Uzbekistan’s Ombudsman marks 30-year anniversary with conference on link between human rights and clean environment

The Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) on 27 February 2025 joined international organizations in marking the 30th anniversary of the country’s Ombudsman institution by supporting its annual conference in Tashkent, this year devoted to human rights and the environment.

The event was organized by the Ombudsman, formally known as the Commissioner of for Human Rights of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Titled “Clean and Sustainable Environment — Guarantee for the Protection of Human Rights”, it was co-hosted by the PCUz, the UNDP, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Over 130 participants attended the conference, including officials from Uzbekistan’s government, ombudsmen from several countries and representatives of national human rights institutions.

Feruza Eshmatova, Uzbekistan’s Ombudsman, noted that ombudsmen play an important role in some 150 countries in the world. “The protection of human rights is not just a task for one person or organization, but a high responsibility reflecting the commitment to humanism of the whole society,” she said.

Ambassador Antti Karttunen, the Head of the PCUz, congratulated Eshmatova on the anniversary of the Ombudsman office and expressed pride in the accomplishments it has achieved with the PCUz’s support.

“Today's conference highlights the importance of recognizing a healthy environment as a human right, empowering people to challenge environmentally harmful policies under existing legislation in many countries,” he said.

The forum focused on key aspects of people’s right to a clean environment, with attention to co-operation among national human rights bodies, the parliament and civil society, as well as the role of international community in supporting these initiatives in Uzbekistan.  The event concluded with adoption of the Tashkent Declaration on the protection of human rights and a sustainable environment.