Another prestigious international forum is being held in ancient and eternally young Samarkand – the fourth Samarkand Forum on Human Rights, dedicated to the “Environmental Challenges: Ensuring Sustainable Solutions for the Future of Human Rights in a Changing World”.

The forum was organized by the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, the Ministry of Justice, and the Development Strategy Center. International partners include international organizations, including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Regional Office for Central Asia, the UN Country Team in Uzbekistan, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, ECO, SCO, EU, Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated the participants of the fourth Samarkand Forum on Human Rights. The congratulations were read out by the Presidential Press Secretary Sherzod Asadov.

In his opening remarks, the 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 Akmal Saidov, noted that the initiative to organize this international conference, which discusses climate and human rights issues, was put forward in the speech of the President of Uzbekistan at the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference.

The video messages from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Matteo Mecacci, were shown.

At the opening ceremony, the participants were welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan Muzraf Ikramov, the UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan Sabine Machl, who noted the relevance of the prestigious forum.

The speakers recognized that increasing the attention of the Samarkand Forum to the issue of protecting human rights in conditions when there is a critical environmental situation in the world is an issue that relates not to one region, but to the whole world – to all of humanity.

Mr. Saidov, who led the forum's work, thanked President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his attention to the fourth Samarkand Forum on Human Rights and congratulated the participants. The forum is a prestigious event that embodies the “Samarkand Spirit”. Samarkand traditions in human rights are formed here.

As part of the forum, an award ceremony took place for the holders of the “Inson Huquqlari Himoyasi Uchun” (For the Protection of Human Rights) badge.

The first plenary session was devoted to the role of the leadership of international organizations and national human rights institutions in solving environmental problems and protecting human rights.

The second plenary session examined global trends in climate change and their impact on the social and economic rights of vulnerable groups. The third discussed global strategies and cooperation in protecting human rights, the role of business and civil society in protecting environmental rights, and implementing climate initiatives.

Following the forum, in which more than 200 representatives of international, regional, foreign, and national organizations took part online and offline, the document “Samarkand Declaration on the Global Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change: Commitments and Actions for a Sustainable Future” was developed.

Norgul Abduraimova, UzA