August 12 this year will begin a 2-day Samarkand web forum dedicated to youth rights issues, entitled "Global Solidarity, Sustainable Development and Human Rights."

For reference: In 2019, at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the first Asian Forum on Human Rights was held in Samarkand. As a result of the Forum, it was decided to hold such a Forum every 2 years in Samarkand.

The event is organized by the National Center for Human Rights and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event is supported by OHCHR, the UN Country Team and OSCE Project Coordinator, F. Ebert Foundation.

Representatives of such international structures as the UN, UNESCO, OHCHR, UNFPA, IPU, OSCE, OIC, Council of Europe, CIS, SCO and others are expected to participate in the Forum. Leading experts and youth leaders from over 40 countries will take part in the event.

In addition to representatives of international organizations, government bodies and national human rights institutions of foreign countries, active participation of youth activists and representatives of youth organizations, academia and civil society is expected, which will ensure a comprehensive approach and a wide range of opinions in the development of the Convention on the Rights of Youth.

Within the framework of the Forum, 4 plenary sessions will be held, during which more than 50 experts will make presentations on such issues as international standards on youth rights, the role of youth in the implementation of the SDGs, human rights education for youth, and the role of youth in ensuring security.

During the Forum, it is planned to discuss the text of the draft Convention on the Rights of Youth. For the first time, the initiative to adopt the Convention was announced by the President of Uzbekistan at the 72nd session of the UN. The initiative was supported by the international community, a number of events were held.

For reference: On October 7-8, Tashkent hosted the sixth international seminar of the Independent Standing Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the topic "The importance of promoting and protecting the rights of youth for building peaceful democratic societies and sustainable development." As a result of the seminar, the Tashkent Declaration on the Rights of Youth of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was adopted. The Tashkent Declaration put forward important initiatives aimed at fully ensuring the rights of youth at the international level and, in particular, in the OIC member countries.

Another regional instrument on youth rights is the African Youth Charter, which can be considered a positive step in portraying youth rights as a norm under international law.

It should be noted that the draft Convention was widely discussed among the youth of Uzbekistan within the framework of the project also during the "U - report" project.

This Web forum will be the next step towards ensuring the rights of youth. The event will contribute to enhancing international cooperation in this direction and further promoting the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Youth, which in turn will undoubtedly be an important step in further strengthening international cooperation in the field of human rights.

Press Service
of the National Human Rights Center
of the Republic of Uzbekistan