Uzbekistan pushes for human rights protections

By Yi Whan-woo

Uzbekistan is pushing to enhance the protection of human rights in accordance with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which address inequality, peace, justice and other global challenges, according to the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Korea.

The embassy noted that Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the 46th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council on Feb. 22.

Held online, the session was the latest in a series of international human rights meetings joined by Uzbekistan.

The Central Asian country also has its own initiatives to better safeguard human rights within its territory.

Mirziyoyev spoke about how his country, as its priority issue, has been deepening the democratic transformation within the framework of the Human Rights Council.

The session was attended by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, as well as heads of state, foreign ministers and other high-level representatives from more than 150 countries.

Mirziyoyev's presidential decree, approved by the National Human Rights Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2020, concentrates on expanding activities of government agencies and organizations responsible for the implementation of international human rights treaties.

The major activities include upholding the recommendations of international organizations on the protection of human rights; identifying, analyzing and addressing the causes and conditions that hinder observing recommendations of U.N. human rights bodies and treaties; cooperating with the Public Chamber under the President of Uzbekistan and civic institutions; and increasing the role of the parliament and civil institutions in achieving the SDGs in order to strengthen practice of the law and obligations concerning human rights.

The embassy noted that all of these efforts are a part of the country's goal of joining the world's top 50 countries on human rights and freedom.

“It is obvious that the protection of human rights in Uzbekistan has become one of the priorities on the basis of the U.N. General Assembly resolution, Enlightenment and Religious Tolerance, and other new initiatives initiated by Uzbekistan,” the embassy said in a statement.

It argued that Uzbekistan for the past five years “has demonstrated its commitment to international law.”

The embassy in particular pointed out that Uzbekistan for the first time was elected as a U.N. Economic and Social Council member for a term from 2021 to 2023, and is a party to more than 80 international human rights instruments, including six major U.N. treaties and four protocols.

This year, Uzbekistan plans to hold a dialogue of female leaders from Central Asian countries, plus a regional forum for female business leaders.

The country will also host the U.N.-sponsored World Conference on Youth Rights.

It will present a draft convention or agreement on youth rights at the 10th forum of the U.N. Economic and Social Council, as well as establishing a special rapporteur on youth rights.