November 2, 2005

Draft Resolution on the Situation of human rights in Uzbekistan

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The European Union statement on the resolution critical of human rights violations by Uzbekistan, which was delivered in the Third Committee of the General Assembly, had a highly unusual component. For many years, the UN Commission on Human Rights has held closed door sessions on situations of "gross and systematic" human rights violations. In this resolution, the European Union referred to the proceedings taken against Uzbekistan in those closed door sessions. Perhaps this move opens up a new avenue for follow-up or increased scrutiny for many cases of gross and systematic abuse. For the vast majority of such cases these private proceedings are the last resort, because political alliances make it impossible to bring the situation onto the public agenda of the Human Rights Commission.