Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The fifth Samarkand Human Rights Forum held its final plenary session in Samarkand, bringing together representatives of governments, international organizations, and the expert and academic communities to discuss current issues in the protection of human rights and freedoms.
The international forum was organized by the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan together with the Foreign Ministry, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the OSCE, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Center for Development and Justice.
This year's theme was "The 60th Anniversary of the International Human Rights Covenants and the 40th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development: Global Partnership for Human Dignity, Equality and Sustainable Development."
The opening ceremony, high-level plenary sessions, events marking the anniversary of the National Center for Human Rights and seven thematic sessions took place in Tashkent. The closing part of the forum was held in Samarkand.
Outcomes of the thematic discussions
The final plenary session opened with a presentation of the main conclusions and proposals from the seven thematic sessions. Session moderators outlined the key results of the discussions and identified priority areas for further work.
Participants' proposals were consolidated with a view to further strengthening the universal human rights protection system. The discussions produced practical recommendations that will be reflected in the forum's outcome document.
Participants were also presented with a draft outcome document titled "Samarkand Vision 2040: Global Cooperation for Human Dignity, Equality and Sustainable Development." The draft was presented by Akmal Saidov, director of the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The use of the term "strategic vision" in the document's title reflects its long-term nature. Samarkand Vision 2040 is intended to define future priorities for international cooperation on human dignity and equality, strengthening the universal human rights protection system and promoting sustainable development.
From human rights to global dialogue
This year marks eight years since the Samarkand Human Rights Forum was founded. Held every two years, the international conference has over that period become a platform for open international dialogue on a wide range of current human rights issues.
The forum's history began in 2018 with the Asian Forum on Human Rights in Samarkand. The 2020 forums focused on youth rights, while the 2022 edition centered on human rights education. The fourth Samarkand Forum, held in 2024, examined environmental threats and their impact on human rights.
The fifth forum continued this thematic line, focusing on global challenges that shape the current agenda on human rights and freedoms.
Humanity today faces complex and interconnected challenges. In particular, the rapid development of artificial intelligence and digital technologies opens broad opportunities to improve quality of life while also creating new legal and ethical risks.
Against this backdrop, improving the universal human rights protection system to reflect current realities is becoming one of the key tasks of the international community. These issues formed the core of the fifth Samarkand Forum's program.
Seven areas of discussion
During the plenary sessions, participants reviewed 60 years of experience in applying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. They also discussed the importance of the right to development as a universal human right, global solidarity and the further strengthening of international and national human rights mechanisms.
The seven thematic sessions covered civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; the rights of children, women and persons with disabilities; the right to a healthy environment and climate justice; artificial intelligence and digital technologies; and the prevention of statelessness.
The forum's agenda thus spanned a wide range of interconnected issues, from traditional human rights protection mechanisms to new challenges arising from technological, environmental and social change.
Practical results of the forum
According to the organizers, the objectives set for the fifth Samarkand Forum were reflected in concrete recommendations and areas for further international cooperation.
One of the key outcomes was the development of strategic policy recommendations. Participants put forward practical proposals on fulfilling international obligations, advancing the right to development, strengthening national human rights institutions and integrating a human rights-based approach into sustainable development processes.
Another significant result was the expansion of international cooperation and partnership. The forum continued engagement among governments, UN bodies, international organizations, financial institutions, the academic community and civil society.
Particular attention was paid to sharing knowledge and best practices. Participants exchanged experience in implementing national standards, institutional solutions and approaches to evidence-based decision-making in human rights protection.
Building national capacity was a further focus. Discussions addressed fulfilling international obligations, improving the effectiveness of interagency coordination and developing the capacity of national human rights mechanisms.
The forum also advanced a comprehensive human rights agenda linking human rights protection with environmental issues, climate action, the development of digital technologies, gender equality and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Finally, participants stressed the importance of further strengthening the Samarkand Forum as a platform for ongoing international dialogue on human rights.
Samarkand Vision 2040
At the close of the forum, participants thanked President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his hospitality and for organizing the international event.
According to the forum's discussions, universal human rights remain a fundamental basis for international cooperation and sustainable development, while new technological, environmental and social challenges require continuous improvement of protection mechanisms and broader international engagement.
In this context, Samarkand Vision 2040 is intended to provide a long-term framework for further dialogue and cooperation.
The unifying idea of the forum was that human rights connect the past, present and future, and that protecting them requires the joint efforts of states, international organizations, civil society, and the expert and academic communities.
The main guiding principle of such cooperation remains upholding human dignity, ensuring equality and respecting the rights and freedoms of every person.
