Our country is actively preparing for the Asian Forum on Human Rights, which will be held on November 22-23 this year in Samarkand. The upcoming main international form is significant in that it is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We talked with the Director of the National Human Rights Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Akmal SAIDOV about the essence, significance, scale and expected results of this international forum.

• It should be noted that from the podium of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, held in September 2017, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan has been nominated important international initiatives, - said A. Saidov. - Then our Head of State, during a conversation with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, put forward the idea of conducting the Asian Forum on Human Rights in Samarkand in connection with the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

Pay attention: for 70 years of the UN creation, such an authoritative international forum dedicated to human rights is held for the first time on the Asian continent - in Uzbekistan, the ancient and eternally young city of Samarkand. Most importantly, this relevant initiative is widely supported by the international community.

 

• What practical work has been done in this short period in implementing international initiatives of our Head of State?

 

• In fact, based on the scale of historical updates, the past period is a short period. Despite this, our country, together with relevant international and foreign partners, has achieved important results in this area.

 

This is confirmed by the Decree of the President of our country “On the Program of events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” of May 5, 2018.

 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights - the first international legal instrument to which our country has joined after independence. The main principles of this declaration are reflected in the Constitution of Uzbekistan, in our country special attention is paid to the introduction of international human rights standards into the life of society, the consciousness of citizens and public servants by observing these principles.

 

All this has helped us to lay the foundation for an effective system for the protection of human rights. Uzbekistan has created its own model for the phased implementation of international human rights standards into national legislation and law enforcement practice.

 

Approved by our Head of Government on February 7, 2017, the Action Strategy on the five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017–2021 marked the beginning of a new stage for further improvement of the system for ensuring human rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests.

 

The Action Strategy has become the “roadmap” of Uzbekistan for the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With the adoption of the Action Strategy of Uzbekistan, the issues of support, protection, and observance of human rights became priority directions of state policy and cooperation with international partners.

 

-What connects the Declaration, the Constitution of Uzbekistan and Action Strategy with the Asian Forum on Human Rights?

 

These very important legal documents are linked to effective measures implemented on their basis. The main goal, as noted by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, - implementation of the principle of “Human interests – above all”.

 

The significance of the idea of our President is to develop an international UN convention on the rights of young people. This initiative will serve to the adoption of a generalized international document aimed at the formation and implementation of youth policy in today's time of globalization and accelerated development of information and communication technologies. Now, consistent work is underway on another initiative of the head of our state - the adoption of a special resolution of the UN General Assembly “Education and Religious Tolerance”.

 

The organization of the Asian Forum on Human Rights in the city of Samarkand will further increase attention to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It will also mean that consistent and rapid reforms in human rights are being implemented in Uzbekistan, and the successes achieved in this area over the past two years will set an example for other countries.

 

-Why an international conference is called “The Asian Forum on Human Rights”?

 

-The main reason is that the city of Samarkand, located at the crossroads of the Great Silk Road, is open to dialogue between representatives of various nationalities, religions, cultures, and languages, serving as a model of mutual agreement, effective cooperation and generosity.

-Another aspect is that over the past 70 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, this principle has been on the agenda in political processes, the theory and practice of international law. In addition, this is not by chance. In the world, live representatives of various religions, cultures, languages and human rights are relevant for their universality, commonality for all.

 

The UN Summit on Sustainable Development, held in the city of New York in September 2015, identified 169 associated targets that must be completed over 15 years to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

 

In a period of accelerated globalization throughout the world, these tasks place great responsibilities on countries. Unfortunately, in some regions of the world, it is not easy for the state to ensure universal rights for every person.

 

Firstly, the economy of the Asian continent, occupying more than 30 percent of the total land area, 32 percent of the global economic activity. In Asian countries, it develops rapidly and growing incomes of the population.

 

At the same time, economic development in itself does not mean the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and more effective protection of human rights.

 

Secondly, the population of 3.1 billion people in the Asian continent belongs to approximately 15 major language families and speaks different languages and dialects. All the major religions of Asia are Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. On the continent, there are many other religious denominations. Despite this, unlike other continents of the planet, a certain intergovernmental or regional system for the protection of human rights has not been established in Asia.

 

Thirdly, the main work of the upcoming Asian Forum in Samarkand will be aimed at improving existing on the continent and the establishment of new mechanisms for the protection of human rights, the development of practical recommendations to ensure cooperation between national human rights institutions.

 

-Experts from which international organizations and foreign countries will participate in the Asian Forum on Human Rights? What questions will they discuss?

 

-The Asian Forum will be attended by heads and experts from reputable international and regional organizations. These are representatives of the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), members of parliaments of foreign countries, activists of national institutions and NGOs for human rights, foreign news agencies and the mass media.

 

If we show the number of participants in figures, they will be representatives of 40 international and regional organizations, 19 foreign states, parliaments of 4 countries, 26 national human rights institutions. The total number of foreign participants will be more than 120 people.

 

-How the Forum will be organized?

 

- The forum will begin with a plenary session, and then the participants will discuss various topics in four sessions:

 

Universality of Human Rights: Legacy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

Human Rights as the Basis for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals;

Human Rights Education: Innovation and New Challenges;

Interaction of national human rights institutes with state bodies and civil society institutions in ensuring respect, protection and fulfillment of human rights. 

 

- What documents are planned to be adopted at the end of the Forum?

 

- Upon completion of the Asian Forum, it is planned to adopt the Samarkand Declaration on Human Rights. This final document will be devoted to the prospects of more effectively fulfilling the tasks outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

 

In particular, the Samarkand Declaration will reflect the prospects for states to fulfill obligations to protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms on the basis of international documents. This process will focus on the protection of human rights, taking into account historical, cultural and religious diversity.

 

• The Asian Forum will host a meeting of Representatives of National human rights institutions. Please tell us about its work.

- Yes, on the eve of the Asian Forum on 21 November in Tashkent will be held the meeting, which was addressed by heads of national human rights institutions. Issues of human rights observance in the countries of the region will be discussed and areas of cooperation between national human rights institutions will be discussed as well.

At the end of the council planned to adopt the Tashkent declaration of national human rights institutions in Central Asia. It will reflect the improvement of the legal framework in the field of human rights in accordance with the Paris Principles, the exchange of information on the work of regional national human rights institutions and their effective cooperation.

New initiatives will be launched aimed at developing cooperation of educational institutions, business structures, civil society institutions in the countries of the region in ensuring human rights, implementation of joint projects and scientific research in this direction. For a number of such projects include the organization of the Internet portal “The Forum of National Human Rights Institutions in Central Asia”.

- What is the significance of the Asian Forum on Human Rights?

- I think that the Asian Forum and the Central Asian meeting of national human rights institutions will be an important platform from which our international partners, representatives of the world community will be represented by the work of national human rights institutions in Uzbekistan in recent years.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the Asian Forum on Human Rights, in the first place, the results would be reviewed to ensure the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests in our ancient continent. However, an objective assessment of innovative initiatives in this direction will be given. Secondly, they will outline the most important long-term cooperative action to ensure, protect and respect all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Asian continent.

 

Interviewed

Abu Bakr Urozov

Correspondent of UzA