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

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