TASHKENT, 28 February 2023 - Today, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA), the Nationwide Movement “Yuksalish” in cooperation with the National Centre for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan are holding an International Public Discussion on monitoring and coordination of implementation of the UN human rights treaties in Uzbekistan.

The event is organised within the framework of “Enhancing the Quality of Uzbekistan's Application of international Law (EQUAL)”, a project funded by the European Union.

The Expert Discussion will focus on national coordination mechanism of implementation of the UN Treaty Bodies’ recommendations, strengthening of the national independent mechanism of their implementation. The thematic discussions are based on the resent Concluding Observations by the three UN Treaty Bodies: the UN Committee on the Right of the Child (CRC), the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and the UN Committee Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

During the event national and international experts, civil society representatives, State bodies, international organisations and individual experts will discuss the essential steps to be taken by Uzbekistan to ensure effective monitoring and coordination of implementation of the recommendations. Brief presentations will be followed by questions and answers. The event will present an opportunity for various stakeholders to meet and discuss the monitoring and coordination mechanisms of the implementation of the most recent UN Recommendations (issued in 2022 by abovementioned Committees), as well as share the best practices in this regard.

“Uzbekistan has made significant progress in recent years towards protecting and promoting human rights, including several legislative reforms and the ratification of several international human rights treaties. The most recent one was the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2021. Last year, recommendations to Uzbekistan were adopted by three UN Committees: the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In this regard, establishment of effective independent monitoring and coordination mechanisms in Uzbekistan to implement these UN Treaty Bodies recommendations are of particular importance. We believe that today’s discussions will raise issues which should help strengthen the existing coordination and monitoring mechanisms in Uzbekistan to effectively implement recommendations of the UN Treaty bodies” - said Charlotte Adriaen, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan.

“Monitoring of the implementation of recommendations of UN Treaty Bodies is not only an international obligation, it is a moral imperative of any member to UN human rights treaties. It is the responsibility of States-parties to ensure that the recommendations made by these authoritative UN bodies are implemented in full. Failure to do so leaves individuals and groups at risk of human rights violations. It is therefore in the best interests of every party to UN human rights treaties, including Uzbekistan, to prioritize the protection and promotion of human rights, and to work towards the full and effective implementation of UN treaty body recommendations.”, said Temur Shakirov, Director (ad interim), Europe and Central Asia Programme, the International Commission of Jurists.

“As a full member of the UN, Uzbekistan has joined a number of international treaties. In our country, the implementation of international treaties is taken seriously, and it is under the attention of both the Parliament and the Government. The provisions of international documents are also reflected in our national legislation. The main focus of the reforms in Uzbekistan is to ensure basic human rights and freedoms, including the rights of women, children and youth, as well as persons with special needs. At the same time, holding today's international expert discussion involving representatives of the state, civil society, NGOs, international and national experts will serve as an important platform for sharing best practices in coordinating and monitoring the implementation process of the UN treaties in Uzbekistan, and effectively discussing existing issues”, - said Mr Bobur Bekmurodov, Chairman of the Nationwide Movement “Yuksalish”.

“The UN Treaty Bodies play a vital role in promoting and monitoring the implementation of international human rights standards at the national level. The recommendations made by the Treaty Bodies provide a roadmap for the government to address these issues and ensure that all individuals in Uzbekistan can fully enjoy their human rights”, said Mr Fabio PIANA, OiC Regional Representative, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Regional Office for Central Asia. “The implementation of these recommendations will require cooperation and collaboration between the government, independent national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, and the international community”, he added.

The event is organised within the framework of the Project “Enhancing the Quality of Uzbekistan's Application of international Law (EQUAL)” funded by the European Union through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and implemented by the International Commission of Jurists. The main objective of the EQUAL project is to promote, by supporting civil society, equal protection of economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights for groups particularly vulnerable to discrimination in Uzbekistan.

Press Service of the Nationwide Movement Yuksalish