Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Issues of active participation of national minorities in the life of the country became the main topic of the round table that connected Tashkent and The Hague online on 23-24 November 2020.

At the center of the discussion is the "Lund Recommendations for the Effective Participation of National Minorities in the Public Life of Uzbekistan: Basic Principles and Best Practices." The event was attended by members of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, representatives of ministries and departments, law enforcement agencies, civil society institutions and non-governmental organizations.

The round table was organized by the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan (NCHR) in cooperation with the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities and the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan.

At the opening, NCHR Director Akmal Saidov, Head of the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Christophe Kamp, OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan, Ambassador John McGregor addressed the participants with welcoming words.

As noted, the Lund Recommendations on the Effective Participation of Minorities in Public and Political Life are one of the most important political documents of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. 

The main purpose of the recommendations is to encourage and support the OSCE participating States in taking concrete measures to ensure the effective participation of ethnic communities in decision-making processes, in particular in decisions that affect them.

International experience in these issues was considered during the presentations of speakers, including political and legal advisers to the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and international experts from the leading foreign universities - the University of Ljubljana.

As you know, Uzbekistan has adopted and is implementing the Concept of State Policy in the Field of Interethnic Relations for 2019-2021, the National Strategy in the Field of Human Rights and the Road Map for its implementation, adopted by presidential decree from 22 June  2020. These documents outline the priorities of measures to ensure the social and cultural rights of national minorities.

Among them are improving the mechanism for ensuring all conditions for the development of the language and culture of all nations and nationalities living in the Republic of Uzbekistan; measures to further increase their activity in the social and political life of the country; ensuring the right of minorities to education, creating educational literature in their languages.

On 15 November 2019, by decree of the President of the country, the Concept of State Policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of interethnic relations was approved. It is aimed at ensuring the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of every person and citizen, strengthening the unity and integrity of Uzbekistan, preserving the ethnocultural identity of nations and peoples living on its territory, maintaining interethnic tolerance, harmony and peace in society.

During five sessions of the round table, participants discuss such topics as principles of effective participation in public life in the context of integrating different societies, ensuring diversity through effective participation in cultural and religious life, an inclusive approach to socio-economic participation, opportunities and obstacles to participation women of national minorities. The best practices of various OSCE countries on effective participation in political life are considered.

The participants put forward a number of constructive proposals on how the best practices reflected in the Lund Recommendations can be applied to achieve even greater cohesion in the multicultural society of Uzbekistan.