May 2, 2008

Politics:
Uzbekistan approves Program of activities devoted to 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Lawyers Chamber of Uzbekistan to be set up on the basis of Bar Association
International cooperation is an important factor in ensuring security and sustainable development
Economics:
President signs resolution on improvement of design and survey works
Innovative ideas and projects fair opens in Tashkent
Austrian Matimex enters Uzbek market
Society:
Uzbek Red Crescent Society: ‘Together for the Sake of Humanity’
Young Journalists Go Through Training in Tashkent


POLICY

UZBEKISTAN APPROVES PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES DEVOTED TO 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

This year, the international community is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which outlines the basic democratic principles and requirements in the field of human rights and freedoms and has become a political and legal basis for the formation of the entire system of international law in this area.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the first international legal document that Uzbekistan joined after proclaiming independence. During the pas years, the country signed 60 major human rights documents and became a party to six international treaties adopted by the UN in this field.

Supporting the message of the UN Secretary General on the Human Rights Day, and in order to improve the system of organizational and legislative measures of human rights protection, President of Uzbekistan signed a decree on 1 May 2008 approving the Program of activities devoted to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The document approves a special commission to implement the above-named program, and entrusts state organizations and agencies, public associations and the media to take an active part in the events dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the declaration.

The Legislative Chamber and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, as well as the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan have been charged with implementing measures during 2008-2009 to prepare draft legislative documents aimed at improving the regulatory framework of protection of political, social and economic rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as to ensure strict implementation of the laws in this sphere.

Relevant bodies have been charged with “critically analyzing the activities of human rights departments at the Ministry of Justice, General Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan and creating proposals on improvement of their efficiency” within three months.

The Cabinet has been told to develop and implemented until the year end a set of measures to provide state support to national human rights institutions and create other conditions for the efficient work of the Ombudsman, National Human Rights Centre and other institutions.

Taking into account the message of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Ministry of Finance of Uzbekistan has been charged with allocating funds in the amount of USD 100,000 as a voluntary contribution of Uzbekistan in the OHCHR special fund to support the efforts of the UN in the realization of the main aims of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

According to the Presidential decree, the Ministry of Higher and Specialized Secondary Education should introduce special programs to explore domestic and international experience of participation of the media in human rights protection in the curricula of the universities preparing and retraining journalists.

As part of the activities devoted the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, round tables, seminars and lectures on state policy to ensure protection of human rights and interests will be held at educational institutions and among the youth.

On the Human Rights Day (10 December) all schools, lyceums, colleges and higher educational institutions in the country will hold a nationwide class devoted to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

LAWYERS CHAMBER OF UZBEKISTAN TO BE SET UP ON THE BASIS OF BAR ASSOCIATION

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed a decree “On measures to further reform the Bar in the Republic of Uzbekistan” on May 1, 2008.

The purpose of the decree is to further liberalize judicial-legal system, implement the constitutional norm guaranteeing the citizens’ right for professional legal assistance at any stage of proceedings, ensure organizational autonomy of the Bar, strengthen the guarantees of independence of lawyers and to improve the credibility and prestige of the lawyer’s profession, UzA reported.

The document notes that further reform of the legal profession is the most important task of change in the judicial and legal system, aimed at development of the institutes of civil society and protection of human rights and freedoms.

The decree approved the proposal of the Ministry of Justice and the Bar Association to establish the Lawyers Chamber of Uzbekistan, based on compulsory membership of all lawyers of the country.

The objectives of the chamber are coordination of lawyers organizations, promotion of the profession, participation in development of legislation, representation and protection of the rights and interests of lawyers, as well as controlling the lawyers’ observance of the law and professional ethics.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN ENSURING SECURITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Tashkent hosted an international conference devoted to issues of security and sustainable development in Central Asia entitled “Peace and stability in Afghanistan: ways and methods of achieving them” on April 29-30.

The event was organized by the Regional Policy Foundation and the Center for Policy Studies (Uzbekistan), together with the OSCE Projects Coordinator in Uzbekistan, the United States Agency for International Development and the Institute for New Democracies (USA). The conference was attended by more than 40 political scientists and security experts from 20 countries in Asia, America and Europe.

The forum participants extensively discussed issues of security and sustainable development in the region and came to a single conclusion: today the situation in Afghanistan, whose people for almost 30 years have not seen a peaceful life, remains the main factor affecting the security and sustainable development in Central Asian region, as well as global security. At the same time, the experts made another important conclusion: military methods for solving the Afghan problem have exhausted themselves. Focusing only on the military solution to the Afghan issue is counterproductive and may lead to further confrontations in the country. Besides, the conflict may spread into the neighboring countries.

The only way to solve the Afghan crisis is to search for optimal peaceful solution of the problems to achieve security and stability in Afghanistan.

This is why the conference participants broadly supported the proposals of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan, voiced at the NATO/EAPC summit in Bucharest on 3 April 2008.

“Bucharest initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov are a globally significant contribution to solving the problem of security in the region,” Professor Vitaly Naumkin, president of the Center for Strategic and Political Studies (Russia), said. “In fact, the leader of Uzbekistan offered a new model of open cooperation, which will ensure security in Central Asia.”

Pointing to the fact that Uzbekistan proposed clear and well-thought ways of peaceful solution to the problems of Afghanistan, expert of the Caucasus Research Centre Paramjit Sahay (India) noted: “Indeed, the use of force has not proved helpful in addressing the Afghan conflict, and all opportunities have been exhausted in this regard. The situation in Afghanistan can only be resolved through broad cooperation and political consent. It is necessary, first of all, to draw the attention to social sectors like education, health and projects for economic rehabilitation of Afghanistan. From this perspective, the initiatives of President Islam Karimov put forward in Bucharest are extremely important.”

“Initiatives of Uzbekistan are extremely important. These timely proposals will help find an effective way of stabilizing Afghanistan,” president of the Institute of Regional Studies, General Jamsheed Ayaz Khan (Pakistan) said. “As a military person I can say that all possibilities for reaching peace in Afghanistan using military force have been exhausted. Stability in Afghanistan will lead to the development of multilateral relations and serve as an important factor for stable development of Central Asia. This, in turn, will help implementing major projects in energy and transport links between the countries of Central Asia and our ports, oil and gas pipelines, as well as increase the number of export and import operations.”

Speaking at the conference, an expert of the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies of Afghanistan Najeeb ur Rahman Manalay emphasized that his country could not reach peace by military means. In his opinion, to solve the stabilization problem, people of Afghanistan had to receive social and economic assistance. If people have the sense of creativity there, they will start working, earning and being responsible for the prosperity, welfare and peace in their country. These are the solutions of the Afghan crisis that the initiatives of Uzbekistan are aimed at.

The experts participating in the conference showed full support of the proposals of the head of Uzbekistan to transform the group 6+2, which operated until 2001, into the contact group 6+3 to reach peace and stability in Afghanistan.

According to analysts, the contact group, which should include six countries neighboring Afghanistan – Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Russia, US and NATO, could become a crucial platform for discussion and formulation of common principles and approaches to find ways to resolve the Afghan problem and to reach common understanding and interest to achieve peace and consent in Afghanistan. Working under the auspices of the UN as an advisory body to this authoritative organization, the contact group 6+3 could make a significant contribution to the efforts of the international community and peaceful mission for reconstruction and economic revival of Afghanistan, as well as organization of the negotiating process between the warring and conflicting parties in finding mutually acceptable solutions to the Afghan crisis. The group’s main task could be developing proposals to expand economic and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in the framework of various international programs and mainly UN programs.

“This new idea will enable active and large-scale international cooperation in stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan,” professor of the School of Eastern and African Studies of the University of London Shirin Akiner (UK) noted.

Deputy director of the Center for Justice and Rule of Law at the University of East Kentucky (USA) Cynthia Collins Shane also believes that the resumption of the negotiating process within the contact group 6+3 will be an important factor in advancing new ideas in development of common approaches to resolve the Afghan problem and adoption of mutually coordinated solutions.

The conference participants paid a particular attention to discussing the part of Uzbekistan’s proposals to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan, in which the importance of ensuring priority solution of social, economic and employment problems and strengthening the vertical of authority was noted.

As deputy director of the Russia and Central Asia Division of the Shanghai Institute of International Relations Nin Qiang pointed out, “President Islam Karimov said in Bucharest that sustainable social and economic development was the main target in ensuring security in Afghanistan and in the region. This is quite logical and justified”.

Director of the Institute of Eastern European and CIS countries (Israel) Alexander Zinker believes that “all proposals of the Uzbek leader were well thought-out and accurate in their essence and in the possibility of implementation. Indeed, it is necessary, first of all, to restore the socio-economic sphere, build schools, hospitals and employ the people. We must once and forever resolve the problem with Afghan borders, which are now freely crossed by both drug traffickers and terrorists”. At the same time, he stressed that “local traditions should necessarily be taken into account”.

As a key condition for stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan and bringing peace to this troubled land, the experts noted the need to respect and support traditional religious, ethnic and cultural values and customs of the multi-ethnic people of Afghanistan, respect for the interests of national minorities, inadmissibility of biased attacks and defamation on the religion of Islam, as was voiced by President of Uzbekistan.

Afghan experts noted that the Uzbek leader’s call to respect traditions, customs and religion of the Afghan people is aimed at spiritual development of Afghanistan. So far, nobody paid attention to these issues, although the Afghan people have a rich history and their place in the world civilization.

According to independent expert Francis Tibor Miko (USA), “there is a whole layer of urgent issues related to ethnic problems and problems affecting the socio-economic stability in the region. In this regard, the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan will serve as a bridge for the development of a more intensive cooperation and a more effective solution to ensure stability in Afghanistan”.

The expert of the Institute of International Studies (UK) Christopher Roland Lengton emphasized that “proposals of Islam Karimov are very interesting and are based on the real situation in Afghanistan. I also believe that without strengthening the vertical of power in Afghanistan nothing can be achieved. Authorities that people trust must be created, but with consideration of the local peculiarities”.

Summing up the conference, its participants stressed that the forum provided an opportunity to express their positions and started a deep expert study of Uzbekistan’s initiatives put forward at the NATO/EAPC summit in Bucharest. This will undoubtedly contribute to the cause of peace and stability in Afghanistan and further socio-economic development of the entire Central Asian region, they said.

ECONOMY

PRESIDENT SIGNS RESOLUTION ON IMPROVEMENT OF DESIGN AND SURVEY WORKS

President of Uzbekistan signed a resolution on April 29 on measurements to improve the activities of the design and survey organizations, UzA reported.

The document aims to improve the activities and ensure active participation of the design and survey organizations in implementation of prospective and economically efficient investment solutions, as well as improvement of the quality of developed projects.

Serious shortcomings in the design and survey works have reduced the effectiveness of the implemented investment projects, the resolution notes. Most privatized design and survey structures do not meet the modern requirements of development of high-quality design documentation.

Because of low-quality design works, the documentation is often returned by the expertise bodies for reworking, the document states.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, the presidential resolution approves a complex of measures to improve the design and survey works in Uzbekistan. It also approves a list of the leading design and survey organizations with a state share of minimum 51% in the charter capital.

The decree also entrusted the respected bodies to conduct the attestation of the heads of related departments at some universities and reconsider the study plans and programs.

INNOVATIVE IDEAS AND PROJECTS FAIR OPENS IN TASHKENT

More than 600 prospective scientific developments and technologies created by Uzbekistan’s scientific institutions and universities are being demonstrated at the first national innovative ideas and projects fair that opened in Tashkent on April 30.

The fair participants include ministries, departments, economic associations, banks, large and small enterprises, farms, scientific and educational establishments, as well as international organizations and financial structures.

Opening the event, Vice Prime Minister K.Sanaqulov said implementation of innovations helps raise the products’ competitiveness, reduce its cost, attracts private investments and opens new markets.

Uzbekistan has seen impressive economic growth in the recent years. The country’s investment attractiveness has cardinally improved. The flow of foreign investments has doubled in the past three years, the official said.

The country is gradually forming a new market mechanism, which combines innovative and economic interests of the science and industry and envisages their beneficial cooperation.

According to the president of the Uzbekistan Science Academy Sh.Salihov, all institutions of the academy, as well as universities and scientific departments of the ministries, departments, large associations and companies are currently oriented at the real needs of production.

The purpose of the innovative ideas and projects fair, in which more than 100 scientific and educational establishments and hundreds of scientists are participating, is to present the best innovations and experience to the real sector of the economy.

All of the demonstrated projects are ready for commercial or industrial implementation. The projects cover areas like industry, agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceutics, IT, science and education.

AUSTRIAN MATIMEX ENTERS UZBEK MARKET

The Austrian Matimex Company, one of the world's largest suppliers of equipment and technology for the meat industry has started its business in Uzbekistan.

The aim of opening the Matimex Orient LLC Foreign Company is to render services to local producers of meat and sausage goods on constant basis, and to develop a strategy for the promotion of over 20 leading global producers of equipment, spices, and other additives in the meat processing sector of Uzbekistan, Uzreport Business Information Portal reported.

For over 10 years now the Matimex Company has successfully operated in the CIS market. Over this period the company has found clients in some of the leading enterprises of the food industry.

The Matimex's Central Office is located in Vienna (Austria). The company also has official representative offices in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kiev, Minsk, Almaty and now in Tashkent registered as the Matimex Orient LLC.

The brands promoted by the Matimex for many years have already earned international recognition. High quality and strict compliance with the technical servicing recommendations of the producer factories puts confidence in the company that its clients will have no problems with the exploitation of the equipment.

In particular, the company presents the world famous produces of meat processing equipment, such as Handtmann, Autotherm, Alco Food Machines, as well as the Almi spices.

The Maltimex provides everything required for the production of meat, sausage goods and semi-prepared foods. This includes the technology, the equipment for slaughtering and processing of beef, preparation of the raw materials, production of meat and sausage goods and semi-prepared foods, smoking equipment, cooking rooms, intensive cooling rooms, equipment for cutting, packaging and labeling, logistics, automatic storage of finished goods, auxiliary equipment, technical support and servicing.

All the equipment supplied complies with the highest modern standards and is offered at competitive prices.

Experienced consultant-sales staff of the company help the clients choose the best technological solution taking into account production targets and the features of the goods to be produced. Matimex performs chief-assembly, sets up and launches the equipment, services it, supplies spare parts, etc. Upon the request of the customer the training can be organized for the staff at the production bases in Austria and Germany.

The company constantly develops and today it offers technological solutions for the meat, poultry and fish industries, stores and supermarkets.

The company's partners in the Uzbek market are the recognized producers, such as Sharshara, Sagban, Tohtaniyoz Ota, Tegen, Agrosherin, Haskovo, Moskovskiye Delikatesi, Kichik Beshyogoch, and others.

SOCIETY

UZBEK RED CRESCENT SOCIETY: ‘TOGETHER FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY’

On May 2 this year the Training-Methodological Center Insoniylik of the Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan (RCSU) hosted the roundtable along with participation of young journalists in Tashkent. The roundtable was dedicated to the May 8 World Day of Red Cross and Red Crescent, according to the news release of the Society.

In the framework of the roundtable the presentation of activities of Society of the Red Crescent and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was held, Jahon Information Agency reported.

The Movement of International Red Cross and Red Crescent operates this year under the slogan “Together for the sake of humanity”.

RCSU renders assistance to the state in addressing the most important social problems of population. Apart from focusing on practical aid the Society engages in population awareness programs on preventing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and holds trainings on rendering the first emergency medical aid and how to behave in emergency situations.

The first volunteer of International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IRCRC) was its founder Henry Dunan of Switzerland. He helped the wounded soldiers left on the battlefields and those left to death in the Battle of Solferino in north Italy in June 24, 1859.

This year the world will mark the 145th anniversary of this day. For his outstanding merits in founding and further developing the International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent Henry Dunan was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1901. He was the first recipient of this Prize in the world. May 8 is his birthday and globe commemorates it as the World Day of Red Cross and Red Crescent.

Roundtable has announced the contest for the best coverage of RCSU activity by young journalists.

The results of the contest will be announced on November 14, 2008, the day of foundation of Society of Red Crescent of Uzbekistan.

YOUNG JOURNALISTS GO THROUGH TRAINING IN TASHKENT

Tashkent hosted the seminar on further improving the activity of youth studios, the role of electronic mass media in propagating the healthy way of life among young men and women, according to the Uzbekistan National News Agency Russian-language website.

National Association of Electronic Mass Media of Uzbekistan jointly with the Kelajak Ovozi Youth Initiatives Center and UNFPA Mission to Uzbekistan organized the event. Young journalists and technicians who work for electronic mass media in various regions of Uzbekistan took part at the seminar.

The Chairman of Association F.Abdukhalikov who spoke at the seminar has said that Uzbekistan pays an enormous attention so that the young people unveil their ability and talents, secure worthy place in society and turn into highly qualified specialists. Also, by now Uzbekistan created all conditions for the harmonic development of forthcoming generation, its upbringing in the spirit of love and devotion to Homeland, as well as respect towards national traditions and values.

The delegates to the seminar listened to and discussed the reports on journalistic mastery, development of mass media, modern communication technologies, and legal bases of mass media.