New Uzbekistan on Way of Ongoing Reforms

Last year the Uzbek people has celebrated the 31th anniversary of the Independence. During last 6 years the large-scale creative and improving work is being carried out on the idea “New Uzbekistan”. 

Human rights protection is considered one of the priorities of our state policy. Today the country has a stable political system that meets the modern criteria of democracy and human rights, and the legislative, executive and judicial authorities at all levels are actively working to strengthen respect for human rights and to promote human rights education throughout the country. But the most important is that the Uzbek society maintains respect for the principles of the Rule of law and human rights.

The strategic goal of building “New Uzbekistan” is laying the foundations for the Third Renaissance. As it is well-known that the territory of modern Uzbekistan in the ancient times was the cradle of two great renaissance epochs - the First (enlightenment - IX-XII centuries) and the Second (Temurid - XIV-XV centuries) Renaissance.

Today Uzbekistan is becoming a country of democratic transformation, big opportunities and practical deeds. This process is the greatest result of our reforms during last years. Uzbekistan has also developed national indicators for the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

New Uzbekistan’s Development Strategy – a roadmap for realization of Human Rights Policy

We always know that without ensuring human rights, it is impossible to advance socio-economic, political, legal, cultural and humanitarian development of states. The President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has initiated a comprehensive and ambitious New Uzbekistan’s Development Strategy for next 5 years with 7 priority areas of the country's development. The 7 priority areas are:

First priority – Creation of a humane state by increasing human dignity and further development of a free civil society;

Second priority – the transformation of the principles of justice and the rule of law into the main and necessary condition for the development of the country;

Third priority – Development of the national economy, ensuring its growth rates at the level of modern requirements;

Fourth priority – Conducting a fair social policy, development of human capital;

Fifth priority – Ensuring spiritual development, cardinal reform and raising this sphere to a new stage;

Sixth priority – Solving universal problems based on national interests;

Seventh priority – Strengthening the security and defense potential of the country, conducting an open and pragmatic, active foreign policy.

According the President’s initiative, “the New Uzbekistan is a state, developing in strict compliance with the universally recognized norms in the field of democracy, human rights and freedoms, on the basis of the principles of friendship and cooperation with the international community, the ultimate aim of which is to create a free, comfortable and prosperous life for our people”.

New Uzbekistan’s Development Strategy will mark the beginning of a new stage of our national development on the basis of a new principle: “human being - society – state”. The implementation of the new reforms to this end have become an objective necessity, a major strategic task.

Uzbekistan was the first Central Asian State to establish a system of national human rights institutions, which includes Parliamentary Ombudsman, Children's Ombudsman, Business Ombudsman and National Human Rights Centre.

In June 2020 the National Human Rights Strategy of Uzbekistan was adopted for the first time and is being consistently implemented. It provides for the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council and the treaty bodies. The adoption of the National Strategy took into account the views of not only the expert community, but also the general public and international organizations.

Uzbekistan maintains an active and constructive dialogue with the UN Charter and Treaty bodies, specialized agencies and Special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council. The Government has submitted timely 41 periodic reports on the implementation of the main international human rights treaties, as well as on the follow-up to the recommendations of the treaty bodies. During last 4 years three UN Special rapporteurs visited Uzbekistan: Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

This year we are waiting for a visit of the UN Special rapporteur on torture and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In his speeches at the sessions of the UN General Assembly, the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, as well as in his Address to the Uzbek Parliament, the President of Uzbekistan identified the key priorities of New Uzbekistan on human rights: ensuring the right to health; gender equality; protection of the rights of persons with disabilities; protection of the youth rights; human rights education; strengthening the independence of the courts; the fight against torture; development of regional cooperation on human rights; development of civil society institutions.

From this year Uzbekistan’ representative is a deputy chair of the UN Human Rights Council. Last year on our initiative the Human Rights Council adopted resolution on young’s rights during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative to adopt an International Convention on the Rights of Youth and establishment the institution of a Special Rapporteur on Youth Rights put forward by the President of Uzbekistan from the high rostrum of the United Nations General Assembly, has been supported with great interest by the international community.

Uzbekistan actively participates in the United Nations World Programme for Human Rights Education. Together with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, we are planning to hold a Global Forum on Human Rights Education.

The fight against torture is a priority area of judicial and legal reforms in Uzbekistan. The work has begun on the implementation of a national preventive mechanism for the elimination of torture. We intend to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.

Uzbekistan also intends to continue to promote the establishment of a regional human rights mechanism in the Asian region. In this regard, a permanent platform has been created – the Samarkand Forum on Human Rights.