Uzbekistan Hosts The 5th Samarkand Forum On Human Rights – Oped

Key Takeaways:

• Uzbekistan will hold the Fifth Samarkand Forum on Human Rights on Sept. 28–29 in Tashkent and Samarkand, themed around 60 years of the 1966 UN covenants, 40 years of the Declaration on the Right to Development, and 30 years of Uzbekistan’s National Centre for Human Rights.
• UN, OSCE, OIC, SCO, and CIS participants are expected; Guterres is slated for a video message and OHCHR to read a statement from Volker Türk. Panels cover covenant implementation, inequality, digital tools, disability and AI, youth, gender, climate/Aral Sea, statelessness, and AI regulation.
• The series began with the 2018 Asian Forum; organizers plan a closing “Samarkand Vision 2040” with recommendations from the parallel sessions.

Uzbekistan will host the Fifth Samarkand Forum on Human Rights on September 28 and 29, with events taking place in Tashkent and Samarkand. The official theme of this year’s forum is “60 Years of the International Covenants on Human Rights and 40 Years of the Declaration on the Right to Development: Global Partnership for Human Dignity, Equality and Sustainable Development.”

The forum will bring together representatives of international organizations, national human rights institutions, government bodies, academic institutions and civil society. Participants from the United Nations system and organizations including the OSCE, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Commonwealth of Independent States are expected to take part alongside international experts and representatives from different countries.

The forum coincides with several important anniversaries. This year marks 60 years since the adoption of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, two major international agreements adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1966. It also marks the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development and the 30th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s National Centre for Human Rights.

The main programme will begin in Tashkent on September 28. The opening ceremony is expected to include senior Uzbek officials and representatives of international organizations. According to the draft programme, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to address the forum by video, while a statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk will be delivered by an OHCHR representative.

The opening will be followed by a high-level panel examining the international human rights system six decades after the adoption of the two covenants. Discussions will focus on the implementation of international human rights commitments, global inequality, the right to development and the role of international cooperation in responding to challenges including digital transformation, climate change, conflicts and humanitarian crises.

Another panel will mark the 30th anniversary of the National Centre for Human Rights and examine how international human rights commitments are implemented at the national level. Participants will discuss cooperation between government institutions, implementation of UN recommendations and the growing use of digital tools in reporting and monitoring human rights obligations.

The programme also gives considerable attention to newer challenges affecting human rights. A session on the rights of persons with disabilities will discuss accessibility, inclusive education, employment, independent living and the opportunities and risks created by artificial intelligence and assistive technologies. Another session will examine demographic change, youth, human capital, future skills and the effects of digital transformation on participation in public decision-making.

Women’s rights and gender equality will form another part of the programme, with discussions expected to cover women’s economic participation, leadership, access to technology and protection from discrimination and violence. Environmental rights will also be addressed through a session on climate justice, including access to water and food, the green transition and the effects of climate change on Central Asia and the Aral Sea region.

Artificial intelligence will receive a separate session focused on its growing implications for human rights. Participants are expected to discuss international approaches to AI regulation, transparency and accountability, privacy, freedom of expression, access to information and algorithmic discrimination. The session will also consider the use of AI in public administration and justice and the need for international cooperation as the technology develops rapidly.

A further session will mark the 65th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. It will examine progress made by Central Asian countries in preventing statelessness, protecting the right to nationality and strengthening regional cooperation.

The forum will move to Samarkand on September 29 for its closing plenary session. Moderators of the parallel sessions will present their conclusions and proposals, which are expected to contribute to practical recommendations on strengthening international human rights protection. The programme is scheduled to conclude with the adoption of “Samarkand Vision 2040: Global Partnership for Human Dignity, Equality and Sustainable Development.”

The Fifth Samarkand Forum continues a series of international human rights meetings that began with the Asian Forum on Human Rights held in Samarkand in 2018. By bringing together international institutions, governments and experts around both long-standing human rights commitments and newer issues such as artificial intelligence, demographic change and climate justice, the forum seeks to connect established international standards with challenges that are increasingly shaping human rights debates today.