The V Samarkand Human Rights Forum took place in Uzbekistan, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the International Covenants on Human Rights and the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development. The event also marked the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 30th anniversary of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights.
Evgenia Paramonova, Chair of the CIS Commission on Human Rights, reported that during her visit, she presented the activities of the Commission, which has been operating for three years and unites representatives from seven states. She noted that over this period, experience in constructive dialogue has been formed, a number of reports have been prepared, and currently, all participating states have managed to develop a common solution to all discussed issues. The main task of the Commission is to unify approaches to human rights in the Commonwealth, improving the normative base, exchanging experiences, and conducting monitoring.
The forum gathered over 200 participants, including representatives from 10 international, 8 regional, and 8 national human rights institutions from various countries, as well as over 30 experts, civil society representatives, media figures, and business circles.
Tanzila Narbaeva, Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, emphasized that strengthening trust in the international human rights system depends on tangible results in daily life, and the Samarkand Forum is designed to transform international obligations into real practical steps.
Forum participants worked in seven parallel sessions. Topics discussed included rights to education and healthcare, ensuring decent work and social protection, combating poverty and inequality, as well as the role of international interaction and financial structures in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, issues such as protecting cultural heritage during armed conflicts, demographic changes, population aging, investment in human capital, and gender equality were examined.
Particular attention was paid to current challenges. Dilora Faiziyeva, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Foreign Affairs, pointed out the existence of numerous contradictory conflicts in the global space that violate international treaties. In addition to traditional threats, modernity gives rise to new problems, primarily related to cybersecurity and the rapid development of artificial intelligence. She noted that the leadership of Uzbekistan insists on developing and implementing ethical rules for cybersecurity to protect citizens, as well as the need for the prompt inclusion of progressive norms into national legislation in the field of environmental and climate security, since climate change affects energy, food, water, and environmental security.
Chang Ling, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), stressed that within the SCO, Uzbekistan acts as a coordinating country for the protection of human rights in the context of the human dimension. New cooperation mechanisms have been established, including the Council for Women's Affairs and a network of universities, where special attention is paid to the rights of women, girls, and youth, as well as issues related to climate change.
The Samarkand Forum is held every two years and has established itself as an important platform for finding solutions to current human rights issues. The organizers were the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OSCE, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the International Center for Development and Justice.