On June 13-14, 2024, Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er and Secretary of Commission on Environment, Natural Resources and Health Protection Aynura Abutalibova attended the Fourth Samarkand Human Rights Forum on “Environmental Challenges: Ensuring Sustainable Solutions for the Future of Human Rights in a Changing World” under the guidance of the National Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights.

The traditional international Forum brought together around 200 experts, comprising national and international specialists in climate change and human rights, ombudspersons, officials of state organizations dealing with climate change issues and human rights, representatives of international organizations, civil society institutions, mass media, scientific research centers, companies and business circles.

The event included three plenary sessions, conducted both offline and online, facilitating extensive engagement with global experts and focused on developing comprehensive strategies and solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on human rights.

Welcoming the guests, Director of the National Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights Prof. Dr. Akmal Saidov noted that climate change, loss of biodiversity, and environmental pollution threaten the planet and even affect the geopolitical architecture of the world. He also stressed that Samarkand traditions in human rights are being formed at this event. The participants from various fields collaborated on effective strategies that support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensure the protection of human rights in a changing climate.

Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er also addressed the opening ceremony of the Forum.