On May 14, the China-Central Asia Human Rights Development Forum was held in Tashkent. It was organized by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development (CFHRD) jointly with the National Human Rights Center. The Forum's theme was "Jointly Promoting Progress in Human Rights through High-Quality Development."

The event was attended by approximately 100 representatives of government agencies, the expert and academic community, business circles, and the media from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

During the opening of the Forum, it was emphasized that ensuring opportunities for the full realization of human rights is a common goal of the international community. It was noted that China and the Central Asian countries, as developing countries, share similar approaches to sustainable development and the promotion of human rights.

Welcoming remarks were delivered by Vice President and Secretary General of the China Foundation for Human Rights Development Li Hongkui, Director of the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan Akmal Saidov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Uzbekistan Yu Jun, Director of the International Institute of Central Asia Javlon Vakhabov, Deputy Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Central Asia-China Format Samadi Shokhin, and Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alua Nadirkulova.

Speakers noted the particular significance of holding the fourth China-Central Asia Forum on Human Rights Development in the lead-up to the 40th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development and the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative. It was emphasized that the forum is taking place during a period of actively strengthening cooperation within the China-Central Asia format.

The plenary session addressed priority areas of human rights cooperation between China and the Central Asian states. Leading experts and representatives of specialized institutions from six countries in the region delivered presentations.

Among those speaking at the event were Sherzod Abdukadirov, Rector of the Academy of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Liu Huawen, Director of the Institute of International Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Viktor Tikhonov, Head of the Department of Civil and Political Rights of the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Emilbek Azhibekov, Head of the Department of Preventive Visits to Closed Institutions of the Ombudsman Institute of the Kyrgyz Republic; Murodjon Turgunov, Director of the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan; Qi Yanping, Head of the Scientific Council for Humanities and Social Sciences at Beijing Polytechnic University and Director of the China Center for Human Rights Research in Science and Technology; Parviz Olimzoda, Chief Specialist of the Office of Human Rights Guarantees of the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan; Dovlet Amanmyradov, Senior Researcher at the Institute of State, Law, and Democracy of Turkmenistan; and Qin Tianbao, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Wuhan University and Director of the China Research Institute of Environmental Law. The forum continued with three panel sessions devoted to poverty reduction, improving living standards, environmental security, green development, digital technologies, and their role in ensuring human rights and realizing the right to development.

Participants exchanged practical experiences and modern approaches in digital governance, sustainable development, and social policy, emphasizing their importance for the effective protection of human rights.

Following the forum, a final document, the "Tashkent Initiative," was adopted, outlining the main areas of further cooperation in the field of development and human rights protection between countries in the region.

The event also included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the China Foundation for Human Rights Development. The document was signed by the heads of the organizations, Akmal Saidov and Li Hongkui.

Press Service of the

National Human Rights Center

of the Republic of Uzbekistan