The IV Samarkand Forum on Human Rights continues.

Director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights Akmal Saidov, who oversees the forum’s work, thanked President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his congratulations to the event participants. It was emphasized that the Samarkand Forum is a prestigious conference that embodies the spirit of Samarkand. Samarkand traditions in human rights are formed here.

As noted at the forum, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and environmental pollution threaten the planet and even affect the geopolitical architecture of the world. The negative consequences of climate change, which has become the main threat to sustainable development, are seriously felt in Central Asia due to the Aral Sea tragedy. Although Uzbekistan is doing everything possible to eliminate the consequences of this global tragedy, the international community’s support is essential to continue these efforts.

In his speech at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on September 20, 2023, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed the adoption of a resolution entitled “Central Asia in the Face of Global Climate Threats: Solidarity for Common Prosperity”.

At the initiative of the Head of Uzbekistan, at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in 2021, a resolution of the UN General Assembly “Declaring the Aral Sea region a zone of ecological innovations and technologies” was adopted. The General Assembly was the first to grant such status to the Aral Sea region. As a result, during 2018-2022, 1.7 million hectares of forest plantations were created on the dry bottom of the Aral Sea. Natural parks, reserves, and state-protected areas have been created on ​​more than 3.5 million hectares to mitigate the consequences of the Aral tragedy and preserve biodiversity in the Aral region. The situation with the centralized drinking water supply to residents of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm region has improved significantly.

Deputy Minister of Justice Muzraf Ikramov noted that traffic and traffic jams, becoming a global problem, also cause air pollution. Cars pollute the atmospheric air by 45.7 percent with nitrogen oxides and 42 percent with hydrocarbons. Thus, 75.5 million tons, or 78 percent, of the approximately 100 million tons of carbon dioxide emitted into the air each year come from motor vehicles. Therefore, determining a stable future for protecting human rights in the face of global threats and ensuring citizens’ environmental rights are the priority strategic tasks of New Uzbekistan.

Norgul Abduraimova, photos by Alisher Isroilov, UzA