Summary: EU Presidency Statement - Human Rights in Uzbekistan (9 November 2005: New York)
EU Presidency Introductory Statement by the UK Mission to the UN, on behalf of the European Union, on the SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN UZBEKISTAN, UN General Assembly Third Committee, New York
Mr.Chairperson,
On behalf of the European Union and all co-sponsors (Albania, Canada, Croatia, Romania, FYROM and Turkey), I have the honour to introduce under agenda item 71 (c), the draft resolution entitled "Situation of human rights in Uzbekistan", contained in the document A/C.3/60/L.51.
In addition, this resolution has also been co-sponsored by Norway, and Serbia and Montenegro.
The EU would like to draw the Committee's attention to the following amendments:
OP2 (h) has been deleted
OP4 (b) should read: 'To accede to the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 Protocol'
OP4 (i) now reads: 'To allow the ICRC representatives unimpeded access to persons detained, in accordance with its working procedures'.
Mr. Chairperson,
The European Union welcomes the steps taken to date by the Government of Uzbekistan to implement their National Action Plan on Torture, and the Recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on Torture. The European Union also welcomes President Karimov's decision to abolish the death penalty by 1 January 2008. The EU strongly urges the Government of Uzbekistan to introduce an immediate moratorium on the death penalty following this decree.
However, the European Union is gravely concerned by the actions of the Government of Uzbekistan on 12-13 May in Andizhan, as well as the subsequent response of the Government. There has been a clear deterioration in the human rights situation in Uzbekistan and a refusal by the Government of Uzbekistan to co-operate with or to address the concerns of the international community, including the United Nations. Credible reports indicate that the authorities used indiscriminate and disproportionate
force to quell unrest in Andizhan in May 2005, resulting in many civilian deaths. The arbitrary arrest and detention of eye-witnesses to the Andizhan events has been accompanied by increasing restrictions on freedom of expression, thought, conscience and religion, a continuing refusal to register political parties, and ongoing harassment and detention of human rights defenders, journalists and others. In the wake of events in Andizhan, the Government of Uzbekistan also sought to undermine the
work of the UNHCR by trying to prevent Uzbek refugees in Kyrgyzstan from travelling to a third country.
Mr. Chairperson,
The resolution calls on the Uzbekistan Government to allow an independent, external, enquiry into the events of 12-13 May in Andizhan and to accede to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees. The EU and co-sponsors of the resolution fully support the activities of the UNHCR, the UN CHR, including the Special Rapporteur on Torture, the OSCE, and the ICRC in Uzbekistan. The
European Union and co-sponsors of the resolution urge the Government of Uzbekistan to co-operate with these institutions and stands ready to work with the Government of Uzbekistan to help it to ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
This is the first time that a resolution on the situation of human rights in the Republic of Uzbekistan has been tabled at the UN General Assembly. The scale of the deaths in Andizhan, the subsequent deterioration in the human rights situation in Uzbekistan, and the continued refusal of the Government of Uzbekistan to co-operate with, or address, the concerns of representatives of the United Nations and the wider international community, all require the General Assembly to address this
issue.
We urge member states to support the resolution.
Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.
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