Today, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Nationwide Movement “Yuksalish” and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA) are holding an International Public Discussion entitled “From Legislation to Action: Effective Measures for Protecting Women and Children from Violence in Uzbekistan”. The event is organized within the framework of “Enhancing the Quality of Uzbekistan’s Application of international Law (EQUAL)”, project funded by the European Union.
This event follows a turning point in the effective legislation protection of women and children in Uzbekistan from sexual and gender-based violence and other violent human rights abuses. with the adoption of the law criminalizing domestic gender-based violence and provided for increased penalties for sexualized crimes. The Expert Discussion aims to inspire a meaningful dialogue and collaboration among experts, policymakers, lawyers, civil society and other stakeholders, guiding an effective implementation of this law according to international law and standards.
H.E. Charlotte Adriaen, Ambassador of the European Union in Uzbekistan, addressed the event remarking: “As international community, we are witnessing a crucial and transparent collaboration of the Government and the civil society, including prominent activists who are with us today. The EU Delegation and I personally are happy to have supported this important effort. This collaboration has led to an adoption of the law that criminalizes domestic violence, recognizes sexual harassment as administrative offence and introduces many other important changes to protect women and children from violence. After the adoption of this law, it is vital to effectively implement it, in order to protect every woman and every child not only in law but in practice. Therefore, today we are gathered here to discuss what we can do more in this regard. The EU is ready to continue supporting the implementation of these commitments, contributing to the well-being of women, girls and children in Uzbekistan”.
“It is important to remember that the adoption of any law is only the first step in addressing the problem. Now comes the harder part: implementing it in policy and practice and translating it into daily life, ensuring every woman and every child feels safe and valued”, said Temur Shakirov, Director (ad interim) of the ICJ Europe and Central Asia Programme. “Moreover, we mustn’t forget that the reach of law extends beyond courtrooms and legal procedures. Its letter and spirit should permeate every facet of society, influencing societal norms, behaviours, and attitudes”, he added.
“Uzbekistan has created a broad institutional framework for ensuring and promoting women’s rights, gender equality and protecting women from violence. One of the latest significant changes in legislation is the criminalization of domestic violence, the establishment of liability for harassment. The Supreme Court is working to ensure that the new amendments are correctly applied in judicial practice. The Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in turn, were instructed, in particular, to ensure strict compliance with the requirements of the law during inquiries and investigative actions. In this regard, having zero tolerance to any form of violence in society is vital; only in this way, with a comprehensive approach, it is possible to achieve any successful results”, said Mr Bobur Bekmurodov, Chairman of the Nationwide Movement “Yuksalish”.
“We welcome the recently adopted law on the protection of women and children from violence, which confirms the readiness of Uzbekistan to gradually improve its legislation in this direction and comply with its international human rights obligations,” said Mr Fabio PIANA, OiC Regional Representative, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Regional Office for Central Asia. “However, the adoption of the law is an important, but only the initial stage. Effective means of implementing this law should be in place. It is necessary to raise public awareness of the law so that those who have experienced violence do not remain silent about the crimes committed, speak out and make the law work in their defense. Here I would like to highlight the important role of the family, as well as education at all levels”, he added.
The event is organised within the framework of the Project “Enhancing the Quality of Uzbekistan’s Application of international Law (EQUAL)” funded by the European Union through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and implemented by the International Commission of Jurists. The main objective of the EQUAL project is to promote, by supporting civil society, and equal protection of economic, social and cultural rights for persons from groups particularly vulnerable to discrimination in Uzbekistan.
Background
This is the fourth expert discussion held within the framework of the EQUAL project. The first was on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, The second was on the effective implementation of the recommendations of the CEDAW and CESCR Committees. The third on the monitoring and coordination of implementation of the UN treaties in Uzbekistan: example of CRC, ICECSR and CEDAW. In addition, between 2017 and 2021 the ICJ convened six expert discussions within the ACCESS (Advancing Civil Society in Promoting ESC Rights Standards) project implemented by the ICJ under the support of the EU Delegation in Uzbekistan.
For more information please contact:
Ms. Dilfuza Kurolova, Legal Consultant, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), [email protected], www.icj.org
Ms. Dilorom Rozikova, Project coordinator, Nationwide Movement “Yuksalish”, Tashkent city, [email protected], www.yuksalish.uz
Ms Malika Musaeva, Press and Information Officer, Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Uzbekistan, [email protected], Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan | EEAS (europa.eu)
Agenda in English: Expert Discussions Agenda_ENG
Agenda in Russian: Expert Discussions Agenda_RUS
Briefing paper in English: Briefing paper on GBV
Briefing paper in Russian: Защита женщин и детей от насилия в Узбекистане
Project is being implemented by:
International Commission of Jurists, Rue des Buis 3, P.O. Box 91, 1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland
And
Nationwide Movement “Yuksalish”, Tashkent city, Sh. Ashidov, 16 (“Poytaht” Business centre, 5th floor)
Financial resources:
The Project is financed by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan
International Business Centre, Amir Temur str. 107B, 100084 Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tel.: +998 71 120 16 01/02/03/04