The Forum was organized by the National Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights in cooperation with the China Foundation for Human Rights Development, ahead of the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development and the 5th anniversary of the Global Development Initiative.
Participants discussed the achievements of Central Asian states and China in the field of human rights, exchanged views on prospects for deepening regional cooperation, and explored opportunities for introducing innovative approaches to poverty reduction and improving the well-being of the population.
Amb.Javlon Vakhabov, the Managing Director of the IICA, highlighted in his remarks the development of human rights in Uzbekistan as one of the key priorities of state policy, directly linked to improving the quality of life of the population through sustainable socio-economic development.
Li Hongkui, Vice Chairman of the Board and Secretary-General of the China Foundation for Human Rights Development, highly commended the reforms being implemented under the “New Uzbekistan” initiative, noting their key role in stimulating economic growth and improving the living standards of citizens.
It was noted that Tashkent and Beijing will continue to deepen cooperation in the field of human rights, further improve mechanisms for their protection, and actively pursue educational outreach, capacity-building, and joint research in this area.
China Amb. Yu Jun to Uzbekistan outlined the key directions of China’s foreign policy strategy in the region. He emphasized that China and Central Asia are bound by deep historical, cultural, and geographical ties.
The forum featured three panel sessions focused on poverty reduction, improving the well-being of the population, environmental security, green development, and the adoption of digital technologies.
During the discussions were able to exchange views on the potential for introducing international practices in socio-economic development and advanced approaches in the field of human rights across the region.
The forum concluded with the adoption of a final document – the “Tashkent Initiative” – which sets out the key directions for further cooperation between Central Asia and China in the field of human rights development, as well as for the expansion of collaboration in research activities.
