Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 30 October 2020, a delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, headed by the Chairman of the Supreme Court Kozimjon Komilov, took part in the fifteenth meeting of the chairmen of the Supreme Courts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, which was held in the format of videoconference chaired by Republic of Kazakhstan. This was reported by the press service of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The event was attended by the presidents and judges of the Supreme Courts of the Republic of India, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the chairmen of the Supreme Courts of the observer countries - the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic Iran, Mongolia, as well as SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov and OSCE Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey.

Noting mutual understanding in the development of the judicial systems of the SCO member states, reaffirming their adherence to the principles, ideas and tasks of the Organization, the parties noted that the development of cooperation between the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states is carried out on the principles of mutual trust, friendship and good-neighborliness, ensuring peace and security in the region. , in accordance with the SCO Charter, the Treaty on Long-term Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the SCO Member States and the SCO Development Strategy until 2025.

It was emphasized that practical interaction between the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states contributes to the further improvement of joint activities in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, strengthening justice, law and order, and creates conditions for deepening judicial and legal reforms.

As noted during the meeting, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an effective system for protecting common interests. This influential organization plays an important role in strengthening good-neighborliness and friendship, ensuring peace and stability in the region.

From the day of its formation, a spirit of mutual respect, mutual understanding, a high level of trust and the ability to make joint decisions has developed between its co-founders.

In particular, a high level of solidarity and mutual support of the organization’s member states in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic was noted as a vivid example of the manifestation of the "Shanghai spirit".

During the meeting, a number of topical issues were considered aimed at further intensifying cooperation between the chairmen of the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states to ensure the rule of law, the rights and legitimate interests of citizens, as well as to exchange experience in this direction.

The parties emphasized that the reforms of the national judicial systems of the SCO member states are aimed at ensuring effective judicial protection of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of citizens, entrepreneurs and the state.

The participants agreed on the need to further enhance the role of courts in promoting constitutional values, ensuring legal and socio-economic development, as well as in resolving legal relations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues related to the peculiarities of the activities of courts and the administration of justice during pandemic and economic crisis, adaptation of the judicial system to work in these conditions, the role of the judicial function in the prevention and control of COVID-19.

Focusing on human responsibilities in the promotion and protection of human rights also found its way onto the agenda of the meeting.

The delegates considered new stages in the development of national judicial systems and issues of the influence of the media and social networks on the administration of justice, including the scandalousness of justice as a factor of pressure on the court. At the same time, the attention of the parties is focused on the dialogue between courts and society through briefings and explanations in social networks.

The parties focused on improving the mechanism of commercial disputes between the SCO countries, measures to combat corruption in the judicial system and prevent corruption risks in the courts.

Attention is drawn to the tasks, principles and legal regulation of digitalization of modern legal proceedings.

It also discusses measures to humanize criminal legislation and the practice of its application.

The participants also dwelled on the issues of responsibility for offenses in the field of migration relations and the practice of considering cases of deprivation of parental rights by the courts of the SCO member states.

It was emphasized that in recent years in the SCO region, consistent work has been carried out to further improve the judicial and legal system, strengthen measures to reliably protect the rights and legitimate interests of citizens and entrepreneurs, effectively ensure justice, as well as enhance the role of the judiciary.

In the course of the discussion, attention was also focused on the goals and objectives of this meeting at the present stage of development of the judicial systems of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The Uzbek side acquainted the participants with one of the prospects of the judicial and legal reform of Uzbekistan, which is a preliminary hearing. At the same time, representatives of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan gave detailed information about the current state and prospects for the development of administrative proceedings in our country. Uzbekistan also presented a report on improving the investment climate by strengthening guarantees of the rights and legitimate interests of investors.

The 15th meeting of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Courts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states was held in a spirit of complete mutual understanding and a friendly atmosphere.

A Joint Statement was adopted, according to which the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states intend to further really contribute to the strengthening of mutual trust, security, stability, goodwill, the preservation of peace and prosperity of our peoples.

At the same time, the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states intend to further strengthen interaction to ensure human rights and freedoms, guided by the provisions of the SCO Charter, the Treaty on Long-term Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation and other international treaties adopted within the SCO framework.

It was noted that one of the factors of the quality of justice is increasing the responsibility and independence of courts and judges, as well as strengthening the role of the judiciary and professional organizations of the judicial community.

The adopted statement stipulates that in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the courts must find an acceptable balance between the exercise of the right to judicial protection, the safety of life and health of visitors to the courts, compliance with the social distancing regime and other sanitary and epidemiological requirements imposed by competent state structures. At the same time, the parties express their readiness, bilaterally and multilaterally, to share the experience of the courts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Supreme Courts of eight countries draw attention to the need at the legislative level and in judicial practice to improve mechanisms for protecting the honor and dignity of the individual, to further expand the application of the adversarial principle at all stages of legal proceedings.

It is also stated that it is necessary to continue to improve the guarantees for the protection of the rights and freedoms of the individual in criminal proceedings with a clear delineation of the powers of law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes.

It is emphasized that today the primary tasks are the modernization of economic justice, improvement of mechanisms for resolving commercial disputes, strengthening guarantees for judicial protection of investors, especially in the context of the global economic crisis.

The Supreme Courts of the SCO member states intend to further develop cooperation in the areas of preventing corruption in the judicial system that affect the independent and effective functioning of the courts.

In the context of the growing influence of mass media and social networks and in order to strengthen the independence of the courts, effective communication between courts and the media should be established by expanding access to information about courts, objective coverage of their activities, using new information platforms, explanatory work, and improving the legal culture of citizens. ... An important task is to protect against undue pressure on the court and judges by deliberately scandalizing justice, manipulating public opinion, discrediting the judiciary in the media and social networks.

Having discussed the problems of judicial practice in the consideration of cases of deprivation of parental rights, the participants of the Meeting noted the expediency of exchanging experience in this area, taking into account the practice of a specialized model of justice to ensure judicial protection of the rights of the child.

It is taken into account that migration activity in the world and in the region actualizes the role of the judiciary in ensuring human rights and freedoms in the process of preventing and suppressing illegal migration.

In addition, the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states intend to continue a dynamic mutual exchange of information on best judicial practice and national legislation, as well as develop cooperation in the field of holding joint conferences and seminars in order to improve the qualifications of judges in areas of interest to them.

In accordance with the adopted final statement, the next meeting of the chairmen of the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states will be held in 2021 in the Kyrgyz Republic.