Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – At the next plenary session of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, the draft law "On the Commissioner of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman)" was approved in the first reading. The draft law was developed by deputies as part of their legislative initiative.

The draft law, aimed at strengthening the institutional foundations of the Ombudsman’s activities, consists of 9 chapters and 56 articles, providing additional guarantees for the Ombudsman.

Among the innovations is the mandatory annual hearing of the Ombudsman’s report on activities at sessions of the Oliy Majlis chambers. It also provides for the regular submission of information by the Ombudsman on the compliance of state bodies, including law enforcement and control agencies, with legislation on the protection of human rights and freedoms.

According to the draft law, the Ombudsman will be required to submit a report on the work done to prevent torture to the Oliy Majlis chambers by 15 March each year.

The Ombudsman is granted the right to submit legislative proposals to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis.

The draft law also includes provisions that no individual can hold the position of Ombudsman for more than two terms and provides additional guarantees of inviolability for the Ombudsman and his/her deputy during their tenure. The status of a permanent regional representative of the Ombudsman is defined, and the representative’s authority to issue written warnings and mandatory submissions to eliminate the causes of violations is established.

It is determined that the Ombudsman can be a citizen of Uzbekistan who is at least thirty years old, possesses high moral qualities, has a higher education, and has experience in the field of human rights protection, as well as having resided in the country for at least five years before the day of election.

The draft law also establishes the procedure and mechanism for informing the public about the state of human rights and freedoms.

Deputies believe that the adoption of this draft law will improve the activities of the Ombudsman, expand his/her role in human rights protection, and strengthen international cooperation. The draft law was adopted in the first reading.