Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Representatives of state structures were familiarized with political obligations in the field of freedom of religion or belief and legal obligations binding on Uzbekistan during a presentation held on 13 October 2020.

The online event was organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan (NCHR), the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan in cooperation with the Coordinator OSCE projects in Uzbekistan.

Opening the meeting, the participants were greeted by Academician Akmal Saidov, First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Director of the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Dilshod Eshnaev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan,

Ambassador John McGregor, OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan, Andrea Huber, Head of the Human Rights Department of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

The presentation covered such topics as: the essence, status and scope of the right to freedom of religion or belief in accordance with international standards and OSCE commitments; permissible restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief; the relationship between the right to freedom of religion or belief and other human rights, especially gender equality, the right to non-discrimination and freedom of opinion and expression; the duty of the state to respect, protect and promote freedom of religion or belief for all.

Uzbekistan is consistently realizing its obligations in the field of religion and belief for all. Today, reforms in the field of religious freedom are an integral part of political and legal reforms in Uzbekistan.

Ensuring interethnic harmony and religious tolerance are identified as one of the priority areas of the five-year Strategy for Development of Uzbekistan.

At the invitation of the government of Uzbekistan, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmad Shahid, visited the country on 2-12 October 2017. Following his visit, the Parliament of Uzbekistan approved the "Road Map" for the implementation of proposals and recommendations in the field of freedom of religion and belief. The Roadmap sets out specific actions that the government of Uzbekistan has committed to take to implement the recommendations adopted after Ahmad Shahid's visit, and a timetable for their implementation.

On 3-6 December 2018, the ODIHR visited Uzbekistan to discuss possible assistance in the implementation of the roadmap to ensure the right to freedom of religion and belief.

With the support of the ODIHR, in 2019, the document of the ODIHR and the Venice Commission “Guidelines on the Legal Personality of Religious and Belief Communities” was translated into Uzbek and trainings on this topic were organized for government officials.

In August 2020, the ODIHR received a request from the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis to consider the draft law of Uzbekistan "On freedom of conscience and religious organizations" for compliance with international human rights standards. 

On 12 October 2020, the Joint Opinion on the Draft Law prepared by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe in consultation with the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief was approved.