<<previous | index | next>>
To the EBRD:
Suspend any
further investment in the public sector in Uzbekistan until such time as the
government demonstrates a genuine willingness and makes substantial, measurable
progress toward meeting the human rights benchmarks. Exceptions made for
projects that directly affect the health, education, and well-being of the
general population should be closely monitored to ensure that they serve their
intended purpose. The EBRD should also inform the World Bank, the Asian
Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and other international
financial institutions and bilateral donors about its decision.
Maximize the
utility of the benchmarks by articulating the specific steps the Uzbek
government would need to take in each area in order to be considered in
compliance with the respective goals;
In
partnership with other actors of the international community, including the
U.N. and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and in
close consultation with civil society, set up a coherent system of sustained
monitoring of Uzbekistan’s progress in meeting the benchmarks;
Issue
periodic public statements to reaffirm reform demands, and actively engage
partner institutions and civil society groups in mounting pressure on the Uzbek
government to implement the necessary reforms.
To the Uzbek Government:
Make tangible progress in meeting the benchmarks set by
the EBRD. In particular, the government should:
Register
independent human rights groups, including the Human Rights Society of
Uzbekistan, Mazlum, the Committee of Legal Assistance to Prisoners, Mothers
against the Death Penalty and Torture, and the Initiative Group of Independent Human
Rights Defenders, and lift unjustified restrictions on the operation of civil
society groups, including those affecting international groups;
Release
arbitrarily detained human rights defenders such as Ruslan Sharipov, and cease
any further arrest and harassment of human rights defenders, including the
legal proceedings against Elena Urlaeva;
Register
opposition political parties such as Birlik (Unity) and Erk (Freedom), and
cease any harassment against opposition political activists;
Expedite the
process of implementation of the recommendations of the U.N. Special Rapporteur
on torture, in particular introduction of habeas corpus (judicial review of
detention), and thorough
and impartial investigations into claims of torture or ill-treatment, with
particular attention to cases that resulted in death; make the results of these
investigations public and hold accountable those found responsible for abuse;
Ensure
genuine media freedom, including by allowing newspapers closed since spring 2002, when
censorship was officially lifted, to reopen; ending the practice of summoning
newspaper editors to the government offices to instruct them what articles they
should allow to be printed; investigating attacks on journalists and bringing
to justice those found responsible; and ending the use of registration and tax
laws to impede the operation of the media.
To the International Community:
Other actors
of the international community, in particular key EBRD shareholder governments
such as the United States, member states of the European Union (E.U.), and
Japan, should make the benchmarks an integral part of their bilateral relations
with the Uzbek government and use every opportunity to actively advance
progress in these areas; governments with permanent representations in Tashkent
carry a particular responsibility in this regard;
Intergovernmental
bodies such as the E.U., the OSCE, and the U.N. should use every opportunity to
help advance the EBRD benchmarks and send a coordinated message about needed
reforms in Uzbekistan;
Other
international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the Asian
Development Bank, and the International Monetary Fund should lend support to
the EBRD by, at the very least, ensuring that their own lending and investment
policies do not undermine the EBRD’s efforts to promote human rights and
democracy in Uzbekistan. Ideally, these institutions should adopt an analogous
approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of political and economic reform.
|
