On September 28, following the grand opening ceremony of the Fifth Samarkand Forum on Human Rights in the capital, the Forum’s High-Level Session took place. This prestigious event is dedicated to the theme: "International Human Rights Covenants, the Right to Development, and Global Solidarity: A New Perspective Amidst Modern Threats."
Keynote addresses were delivered by heads and leading experts from international and regional organizations, including the UN and its agencies, the OSCE, the SCO, the OIC, the CIS, and TURKPA. In particular, presentations were heard from Changrok Soh, member and former Chair of the UN Committee; Ling Zhang, Deputy Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA); Evgeniya Paramonova, Chairperson r of the CIS Human Rights Commission; Kadir Yaman, Secretary of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) Commission on Legal Affairs and International Relations.
Additionally, the forum featured online participation and addresses by Christophe Kamp, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities; Klaus Beck, Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). In addition, video messages were shown from Elina Steinerte, Vice-Chair of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) on National Preventive Mechanisms; Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers; Nurlan Ermekbayev, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO); Nick HARTMANN, Deputy Assistant Administrator and Deputy Regional Director, UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS.
A speech by Hadi bin Ali Alyami, Executive Director of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Sergey Lebedev, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), was also read out.
The discussions focused on the achievements, challenges, and future prospects regarding the transformation of the international human rights protection system over the six decades since the adoption of the International Covenants. Emphasis was placed on the universality, indivisibility, interdependence, and interrelatedness of all human rights in the context of modern global threats.
Views were exchanged regarding the future of the international human rights protection system—specifically the implementation of the International Covenants six decades on and prospects for strengthening the international human rights architecture. It was noted that the right to development is a universal human right and a crucial factor in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and reducing global inequality.
Global solidarity and international cooperation were recognized as the foundation for effectively responding to modern challenges, including digital transformation, climate change, conflicts, and humanitarian crises. Attention was also drawn to the human dimension in times of war, specifically regarding the challenges posed to international law by modern armed conflicts.
The Fifth Samarkand Forum on Human Rights was dedicated to the theme: "60th Anniversary of the International Human Rights Covenants and 40th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development: Global Partnership for Human Dignity, Equality, and Sustainable Development."
The forum was organized by the National Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the OSCE, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the International Center for Development and Justice.
Press Service of the National Center of the
Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights