement of the provisions of the document were presented.

The event gathered more than hundred participants, including representatives of civil society institutions, the media, international organizations, the diplomatic corps, deputies of the Legislative Chamber and members of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, ministries and departments, national human rights institutions, scientific and educational institutions.