Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In Geneva, as part of the High-Level Segment of the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, a side event was held with the participation of the heads of delegations of the states of Central Asia and Mongolia, as well as the NGO International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP), Dunyo news agency reports.

President of the ICDP Navanethem Pillay, Vice-President of the ICDP Ruth Dreyfus, Commissioner of the ICDP Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, other representatives of the ICDP from among prominent public figures, as well as delegations from the states of Central Asia and Mongolia spoke at the meeting.

During the event, an exchange of views took place on the issue of turning the countries of Central Asia and Mongolia into a region free from the death penalty.

The head of the delegation of Uzbekistan, director of the National Center for Human Rights Akmal Saidov, during the meeting, brought to the attention of the international community the essence and significance of the constitutional reform. Particular attention was paid to the planned enshrinement of the prohibition of the death penalty in the Basic Law in order to provide an unconditional guarantee of the human right to life.

In this context, a quote is given from the speech of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev: “The right to life is the natural right of every person, and it is given to him by God, and not by the state.”

It is stated that Uzbekistan has always supported the evolutionary abolition of the death penalty from legislation around the world.

The participants of the event reached an agreement to jointly promote the initiative to turn Central Asia into a region free from the death penalty.

The delegation of Uzbekistan, headed by the First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, Director of the National Center for Human Rights of Uzbekistan Akmal Saidov, on 27 February – 4 March, took part in the High-Level Segment of the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in the city Geneva (Switzerland).