Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Conditions necessary to ensure access to justice for all in a multi-ethnic society were discussed on 26 July this year during the round table on the Graz Recommendations.

The online discussion on the topic: "Graz Recommendations on Access to Justice and on National Minorities in Uzbekistan" was organized by the Legislative Chamber of the Parliament of the country, the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan, together with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities (OSCE HCNM) and OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan.

The Graz Recommendations on Access to Justice and National Minorities are based on positive international experience. Their presentation in Tashkent provided an opportunity for representatives of the state authorities of Uzbekistan and the HCNM to discuss ensuring access to justice in a multi-ethnic society. Related issues include the principles of the rule of law, non-discrimination and equality, including gender equality, the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time by an independent body and the right to legal aid.

Best practices will contribute to improving the qualifications of the roundtable participants on the issues of equal access to justice through the improvement of interethnic relations in the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the country’s legal framework to ensure access to justice for ethnic groups.

The Graz Recommendations address issues related to access to court and access to national human rights institutions. The document offers a practical, policy-driven approach to access to justice for national minorities or ethnic communities.

In his greeting, First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Director of the National Center for Human Rights Akmal Saidov noted that “judges especially need to demonstrate fairness in performing their duties if we want to maintain and strengthen trust in the justice system among all ethnic groups. This requires an awareness of how our own actions can influence the perception and credibility of certain parts of the justice system.”

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan Khalilillo Turakhodjaev, OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan Ambassador Dr. Pierre von Arx spoke about the importance of the topic of ensuring access to justice and sharing best practices in this area.

During the discussion, in particular, the problems related to access to justice in the context of ethnic communities were considered, such as the consideration of interethnic cases; representation of ethnic communities in the judiciary and law enforcement agencies; strategies to promote full equality in access to justice for all.

The round table was attended by international experts, deputies of the Oliy Majlis, representatives of ministries and departments of the country, civil society institutions, as well as the Regional Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for Central Asia, the EU Delegation in Tashkent, UNDP Office in Tashkent, diplomats.