Shavkat Mirziyoyev: “Our main objective is ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights and legal interests”

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev urged the international community not to be outside observers of the growing number of internally displaced persons and refugees, the presidential press service reports.

“We cannot be bystanders of how the number of internally displaced persons and refugees increases. The problems associated with the inaccessibility of education and health care, human trafficking and forced labor, ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men, the need to eradicate poverty and hunger are vital as never before.” It is noted in the message of the head of state to the participants of the Asian Forum for Human Rights, which started today in Samarkand.

According to the President of Uzbekistan, today we are all witnessing the strengthening of complex, ambiguous trends that impede the positive process of asserting the principles of democracy and humanism throughout the world.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that armed conflicts, growing mistrust and aggravating contradictions, interethnic and interfaith divisions, as well as other global challenges and threats endangering sustainable development, including from South-East Asia to the Middle East, should be eliminated.

“In this regard, we firmly believe that the future of the Asian region, with a total population of over 4.5 billion, depends largely on the willingness to follow the tasks set out in the United Nations agenda for sustainable development until 2030, as well as the formation of an effective regional mechanism for the protection of human rights,” the message underlines. “Assistance in self-realization and ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights and legal interests are main priorities of our country.”

Mr. Mirziyoyev is confident that the Samarkand Declaration, to be adopted at the end of the Forum, will help strengthen international cooperation in the field of human rights, and bring this noble work to a new, even higher level.

The proposals and initiatives put forward by the participants at the conference, as well as their conclusions, the President noted, will be taken into account when developing national programs and strategies in the field of human rights.