English  |  Français  |  Español
 
OMCT LogoOMCT logo
Make a donationRSSOMCT on FacebookOMCT on TwitterOMCT BlogHomeAbout OMCTActivitiesCATOMCT NetworkOMCT EuropeContactsMake a donation
  • Urgent campaigns
  • Assistance to victims
  • Human rights defenders
  • ESCR
  • Rights of the child
  • Violence against women
  • Monitoring protection mechanisms
 Save as PDF Print version
ESCR / Urgent Interventions / Uzbekistan / 2007 / November

Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan: OMCT makes recommendations to the United Nations Committee Against Torture

OMCT makes recommendations to the United Nations Committee Against Torture on acting against the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and other serious forms of violence in Uzbekistan

Geneva, 8 November 2007

Today, 8 November 2007, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) submitted to the United Nations Committee Against Torture a report aimed at eliminating torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and other serious forms of violence in Uzbekistan by taking action against their economic, social and cultural root causes.

The report shows that torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment remain one of the most acute human rights problems facing Uzbekistan. At the root of much torture is the socio-economic situation in Uzbekistan: the poorest and most impoverished groups, which constitute the majority of the population, are frequently the target of torture or other abuse, unlawful and arbitrary arrests and detention.

In addition, arrests and ill-treatment often concern human rights defenders engaged in promoting and protecting the economic, social and cultural rights of the population or individuals defending their own economic, social or cultural rights. Violence is also associated with mass displacements of populations or forced evictions, or directed at informal and illegal workers in the cities who do not have the required resident permit. The economic situation as well as social and cultural conditions are also root causes of violence against women, in the home and outside as informal workers, and violence against children.

OMCT’s report also cites the 2003 Uzbekistan Common Country Assessment (CCA) prepared by the United Nations Development Group. The CCA provided information on the serious violations of human rights and violence in Uzbekistan, identified a number of economic, social and cultural root causes and recommended corrective action. It clearly showed that the neglect of economic, social and cultural rights and the increase in poverty and inequality resulted in higher levels of violence in Uzbekistan. Unfortunately, the clear warnings that the policies in place would lead to an increase in violence went unheeded, the CCA’s preventive recommendations were ignored and the foretold violence and increase in torture and ill-treatment materialised.

In its submission to the UN Committee Against Torture, OMCT recommends that since the majority of victims of torture, ill-treatment and other forms of violence, in particular victims of violence by state officials, can be identified in terms of their economic, social and cultural situations, as well as their place of residence, that preventive measures be established to protect those groups. These would include establishing focussed programmes of economic development and poverty reduction, implementing specific training and educational programmes for officials serving in those areas, and establishing a permanent monitoring function to ensure official compliance with legal standards and good practices. In addition, recommendations are made for initiatives in the area of economic, social and cultural rights necessary to guarantee the full implementation of the Convention. These include the implementation of the recommendations of the Common Country Assessment and the establishment of a human rights assessment mechanism for all government policies. Further recommendations are made for specific measures to address a number of economic, social and cultural rights, the violation of which has a clear impact on torture and ill-treatment.

For more information contact
Tom McCarthy
tmc@omct.org

Properties

Date: November 8, 2007
Activity: Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Type: Urgent Interventions
Country: Uzbekistan
Subjects: Economic policies, Poverty, Torture and violence

Share this

Tweet

Languages

This page is available in:

English


You can also translate it on the fly:

Recently Viewed Articles

OMCT International Secretariat
PO Box 21, 8, rue du Vieux-Billard, CH-1211 Geneva 8, Switzerland
Tel: + 41 22 809 4939
Fax: + 41 22 809 4929
E-mail:
OMCT Europe
Rue Franklin 111
1000 Brussels
Tel. / Fax: +32 2 218 37 19
E-mail:
OMCT TUNIS
3, Rue Hassen Ibn Nooman
Cité Jardins | Tunis 1002
Tel: +216 71 791 114
Fax: +216 71 791 115
E-mail:
  • Blog
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Rss
  • Privacy Policy