Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- As part of the thirty-seventh plenary session of the Senate, information was heard from the director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights on the state of fulfillment of the international obligations of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of human rights.

During the discussion, the senators stressed that thanks to the efforts of state bodies and civil society institutions, Uzbekistan in 2022 has made significant progress in improving its positions in international rankings and indices, including such as the rule of law, the effectiveness of the government, freedom of speech and information, the fight against crime and corruption.

In the adopted new Labor Code, in accordance with international standards in the field of labor human rights, the fundamentals of legal regulation of labor relations have been improved.

Taking into account the recommendations of the UN structures, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Approval of the Strategy for Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Uzbekistan” was adopted, which provides a sequence of measures aimed at improving the living standards of the population in the country and further strengthening mechanisms to support families in need of social protection, and identified areas for improvement.

In 2022, the Cotton Campaign, a coalition of companies producing and trading finished cotton products, recognized that forced and child labor had been completely eliminated in Uzbekistan and lifted the boycott on Uzbek cotton.

As part of measures to bring the national legislation and law enforcement practice of the Republic of Uzbekistan in line with international human rights standards, the International Labor Organization Convention No. 167 “On Safety and Health in Construction” was ratified.

At the same time, the senators, on the basis of their studies, identified a number of problems related to the effective application of international human rights standards.

In particular, the senators were concerned about the backlog in the development of 8 bills identified by the Roadmap for the implementation of the National Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of human rights.

As a result of monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, senators found that social infrastructure facilities are not sufficiently adapted for use by persons with disabilities.

During a comprehensive discussion, a corresponding resolution of the Senate was adopted, within the framework of which joint work is planned with the relevant ministries and departments in order to ensure the unconditional fulfillment of Uzbekistan’s international obligations in the field of human rights.