Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry Hosts Briefing on UN Human Rights Council’s UPR Procedure
Turkmenistan Participates in UN Human Rights Council Review
A briefing was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan on the 16th of November to discuss the outcomes of the country’s participation in the 44th session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council.
The briefing saw the attendance of the heads of the Foreign Ministry, employees of diplomatic missions of foreign states, representative offices of international organizations accredited in Turkmenistan, as well as foreign and Turkmen journalists.
A comprehensive report was presented by Turkmenistan, outlining the country’s policies and obligations related to human rights. The report highlighted the significant progress made in addressing various human rights issues identified during the previous review cycle in 2018.
Deputy Foreign Minister Vepa Hadjiev emphasized the report’s reflection of Turkmenistan’s large-scale reforms and the implementation of long-term national programs aimed at enhancing the state system, creating a diversified economic system, and improving the welfare of the population.
During the briefing, it was revealed that 77 delegations from various countries made recommendations for further improving Turkmenistan’s humanitarian policies. As a result of the dialogue, 228 recommendations were addressed, with 146 accepted for implementation and 82 taken into consideration for subsequent work.
Turkmenistan has taken a systematic approach to implementing previous recommendations, developing a Roadmap for their implementation over the past cycle.
Notably, Turkmenistan has also focused on legal reforms to strengthen mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights, with new legislative acts adopted and amendments made to existing laws. Efforts to strengthen the international legal framework of Turkmenistan’s obligations in ensuring human rights and freedoms have also been a priority.
Hadjiev pointed out that the UPR dialogue is aligned with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), citing the creation of a national platform for the collection and dissemination of SDG data as an example of Turkmenistan’s efforts in this area.
Furthermore, the delegation emphasized the increased participation of women in all spheres of socio-political life, development of civil society, improvement of labor relations, and support from the International Labour Organization.
Turkmenistan highlighted its commitment to further reforming the national system for ensuring, observing, and protecting human rights and freedoms, declaring its readiness for open and constructive cooperation with interested parties.
The briefing shed light on Turkmenistan’s dedication to strengthening democratization, aligning national legislation with international human rights instruments, and implementing the main provisions of international conventions and norms of national legislation related to human rights protection.
The country’s declaration of cooperation signified a step forward in promoting human rights and fostering positive relations with the international community.
