"The Spirit of Samarkand" Creates a Qualitatively New Format of International Interaction on Human Rights

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On June 13-14, 2024, the IV Samarkand Forum on Human Rights took place in the ancient and eternally young city of Samarkand. This prestigious forum, held every two years since 2018 on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the UN General Assembly, was dedicated to the theme " Environmental Challenges: The Future of Human Rights in a Changing World, Finding Sustainable Solutions."

More than 200 representatives of international, regional, foreign, and national organizations, as well as leading independent experts, participated in the event, which was conducted in both online and offline formats. Among the participants were UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment Astrid Puentes Riaño, Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Ann Marie Skelton, Chair of the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Laura-Maria Crăciunean-Tatu, and representatives from seven specialized UN agencies. Representatives from the European Union, OSCE, Council of Europe, CIS, SCO, Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, Organization for Economic Cooperation, and national human rights institutions from more than 20 foreign countries, totaling over 70 foreign participants, also presented reports and participated in the forum with their views and proposals.

A welcome address from the President of Uzbekistan to the participants of the IV traditional Samarkand Forum on Human Rights was read out at the forum. Participants stated that this message gave a special "constructive, working mood" to the forum's proceedings and sparked deep discussions on current issues on the agenda. In particular, Turkey's human rights representative (ombudsman) Şeref Malkoç stated: "The opinions and ideas expressed in the message of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the conference participants are of special significance not only for the people of Uzbekistan or Central Asia but for the entire world. I believe the views and constructive proposals of Uzbekistan's leader are very valuable and programmatic for our activities."

Three plenary sessions, filled with vigorous discussions organized within the framework of the IV Samarkand Forum on Human Rights, allowed for a broad-scale discussion and analysis of information on issues related to the impact of climate change on human rights. A symbolic "Human Rights Park" was created in Samarkand. An award ceremony was held, presenting four foreign human rights representatives with the "For Human Rights Protection" medal.

What embodies the "Spirit of Samarkand" in the context of human rights?

Firstly, the international community recognizes New Uzbekistan as a country actively promoting initiatives aimed at ensuring human rights in the Asian region and globally. Participants highlighted that the Asian Forum on Human Rights, first held in Uzbekistan in 2018, introduced the unique "Spirit of Samarkand" into global practice. These forums, dedicated to the most pressing issues in human rights, have become traditional and consistently focus on specific, urgent problems, seeking solutions.

According to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, the IV Samarkand Forum became a free and constructive platform for developing strategies aimed at sustainable solutions and perspectives on human rights amid climate change and environmental threats: "The triple planetary crisis—climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution—affects everyone. This crisis is not only for our planet but also for human rights. Environmental disasters directly impact rights to health, food, water, and sanitation, and even the right to life.

The Central Asian region is acutely aware of the consequences of climate change. Nowhere has there been such an environmental disaster as the Aral Sea. I witnessed this myself when I was in Uzbekistan last year. Once one of the largest lakes in the world, the Aral Sea has almost disappeared.

When I visited Uzbekistan last March, I was personally impressed by the strong will of the people to address human rights issues, including environmental problems. For example, I commend Uzbekistan for being the first in Central Asia to join the European UN Protocol on Water and Health."

At the UN General Assembly and the UN Climate Change Conference, Türk also proposed significant initiatives to address climate-related issues, including migration and resettlement problems and expanding youth participation in solving environmental issues.

"I welcome the fruitful discussion of existing problems at the Samarkand Forum and the identification of measures to address them," he noted.

Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, remarked: "Today, environmental issues have become part of our daily lives. Essentially, environmental problems and human rights protection are inextricably linked. Environmental degradation threatens other fundamental human rights. This risk can particularly negatively impact the most important rights such as health, food, education, housing, and even the right to life.

On one hand, climate change and sharp increases in air temperatures cause droughts and desertification, abnormal rainfall, and floods. On the other hand, various natural disasters, deteriorating agricultural land, and infrastructure negatively impact the lives of the most vulnerable populations.

Extreme weather events also increase various migration-related problems. I am confident that the IV Samarkand Forum on Human Rights will become a successful platform for finding sustainable solutions to ensure human rights. In this regard, the recommendations of the Samarkand Declaration should have significant programmatic importance not only in the OSCE region but globally, and such free and intensive discussions should continue and turn into practical efforts."

Şeref Malkoç: "Uzbekistan has been developing dynamically in recent years. Positive changes are felt in all spheres. The creation of such a prestigious forum in Samarkand, one of the centers of world civilization—the capital of the state of Amir Timur, where great geniuses such as Imam Bukhari and Imam Maturidi lived—has its symbolic significance. After all, the 'Spirit of Samarkand' creates the foundation for continuing our international cooperation in drastically reducing the damage to human rights caused by climate change, which all of humanity faces."

He noted that the world is facing an acute environmental situation, which has a direct negative impact on people's basic rights, such as life, healthcare, food, clean drinking water, and safe housing. Growing problems like environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, and declining agricultural productivity have become global threats of the modern era, and countries need to act together to sharply reduce them.

According to UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan Sabina Mahl: "Indeed, as noted in the address of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to the participants of the IV Samarkand Forum, due to global climate change, our planet faces a severe environmental situation. Problems such as water scarcity, environmental pollution, soil erosion, severe dust and sand storms, biodiversity loss, and declining agricultural productivity are intensifying.

Therefore, this conference serves as a platform for agreeing on new promising projects and determining plans together with experts. All people have the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Human rights and environmental issues are closely interconnected. Therefore, a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is necessary for the full realization of a wide range of human rights, such as life, health, food, water, and sanitation, among others."

Secondly, climate change and environmental crises have become the main obstacles and threats to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at the global, regional, and national levels.

The forum noted that Central Asia is becoming one of the regions of the world where various environmental threats have increased due to climate change. In the region, dangers and threats such as a sharp reduction in water resources, glacial melting, abnormal air temperature increases, soil erosion due to drought, and desertification are increasing.

In this sense, participants particularly noted that several initiatives by Uzbekistan in this regard have been supported by the UN General Assembly, and relevant resolutions have been adopted, highlighting their importance.

Specifically, it was noted that the tasks outlined in such important resolutions adopted at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, such as "Declaring the Aral Sea region a zone of environmental innovations and technologies" and "Central Asia facing environmental challenges: strengthening regional solidarity for sustainable development and prosperity," serve to ensure global and regional sustainable development.

The initiative of the President of Uzbekistan to develop and promote a new UN General Assembly resolution "On the protection of human rights in the fight against the negative consequences of climate change in Central Asia" was not only enthusiastically supported but also emphasized its significant importance in solving problems in this area at the global level.

Specifically, UNDP representative in Uzbekistan Anas Karman stated: "The progressive initiatives announced by the President of Uzbekistan from the UN General Assembly podium are very important at the global level. Today, humanity faces a global environmental crisis. Uzbekistan is doing many effective things in this direction.

In particular, we highly value his initiatives to turn the Aral Sea region into a green zone. I believe all these reforms are happening at a very timely moment.

I must especially emphasize that the President of Uzbekistan gives great political importance to these processes. These problems are not only mentioned, but the head of state provides concrete solutions to combat them, important decisions are made, and specific recommendations are developed. Today's forum also became a platform for finding effective solutions for joint combat against these global problems, exchanging experiences, and expressing expert opinions."

Sultan Bin Hasan Al-Jamali, Secretary-General of the Qatar National Human Rights Committee: "Climate change is a global and transnational threat to all countries of the world. In each case, the measures taken by the state are important.

From President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's address to the participants of the Samarkand Forum, it became clear that the country's government pays special attention to the issues raised at the forum. Several initiatives have been undertaken to protect the environment.

We are confident that Uzbekistan's initiative to develop and promote the resolution "On the Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Combating the Negative Consequences of Climate Change in Central Asia" will be supported by us and the international community.

The forum participants emphasized that this resolution ensures the sustainable development of our region and human rights, mitigates the consequences of environmental problems, and strengthens practical cooperation in this area. Parliaments, civil society institutions, and the business community were called upon to participate in the development of this cooperation actively.

Thirdly, combating environmental threats, overcoming their destructive consequences, and building a better future for present and future generations requires the cooperation of not only countries but also parliaments, civil society institutions, and the business community at all levels.

Participants of the forum noted that the "fourth generation" of human rights—environmental rights—emerged in the context of environmental threats. This includes the right to a comfortable environment, the right to have accurate information about the state of the environment, to participate in making environmentally significant decisions, to compensate for environmental damage, and to establish public control in this area.

It is important to ensure that any measures to combat environmental threats, transition to a green economy, and carbon neutrality are implemented in such a way that they do not violate human rights and interests or create inequality. Ensuring human rights should be a priority when making environmental decisions. In this regard, Uzbekistan's experience in strengthening environmental human rights at the constitutional level, protecting the rights of the population, especially people with disabilities, children, women, the elderly, the poor, and other socially vulnerable groups, was particularly noted.

Bakyt Yusupov, Coordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities of the OSCE, thanked the government of Uzbekistan for paying attention to the connection between human rights and environmental issues as the main topic of today: "After all, we all know that environmental degradation negatively affects basic human rights. I am glad that within the framework of the Samarkand Forum, we had the opportunity to discuss, albeit briefly, issues of women and the energy network, women and the water network, as well as climate change and gender activities."

Professor Fatema Alzubairi from Kuwait University commented: "I have familiarized myself with the message of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, addressed to the forum participants. The main attention is given to solving several issues related to the protection of human rights, nature conservation, and ecology. It describes how the country addresses problems in this area. The state gives priority to human rights and environmental protection not only in the region but also at the international level."

Deputy Secretary General of the CIS, Nurlan Seytimov, stated: "The issues discussed at the IV Samarkand Forum on Human Rights are not only relevant but also vital. Finding a balance between reducing the negative impact on the environment and the natural stability of the climate becomes an important condition for human life and a factor in a prosperous life. Alongside countries worldwide, CIS members are also adopting long-term strategic programs aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change. Special attention is given to the needs and rights of the low-income population. This problem can be solved only by combining efforts, i.e., creating comfortable living conditions for people, preventing negative changes, and ensuring sustainable development."

According to Rustem Davlatgildeev, Director of the Scientific-Educational Center for Human Rights, International Law, and Integration Problems: "The issue of ecology is essentially the right of a person to live in a favorable environment. People must be reliably protected from the consequences of environmental degradation, especially environmental disasters. The modern environmental situation in the world negatively affects socio-economic stability. Due to natural disasters, people are forced to move from their primary residence. Internal migration causes serious problems in various countries. To mitigate this problem, serious and practical decisions need to be made at the level of international organizations, while actively involving civil society institutions in the processes of environmental monitoring and the development of recommendations. Therefore, the results of the discussions at the Samarkand Forum on these issues will be important for making relevant decisions."

Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali stated that developing human rights-based legislation, promoting a culture of human rights and education in society, as well as the role of parliaments in effectively addressing these tasks, is very important. In particular, the participation of parliaments in "ratifying international agreements, documents related to environmental law, and stimulating the implementation of recommendations of treaty bodies and UN structures" is necessary.

In his opinion, "the role of national institutions in ensuring environmental rights is extremely high. In this sense, it is necessary to establish effective cooperation with national institutions on all continents in addressing environmental problems related to human rights. It is important to enhance the capacity of national institutions, ensure compliance with the Paris Principle, support their initiatives, and consider their recommendations related to the environmental problem."

Fourthly, mitigating the consequences of acute climate problems facing humanity should remain one of the priorities of international cooperation in the field of human rights.

At the forum, Uzbekistan's experience in protecting and restoring the ecological system of the Aral Sea region, the socio-economic development of the region, the transition to a green economy, and carbon neutrality were recognized. For example, Uzbekistan plans to increase the capacity of renewable energy in the country to 40 percent by 2030. As part of the national project "Green Country," 1 billion seedlings are being planted. Forests have been created on two million hectares of the dried-up Aral Sea bed. This experience should be promoted on an international and regional scale.

Sunjid Dugar, Chief Representative of the Mongolian National Human Rights Commission, approved some proposals put forward at the forum, and in particular, said: "Finding sustainable solutions to human rights issues in a changing world is a priority for all of us. At the Samarkand Forum, specific steps to mitigate the consequences of climate change and protect the rights of the most vulnerable segments of the population were discussed. We need to continue working together to find sustainable solutions to common environmental problems and actively use appropriate mechanisms of international cooperation."

Following the forum, the Samarkand Declaration on Global Human Rights Protection in the Context of Climate Change: Commitments and Efforts for a Sustainable Future was adopted. A total of more than 150 proposals were submitted to non-governmental non-profit organizations and scientific-analytical centers according to the declaration.

The Samarkand Declaration emphasized:

Firstly, the development of green tourism to preserve ecology, and biodiversity, and reduce atmospheric pollution is an important factor in ensuring human rights, in particular, rights such as free movement and safety of life.

Secondly, it should be noted that the countries of the world should jointly seek effective solutions to radically reduce the damage caused to human rights due to climate change and that states must take enormous responsibility for the fate of future generations.

Thirdly, several proposals were made, such as the need to increase the activity of civil society institutions in addressing climate change issues, protecting human rights, ensuring sustainable development, and solving other global problems.

It was recognized that the fact that such several practical proposals were received from the public in a short period during discussions at the Samarkand Forum is one of the indicators showing positive results of efforts to improve human dignity and rights in New Uzbekistan in recent years.

Akmal Saidov,

Director of the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan, academician