A side event on the topic "Universality of Human Rights in Different Regions and Contemporary Challenges" was held in Geneva on the sidelines of the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council. The event was organized with the participation of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and regional human rights systems. The Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan was one of the co-organizers.

Other co-organizers included the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Council of Europe, the African Union, the Organization of American States, and the Committee on the Arab Charter on Human Rights.

The event took the form of a panel discussion dedicated to reaffirming the principle of the universality, indivisibility, and interdependence of human rights in the context of geopolitical tensions, selective interpretation of norms, and the narrowing of civic space. Participants emphasized that universality does not imply uniformity: universal standards gain legitimacy and effectiveness through their implementation across diverse legal systems and institutional traditions, while regional mechanisms act as "bridges" between the global system and national realities.

The experience of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which has consistently implemented large-scale reforms in the area of human rights protection, strengthening national institutions, and developing constructive cooperation with international and regional human rights mechanisms, was highlighted as a successful example of the practical implementation of universal international standards.

UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Ava Dabo reaffirmed that the universality of human rights is the foundation of the international human rights system, enshrined in the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. She noted the role of OHCHR as a link between the global and regional systems and cautioned against tendencies toward fragmentation and relativization of universal norms. Ambassador Miroslav Papa, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to the UN and Permanent Observer of the Council of Europe in Geneva, presented the experience of the European regional system, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, as an example of the implementation of universal norms at the regional level.

Representatives from the African and American regions emphasized in their presentations that the universality of human rights is most effectively realized by taking into account national specificities and regional experience.

Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Philippe Jaffe, examined the universality of children's rights from the perspective of a treaty body, demonstrating how universal standards are consistently applied in various cultural and legal contexts.

Former Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, drew attention to the narrowing of civic space and the importance of universal protection of fundamental freedoms—the rights to peaceful assembly and association—as an integral element of a unified human rights system. During the interactive session, representatives of states, regional organizations, and civil society exchanged views on practical aspects of interaction between global and regional human rights mechanisms.

As the results of the event demonstrated, it would be beneficial for Uzbekistan to continue the country's participation in similar UN Human Rights Council events and to develop the practice of co-organizing with OHCHR and regional human rights systems. It is also important to utilize the UN Human Rights Council platform to promote Uzbekistan's national human rights initiatives. The country is also interested in developing interregional cooperation with the Council of Europe, the African Commission, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to strengthen universal human rights standards.

Press Service of the National Center for

Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan

 “Editorial Office of the newspapers ‘Yangi O‘zbekiston’ and ‘Pravda Vostoka’”