(New York) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should promote respect for and better implementation of human rights obligations during his visit to Central Asia, Human Rights Watch said today.
The secretary-general's trip begins on March 31, 2010, with Turkmenistan, followed by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. His official agenda includes regional cooperation, disarmament, and the social and economic targets in the UN's Millennium Development Goals.
"Central Asia is beset with serious human rights problems," said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Human rights deserve a prominent place on the secretary-general's agenda."
In a letter to the secretary-general, Human Rights Watch outlined some of the most pressing human rights challenges in four of the five Central Asian countries, including imprisoned human rights defenders in Uzbekistan, lack of access to Turkmenistan for human rights monitors, and violations of media freedom in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The letter suggested specific steps the secretary-general should urge the Central Asian leaders to take to remedy abuses.
"The secretary-general has talked about being a 'voice for the voiceless,'" Cartner said. "He should not miss this unique opportunity to put the full weight of the United Nations behind human rights in Central Asia."
