THE INSTITUTE OF STATE, LAW AND DEMOCRACY OF TURKMENISTAN
On March 24, 2021, a regular meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission to ensure the fulfillment of Turkmenistan's international obligations in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of a number of ministries and departments, law enforcement agencies, public organizations, the Ombudsman, as well as through digital video communication, the representatives of international organizations accredited in our country, heads of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' (OHCHR) Regional Office for Central Asia and the Central Asian Regional Office of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The agenda included the issues of expanding humanitarian cooperation with reputable structures, forms and mechanisms for the implementation of national plans and programs, including joint work plans.
As the speakers emphasized, the main indicator of the democratic reforms carried out in the country at the initiative of the President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is the creation of the most decent conditions for the life of population, ensuring the implementation of constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens. At the same time, one of the key aspects of the policy of progressive reforms, expressed in the motto "The state is for people!", is the improvement of national legislation in accordance with the provisions of international documents ratified by Turkmenistan.
Particular emphasis was placed on the proactive, multi-format interaction of our country with the United Nations Organization and its structural units, which is successfully developing, including in such an important area as the humanitarian sphere. In this context, was noted the constructive proposals put forward by Turkmenistan, which are important in solving regional and global issues of our time.
Our country is not only limited to the introduction of important initiatives aimed at building up broad international partnerships, but is also taking measures to implement them in practice at the national level. This is evidenced by the programs, plans, concepts, strategies in various spheres of humanitarian law, and consistently implemented under the leadership of the President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
The draft National Action Plan for Human Rights in Turkmenistan for 2021-2025, which is a logical continuation of the successfully implemented similar plan for 2016-2020, was presented to the meeting of participants for consideration. The new Plan is aimed at fulfilling modern tasks of the development of society and the state in combination with the SDGs.
Among the main issues on the agenda is the draft "Action Plan for the implementation of international humanitarian law in Turkmenistan for 2021–2023”, prepared by the National Red Crescent Society of Turkmenistan. As noted, this document is a continuation of the corresponding plan implemented in the period of 2018-2020.
The submitted draft Plan, prepared taking into account the proposals of the members of the Interdepartmental Commission, provides a set of measures to raise awareness of the population in this area, improves the knowledge of civil servants, specialists working in the implementation of international humanitarian law.
The subject of a separate discussion was the strengthening of the legal framework for interaction with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with which dozens of joint projects have been implemented in recent years. Emphasizing that among the priority vectors of the foreign policy pursued under the leadership of the national leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is the expansion of fruitful relations with UNESCO and the OSCE, the meeting participants exchanged views on the prospects for partnership with these structures.
At present, in the practice of the Commission, it has become a tradition to study the positive world experience in the field of protection and implementation of human rights. In this regard, the importance of holding a cycle of seminars in the future, working meetings, consultations with the participation of representatives of international organizations was noted.
A proposal was put forward to create a working group under the Interdepartmental Commission on the Legal Regulation of Human Rights in the sphere of mass media, migration, freedom of religion and other spheres.
Among the discussed issues were the adoption of practical steps for the implementation of working plan of the Interdepartmental Commission for the current year, updated taking into account the priority tasks identified by the President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at an expanded meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on February 12 and at a meeting with deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan on February 25 this year.
The meeting also discussed other important issues in the field of human rights and humanitarian law.