Uzbekistan and UN Committee Discuss Women’s Rights

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A meeting was held in Tashkent between Akmal Saidov, Director of the National Human Rights Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Nahla Haidar, Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

During the talks, the parties discussed Uzbekistan’s implementation of international obligations in the field of eliminating discrimination against women, cooperation with the UN Committee, and preparations for the upcoming CEDAW session.

Akmal Saidov provided detailed information on the activities of the National Human Rights Centre and the measures being taken to implement Uzbekistan’s international human rights commitments. Special attention was given to the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as well as reforms in the field of gender equality enshrined in the new version of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The meeting also included information on the preparation of a National Action Plan for implementing international human rights treaty obligations and developing cooperation with UN mechanisms. It was emphasized that institutional mechanisms for the protection of women’s rights are being consistently strengthened in the country, including the work of parliamentary ombudsmen, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, and the national ombudsman.

CEDAW Chair Nahla Haidar highly praised Uzbekistan’s efforts to expand cooperation with international human rights mechanisms and stressed the importance of active dialogue between States parties and the Committee. She also outlined the Committee’s current work, including the introduction of a simplified reporting procedure aimed at reducing the administrative burden on states.

Particular attention was given to individual complaints procedures, the work of the Committee’s working groups, and the implementation of CEDAW general recommendations. In particular, the parties discussed General Recommendation No. 40 on ensuring equal participation of women in decision-making processes at all levels.

The discussion also covered the relevance of developing new international recommendations related to the impact of climate change, digitalization, migration, and human trafficking on women’s rights.

In the context of reforming the UN treaty body system, Nahla Haidar expressed concern over the limited level of consultation with treaty body members in the preparation of the report on the future of the system. She noted that treaty bodies remain a key element of the international human rights protection architecture.

The parties also discussed resource allocation for treaty bodies and cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Akmal Saidov invited the CEDAW Chair and members of the Committee’s Bureau to participate in the Fifth Samarkand Human Rights Forum, scheduled for late September and dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the two International Covenants on Human Rights.

Both sides reaffirmed their mutual interest in further developing constructive cooperation between Uzbekistan and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Uzbekistan’s next periodic report under CEDAW is provisionally scheduled for 2027.