ANNEX 3: GENERAL AFFAIRS AND EXTERNAL
RELATIONS COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS ON UZBEKISTAN OF 29 APRIL 2008
"1. Recalling its previous Conclusions and especially
the Common Position 2007/734/CFSP of 13 November 2007, the Council
welcomes the progress achieved in Uzbekistan in recent months
in the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of
law, notably the abolition of the death penalty, the introduction
of habeas corpus and the ratification of the ILO Convention on
the Worst Forms of Child Labour. The Council looks forward to
the effective implementation of these measures and stands ready
to assist Uzbekistan in that regard. The Council also reiterates
its willingness to strengthen cooperation with Uzbekistan in all
priority areas outlined in the EU Strategy for Central Asia.
2. The Council welcomes the release by the Uzbek
authorities of four human rights defenders in February 2008, namely
Saidjahon Zainabitdinov, Ikhtior Khamraev, Ulugbek Kattabaev and
Bobomurod Mavlanov, and the cancellation of the probation period
of two other human rights defenders, Gulbahor Turaeva and Umida
Niazova, who were released from prison last year.
3. The Council was also pleased that the Uzbek government
has reached an agreement with the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC) on the resumption of visits by the ICRC to prisons
in Uzbekistan. The Council will pay close attention to the effective
implementation of this agreement.
4. The Council looks forward to continuing comprehensive
and results-oriented dialogue with the Uzbek authorities and in
that context welcomes the Uzbek agreement to conduct a second
round of the EU-Uzbekistan Human Rights dialogue in May/June this
year. The Council also looks forward to the holding of an EU seminar
on media freedom in Uzbekistan and encourages the Uzbek authorities
to take further steps to guarantee the freedom of expression and
to allow further liberalisation of mass media in Uzbekistan.
5. Nevertheless, the Council remains seriously concerned
about the situation of human rights and the rule of law in a number
of areas in Uzbekistan and urges the authorities to fully implement
their international obligations in that regard. In particular,
the Council calls on the Uzbek authorities to take the following
steps, as requested earlier by the EU: to ensure the early release
of the imprisoned human rights defenders and to cease harassment
of human rights defenders; to finalise without delay the accreditation
of the new Country Director of Human Rights Watch and to allow
the unhindered operation of that organisation; to cooperate fully
and effectively with the UN Special Rapporteurs on Torture and
on Freedom of the Media; and to revoke restrictions on the registration
and operation of NGOs in Uzbekistan.
6. With a view to encouraging the Uzbek authorities
to take substantive steps to improve the human rights situation
and taking into account their commitments, the Council decided
that the visa restrictions for individuals listed in the annex
of Common Position 2007/734/CFSP would not apply for another period
of six months. After three months, the Council will review the
progress made by the Uzbek authorities towards meeting the conditions
set out in Common Position 2007/734/CFSP and further specified
in paragraph 5 of these Conclusions, and in light of any other
action that demonstrates the readiness of the Uzbek authorities
to adhere to the principles of respect for human rights, rule
of law and fundamental freedoms. The Council will assess the outcome
of this review and present its recommendations to the Uzbek government
on possible further steps to be taken in order to improve the
respect of human rights and rule of law in Uzbekistan. The Council
will closely and continuously monitor and assess, in light of
the conditions set out above, the human rights situation in Uzbekistan
and may lift, amend or re-apply the visa restrictions as appropriate."
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