Global Forum on Human Rights Education in Uzbekistan

On 5-6 December, 2022, the Global Forum on Human Rights Education was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The forum was organized by the National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in cooperation with Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and its Regional Office for Central Asia, UN Country Team, UNICEF, UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia, International Migration Organization (IOM), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, OSCE Project Co-ordinator Office in Uzbekistan, the Council of Europe and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

 

Over 200 national and foreign experts, including human rights education experts from different countries of the world, foreign and international experts, state bodies, international and regional organizations, specialized educational institutions, representatives of non-governmental non-profit organizations and other institutions of civil society, high-ranking officials took part at the event. 

At the opening ceremony, the video messages and welcome remarks of Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,  Federico Villegas, the President of the UN Human Rights Council, Matteo Meccacci, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and Yakumopoulos Christos, Director General of the Council of Europe's Directorate for Human Rights and Rule of Law, and Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education were presented to participants. 

Members of the government, heads of chambers and committees of the Oliy Majlis, representatives of ministries and organizations, educational and scientific institutions, civil society institutions participated in the work of the global forum.

Akmal Saidov, First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights analyzed the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education in the Republic of Uzbekistan.     

The first day of the global forum included 4 parallel sessions, covering "Human rights education for school-aged children: principles, approaches and contemporary issues"; "Human rights education in higher education institutions: principles, approaches and contemporary issues (COVID-19, technology development, internet resources, geopolitics, etc.)"; "Provision of continuing education in the field of human rights through professional institutions (courts, law enforcement agencies, lawyers): principles, approaches and contemporary problems"; and "Informal Human Rights Education for Civil Society: Principles, Approaches and Contemporary Issues (Focusing on Gender, Inclusion, Migration and Media)".  

Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia, who moderated the third session, in her opening remarks said: “UNODC promotes a holistic approach in its obligation to respect, protect and promote human rights. In Central Asia Programme for 2022-2025, we integrated human rights and gender-sensitive trainings as essential component throughout our programmatic interventions on integrated border protection, countering illicit drug trafficking, criminal justice reform, police and prison reforms, prevention and countering corruption, trafficking in persons, firearms, prevention and countering terrorism and violent extremism, social rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners and those, returning from conflict zones”.

One of the specific best practices related to human rights education for law enforcement and prison staff, including e-learning course on the Nelson Mandela Rules, was presented by Shah Salman Khan, Project Coordinator, Returning FTFs Detention Programme, UNODC Programme Office Tajikistan. Namely, he focused on the role of law enforcement officials in protecting and respecting the human rights of every individual, and thus importance of human rights being an integral part of any training or educational programme for law enforcement officials. 

The participants of the 3rd session reiterated continuous human rights education through professional institutions related to the administration of justice, particularly the importance of human rights education for judges, prosecutors, and legal professionals. It was emphasized that respecting human rights by law enforcement will foster community cooperation, crime prevention, peaceful resolution of conflicts, fair administration of justice and public confidence. Human rights training programmes should foresee, where relevant, training activities with the joint participation of representatives of civil society, national human rights institutions, legal practitioners, judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials. 

Based on the discussions in plenary and parallel sessions within two days, the participants of the Global Forum on Human Rights Education adopted the outcome document as the Action plan to promote human rights education in Central Asia 2023-2025. 

The recommendations, grouped at national, regional and international levels, promote the shared vision that human rights education and training is beyond legal education and should encompass the followings:

a. Education about human rights, which includes providing knowledge and understanding of human rights;

b. Education through human rights, which includes learning and teaching in a way that respects the rights of both educators and learners;

c. Education for human rights, which includes empowering persons to enjoy and exercise their rights and to respect and uphold the rights of others.

For further information please contact:      

Arifa Fatikhova  

Communications and External Relations Officer

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 

Regional Office for Central Asia

Mobile: (+998 99) 825-05-43 | Email: arifa.fatikhova[at]un.org