UZBEKISTAN: Children's Rights in the UN Treaty Body Reports

Summary: This report extracts mentions of children's rights issues in the reports of all UN Treaty Bodies and their follow-up procedures. This does not include the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child which are available here: http://www.crin.org/resources/treaties/index.asp

Please note that the language may have been edited in places for the purposes of clarity.

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UN Human Rights Committee

CCPR/C/UZB/CO/3

Last reported: 11 and 12 March 2010                                                                Concluding Observations published: 7 April 2010  

Issues raised and recommendations given:

Andijan events: While taking note of the State party’s statement that it conducted all necessary investigations in respect of the Andijan events of 2005, and that several individuals have already been convicted in this connection, the Committee is concerned at the absence of a comprehensive and fully independent investigation on the exact circumstances of the events during which 700 civilians, including women and children, were killed by the military and security services. It also notes with regret that the State party has not provided the requested information regarding the national rules on the use of firearms by security forces against civilians. (arts. 2, 6, and 7)

The State party should conduct a fully independent investigation and ensure that those responsible for the killings of persons in the Andijan events are prosecuted and, if found guilty, punished, and that victims and their relatives are given full compensation. The State party should review its regulations governing the use of firearms by the authorities, in order to ensure their full compliance with the provisions of the Covenant and the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (1990). (Para. 8)

Child labour: While noting with interest the different measures taken by the State party to increase the protection of the rights of the child, and, in particular, the adoption of the Rights of the Child (safeguards) Act in January 2008, and accession, as already mentioned, to two ILO Conventions (Nos. 138 and 182), the Committee remains concerned about reports, according to which children are still employed and subjected to harsh working conditions in particular for cotton harvesting. The State party should ensure that its national law and international obligations regulating child labour are fully respected in practice and that children receive the protection guaranteed by article 24 of the Covenant. (art. 24) (Para. 23)

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CCPR/CO/83/UZB

Last reported: 21 and 22 March 2005
Concluding Observations adopted: 31 March 2005

Issues raised and recommendatios given:

Domestic Violence: While noting with interest information provided by the delegation that a system of compensation for women who are victims of domestic violence is already in place in parts of the State party, the Committee remains concerned about the prevalence of domestic violence in Uzbekistan (Covenant, arts. 3, 7 and 26; see also paragraph 19 of the Committee's concluding observations on the initial report).

The Committee urges the state to: (a) Take suitable practical measures to combat this phenomenon, including through public awareness and education campaigns. (Paragraph 23)

Polygamy: The Committee regrets that even though the Criminal Code prohibits polygamy, the phenomenon persists, violating women's dignity. It is also concerned about the practice of kidnapping young women to force them to marry, which resurfaced after the State party's independence (Covenant, arts. 3, 23 and 26).

The Committee urges the state party to: (a) Ensure that the relevant provisions of its Criminal Code are fully implemented, so as to put an end to the practice of polygamy. It should combat the practice of forced marriages of kidnapped women. (Paragraph 24)

Child labour: The Committee notes that child labour is still widespread in Uzbekistan, in particular in the commercial and agricultural sectors and the cotton industry (Covenant, art. 24).

The Committee urges the state party to: (a) Stop the practice of sending schoolchildren to pick cotton and take effective measures to combat child labour. (Paragraph 25)

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UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

E/C.12/UZB/CO/2

Last reported: 13 May 2014                                                                                          Concluding Observations published: 23 May 2014

Issues raised and recommendations given 

Child marriages: The Committee is concerned about the continued prevalence of forced and child marriages, as well as bride abduction, especially in rural areas (art. 10). (paragraph 17)

The Committee urges the State party to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18, for both women and men, and ensure its enforcement throughout the country, including in rural areas. It recommends taking all necessary measures to combat the practices of child and forced marriage, and bride abduction.

Child Labour: The Committee remains concerned about the reports that children remain involved in the cotton harvest, and are subjected to hazardous working conditions and are absent from school for up to two months during the academic year (arts. 7, 10 (3), and 13). (paragraph 19)

The Committee urges the State party to: (a)  Double its efforts to ensure the protection of children against economic and social exploitation and to enable them to fully enjoy their right to education; (b)Provide, in its next periodic report, statistics on the number and nature of court cases regarding labour rights violations and on sentences imposed, as well as information on the concrete impact of monitoring on the prevention of forced and hazardous labour; (c)  Accept regular and independent monitoring by international organizations.

Corporal punishment: The Committee is concerned about the persistence of corporal punishment, which is not explicitly prohibited under the law (arts. 7, 10 (3), and 13). (paragraph 20)

The Committee urges the State party to ensure the prohibition of corporal punishment in all settings, including in the home, at school and in alternative care, and to conduct training and awareness-raising campaigns.

Health: The Committee notes that the occurrence of maternal and child mortality remains relatively high. It is also concerned about the level of malnutrition in the country and the increased prevalence of diet-related diseases; increased alcohol and tobacco consumption, especially among children; persistent tuberculosis; and the growing incidence of HIV/AIDS, particularly among injecting drug users (arts. 10-12). (paragraph 24)

The Committee urges the State party to improve mother and child health, especially during pre-natal and neonatal periods, and its treatment and prevention of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, including by resuming the opioid substitution therapy as announced during the dialogue. It calls on the State party to address malnutrition and diet-related diseases as well as alcohol and tobacco consumption. Focus should be made on preventive care, particularly awareness-raising of harmful effects of unhealthy diets and alcohol and tobacco consumption, the monitoring of these practices, the prohibition of the sale of alcohol and tobacco to children, and the promotion of healthy life-styles.

Education: The Committee expresses concern that  the quality of education and teaching personnel in the rural areas is low. It is concerned that the percentage of female students in higher education is almost twice as low as compared to male students. It is also concerned about the decrease in the number of schools providing education in minority languages, especially Kazakh and Turkmen, and about the insufficient support given to the promotion of the Tajik language (arts. 3 and 13). (paragraph 26)

The Committee recommends that the State party take greater focus on gender balance, with a view to ensuring equal access to tertiary education. It encourages the State party to foster the promotion of minority languages and to ensure the provision of education in minority languages at all levels. It invites the State party to further invest in teachers’ training and expand internet access across the country.

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E/C.12/UZB/CO/1

Last reported: 11 and 14 November 2005
Concluding Observations adopted: 25 November 2005

Issues raised and recommendations given:

Stereotypes and cultural practices: The Committee reiterates its deep concern at the persistence of practices and traditions, as well as patriarchal attitudes and deep-rooted stereotypes, regarding the roles, responsibilities and identities of women and men in all spheres of life. The Committee is also concerned that such customs and practices perpetuate discrimination against women and girls, that such customs and practices are reflected in the disadvantageous and unequal status of women and girls in many areas, including in education, public life, decision-making and the persistence of violence against women, and that, thus far, the State party has not taken sustained and systematic action to modify or eliminate stereotypes and negative traditional values and practices. The Committee notes with concern that such attitudes are particularly prevalent in the media, which often depicts women and men in a stereotyped manner.

The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Put in place without delay a comprehensive strategy, including the establishment of clear goals and timetables, to modify or eliminate traditional practices and stereotypes that discriminate against women, in conformity with articles 2 (f) and 5 (a) of the Convention. Such measures should include efforts to raise awareness of this subject, targeting women and men at all levels of society, in collaboration with civil society. The Committee calls upon the State party to use innovative and effective measures to strengthen understanding of the equality of women and men and to work with the media to enhance a positive, non-stereotypical and non-discriminatory portrayal of women. It also calls upon the State party to strengthen its strategies to combat sexualization of the public sphere, take proactive measures to ensure that media production and coverage are non- discriminatory, increase awareness of these issues among media proprietors and other relevant actors in the industry. (Paragraphs 19 and 20)

Violence against women: While noting some measures taken by the State party to prevent and combat violence against women, the Committee is concerned at the lack of data and information on the incidence of various forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic violence, disaggregated by age and urban and rural areas, as well as studies and/or surveys on the extent of violence and its root causes. The Committee also remains concerned about the absence of a specific law protecting women and the lack of prosecution and punishment of perpetrators of domestic violence. The Committee is further concerned that such violence would appear to be socially legitimised and accompanied by a culture of silence and impunity, with cases being referred to as "family conflicts"; that cases of violence are thus underreported; and that those that are reported are settled out of court or reconciled, including through the mahalla committees.

The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Give priority attention to combating violence against women and girls to adopting comprehensive measures to address such violence. Such measures include the:

1. Expeditious adoption of a framework law on all forms of violence against women that also covers domestic violence and that introduces definitions in respect of all forms of domestic violence, including psychological and sexual violence;

2. Amendment of existing penal provisions, as necessary;

3. Development of a comprehensive national action plan to combat violence against women

The Committee also requests the State party to raise public awareness, through the media and educational programmes, of the fact that all forms of violence against women are forms of discrimination under the Convention and, therefore, are violations of the human rights of women. The Committee calls upon the State party to remove any impediments faced by women victims in gaining access to justice and to immediate means of redress and protection, and recommends the implementation of training for law enforcement personnel, health-service providers, forensic doctors, judges, lawyers, mahalla committees, journalists and school staff in order to ensure that they are sensitised to all forms of violence against women and can provide adequate gender-sensitive support to victims. (Paragraphs 21, 22, and 23)

Trafficking: While welcoming the measures included in paragraph 5 above, the Committee remains concerned at the persistence of trafficking, including cross-border trafficking, and sexual exploitation of women and girls in the country, and at the fact that the country has become both a country of origin and destination, as well as a transit point, for trafficking in persons. It is further concerned at the inadequate rehabilitation procedures available to victims of trafficking who have returned from abroad and at the failure of the State party to address the root causes of trafficking, which impedes the efforts of the State party to address the trafficking problem in a serious way. The Committee also regrets the lack of information provided on the existence and implementation of regional and bilateral memorandums of understanding and/or agreements with other countries on trafficking and the inadequate information provided on the prosecution and punishment of traffickers.

The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Take proactive and sustained measures, including through the effective implementation of the 2008 law on combating human trafficking and the national action plan on trafficking for 2008-2010, to ensure the prevention of trafficking; the timely prosecution and punishment of traffickers, both those who are directly or indirectly involved in trafficking and those who are negligent in dealing with or preventing cases of trafficking; and the provision of protection from traffickers/agents and support to victims. The Committee also recommends that information and training on the anti-trafficking legislation be provided to the judiciary, law enforcement officials, border police, public officials and social workers in all parts of the country. The Committee further calls upon the State party to increase its international, regional and bilateral cooperation with countries of origin, transit and destination by exchanging information in order to prevent trafficking, and it requests the State party to provide information about the existence and implementation of regional and bilateral memorandums of understanding and/or agreements on trafficking in its next periodic report. The Committee also recommends that the State party conduct comparative studies on trafficking and address the root causes of trafficking in order to eliminate the vulnerability of girls and women to sexual exploitation and traffickers, and undertake efforts for the recovery and social integration of the victims. The Committee further requests the State party to take the necessary steps to ensure that trafficked women and girls have access to quality medical care, counselling, financial support, adequate housing and opportunities for further training, as well as access to free legal services. The Committee calls upon the State party to ensure systematic monitoring and periodic evaluation in this respect, including the collection and analysis of data. (Paragraphs 26 and 27)

Education: The Committee notes with satisfaction the very high literacy rate in the country (99.34 per cent) and that public education is free and compulsory until the completion of secondary education. The Committee also notes the efforts of the State party to improve the quality of education, including through the elaboration of the national personnel training programme. The Committee is concerned, however, at the hidden unofficial costs of education; the lack of reliable information, disaggregated by gender, on dropout, repetition and absenteeism rates in primary and secondary school; and the educational consequences of girls and boys working during the cotton harvest season. The Committee is further concerned at the gender segregation in students' choice of field of education, including in the context of vocational training.

The Committee calls on the State party to: (a) Further enhance its compliance with article 10 of the Convention, to ensure the equal access of girls and women to all levels of education and to take steps to overcome traditional attitudes that, in some rural areas, may constitute obstacles to the education of girls and women. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that primary education is free and accessible to all children and that it take necessary measures to eliminate all hidden costs of school attendance. The Committee also calls on the State party to overcome expeditiously the de facto segregation in the educational system, to actively encourage the diversification of educational and professional choices for women and men and to offer incentives for young women to enter traditionally male-dominated fields of study. The Committee requests that the State party guarantee that the cotton harvest season does not compromise the rights of both girls and boys to education. The Committee also requests the State party to provide, in its next report, information on the measures taken in the field of education and on their gender impact. (Paragraphs 30 and 31)

Health: While welcoming the approval by the Cabinet of Ministers of the strategic programme against the spread of HIV/AIDS for 2007-2011, as well as the information outlined in the report and the replies to the list of issues on programmes, projects and practical measures to improve women's access to health care, the Committee is concerned that the incidence of HIV/AIDS is on the increase in the State party. The Committee is also concerned at the lack of sex-disaggregated infant mortality rates, both at the national level and for urban and rural areas, and the lack of data, disaggregated by sex and age, on the number of women and men using contraceptives.

The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Pay increased attention to women's health throughout the life cycle, including by allocating the necessary resources for the implementation of various projects and programmes. The Committee also urges the State party to provide, in its next report, sex- disaggregated data on infant mortality rates, both at the national level and for urban and rural areas. The Committee also requests the State party to provide data, disaggregated by sex and age, on the number of persons using contraceptives, and it recommends the strengthening and expansion of efforts to increase knowledge of and access to affordable contraceptive methods throughout the country so that women and men can make informed choices about the number and spacing of children. It further recommends that sex education be widely promoted and targeted at adolescent girls and boys, with special attention to the prevention of early pregnancy and the control of sexually transmitted infections. (Paragraphs 34 and 35)

Family relations: While noting the information provided by the delegation of the State party that a social survey has been conducted on the question of the marriage age and that the State party is considering introducing the same marriage age for girls and boys, the Committee remains concerned that article 15 of the Family Code currently contains different marriage ages for girls (17 years) and boys (18 years), with the possibility of a dispensation of one year for girls only (16 years). The Committee is also concerned that the practices of polygamy, early marriage, arranged marriage and the kidnapping of young girls to force them to marry continue, particularly in rural areas. The Committee notes the explanation provided by the delegation in respect of polygamy but reiterates its concern that the formulation of article 126 of the Criminal Code prohibiting polygamy in the form of cohabitation with two or more women on the basis of a common household is unclear and may lead to misinterpretation.

The Committee calls upon the State party to: (a) Implement measures aimed at eliminating polygamy in all cases, as called for in the Committee's general recommendation No. 21. The Committee also urges the State party to take all necessary measures to combat the practices of early marriage, arranged marriage and forced marriage of kidnapped women. (Paragraphs 42 and 43)

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UN Committee against Torture

Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of Uzbekistan

CAT/C/UZB/CO/4

Last reported: 29 and 30 October 2013.

Concluding Observations adopted: 14 November 2013.

Forced labor and child labor: The Committee welcomes the information that young children up to ninth grade are no longer systematically involved in work in the cotton sector, but is concerned of the reports that between 500.000 and a million and a half adults and high school student, aged 15 to 17 continue to be mobilised to pick cotton for up to two months each autumn and that that they live in substandard conditions, without access to safe drinking water (arts. 2 and 16).

The Committee recommends that the State party should end the practice of using forced labor of adults and children in the cotton sector, and permit international and independent national nongovernmental organizations and activists to conduct regular independent monitoring. (para. 22)

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CAT/C/UZB/CO/3

Last reported: 9 and 12 October 2007
Concluding Observations adopted: 22 November 2007

Concerns raised:

Trafficking: The Committee remains concerned at trafficking in women for purposes of sexual exploitation.The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Adopt and strengthen effective measures to prevent and combat trafficking in women. (Paragraph 22)

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UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

CEDAW/C/UZB/CO/4

Last reported: 20 January 2010
Concluding observations adopted:

Issues raised and recommendations given:

Stereotypes and cultural practices: The Committee reiterates its deep concern at the persistence of practices and traditions, as well as patriarchal attitudes and deep-rooted stereotypes, regarding the roles, responsibilities and identities of women and men in all spheres of life. The Committee is also concerned that such customs and practices perpetuate discrimination against women and girls, that such customs and practices are reflected in the disadvantageous and unequal status of women and girls in many areas, including in education, public life, decision-making and the persistence of violence against women, and that, thus far, the State party has not taken sustained and systematic action to modify or eliminate stereotypes and negative traditional values and practices. The Committee notes with concern that such attitudes are particularly prevalent in the media, which often depicts women and men in a stereotyped manner.

The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Put in place without delay a comprehensive strategy, including the establishment of clear goals and timetables, to modify or eliminate traditional practices and stereotypes that discriminate against women, in conformity with articles 2 (f) and 5 (a) of the Convention. Such measures should include efforts to raise awareness of this subject, targeting women and men at all levels of society, in collaboration with civil society. The Committee calls upon the State party to use innovative and effective measures to strengthen understanding of the equality of women and men and to work with the media to enhance a positive, non-stereotypical and non-discriminatory portrayal of women. It also calls upon the State party to strengthen its strategies to combat sexualization of the public sphere, take proactive measures to ensure that media production and coverage are non- discriminatory, increase awareness of these issues among media proprietors and other relevant actors in the industry. (Paragraphs 19 and 20)

Violence against women: While noting some measures taken by the State party to prevent and combat violence against women, the Committee is concerned at the lack of data and information on the incidence of various forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic violence, disaggregated by age and urban and rural areas, as well as studies and/or surveys on the extent of violence and its root causes. The Committee also remains concerned about the absence of a specific law protecting women and the lack of prosecution and punishment of perpetrators of domestic violence. The Committee is further concerned that such violence would appear to be socially legitimised and accompanied by a culture of silence and impunity, with cases being referred to as "family conflicts"; that cases of violence are thus underreported; and that those that are reported are settled out of court or reconciled, including through the mahalla committees.

The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Give priority attention to combating violence against women and girls to adopting comprehensive measures to address such violence. Such measures include the: 1. Expeditious adoption of a framework law on all forms of violence against women that also covers domestic violence and that introduces definitions in respect of all forms of domestic violence, including psychological and sexual violence; 2. Amendment of existing penal provisions, as necessary; 3. Development of a comprehensive national action plan to combat violence against women

The Committee also requests the State party to raise public awareness, through the media and educational programmes, of the fact that all forms of violence against women are forms of discrimination under the Convention and, therefore, are violations of the human rights of women. The Committee calls upon the State party to remove any impediments faced by women victims in gaining access to justice and to immediate means of redress and protection, and recommends the implementation of training for law enforcement personnel, health-service providers, forensic doctors, judges, lawyers, mahalla committees, journalists and school staff in order to ensure that they are sensitised to all forms of violence against women and can provide adequate gender-sensitive support to victims. (Paragraphs 21, 22, and 23)

Trafficking: While welcoming the measures included in paragraph 5 above, the Committee remains concerned at the persistence of trafficking, including cross-border trafficking, and sexual exploitation of women and girls in the country, and at the fact that the country has become both a country of origin and destination, as well as a transit point, for trafficking in persons. It is further concerned at the inadequate rehabilitation procedures available to victims of trafficking who have returned from abroad and at the failure of the State party to address the root causes of trafficking, which impedes the efforts of the State party to address the trafficking problem in a serious way. The Committee also regrets the lack of information provided on the existence and implementation of regional and bilateral memorandums of understanding and/or agreements with other countries on trafficking and the inadequate information provided on the prosecution and punishment of traffickers.

The Committee urges the State party to:

(a) Take proactive and sustained measures, including through the effective implementation of the 2008 law on combating human trafficking and the national action plan on trafficking for 2008-2010, to ensure the prevention of trafficking; the timely prosecution and punishment of traffickers, both those who are directly or indirectly involved in trafficking and those who are negligent in dealing with or preventing cases of trafficking; and the provision of protection from traffickers/agents and support to victims. The Committee also recommends that information and training on the anti-trafficking legislation be provided to the judiciary, law enforcement officials, border police, public officials and social workers in all parts of the country. The Committee further calls upon the State party to increase its international, regional and bilateral cooperation with countries of origin, transit and destination by exchanging information in order to prevent trafficking, and it requests the State party to provide information about the existence and implementation of regional and bilateral memorandums of understanding and/or agreements on trafficking in its next periodic report. The Committee also recommends that the State party conduct comparative studies on trafficking and address the root causes of trafficking in order to eliminate the vulnerability of girls and women to sexual exploitation and traffickers, and undertake efforts for the recovery and social integration of the victims. The Committee further requests the State party to take the necessary steps to ensure that trafficked women and girls have access to quality medical care, counselling, financial support, adequate housing and opportunities for further training, as well as access to free legal services. The Committee calls upon the State party to ensure systematic monitoring and periodic evaluation in this respect, including the collection and analysis of data. (Paragraphs 26 and 27)

Education: The Committee notes with satisfaction the very high literacy rate in the country (99.34 per cent) and that public education is free and compulsory until the completion of secondary education. The Committee also notes the efforts of the State party to improve the quality of education, including through the elaboration of the national personnel training programme. The Committee is concerned, however, at the hidden unofficial costs of education; the lack of reliable information, disaggregated by gender, on dropout, repetition and absenteeism rates in primary and secondary school; and the educational consequences of girls and boys working during the cotton harvest season. The Committee is further concerned at the gender segregation in students' choice of field of education, including in the context of vocational training.

The Committee calls on the State party to: (a) Further enhance its compliance with article 10 of the Convention, to ensure the equal access of girls and women to all levels of education and to take steps to overcome traditional attitudes that, in some rural areas, may constitute obstacles to the education of girls and women. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that primary education is free and accessible to all children and that it take necessary measures to eliminate all hidden costs of school attendance. The Committee also calls on the State party to overcome expeditiously the de facto segregation in the educational system, to actively encourage the diversification of educational and professional choices for women and men and to offer incentives for young women to enter traditionally male-dominated fields of study. The Committee requests that the State party guarantee that the cotton harvest season does not compromise the rights of both girls and boys to education. The Committee also requests the State party to provide, in its next report, information on the measures taken in the field of education and on their gender impact. (Paragraphs 30 and 31)

Health: While welcoming the approval by the Cabinet of Ministers of the strategic programme against the spread of HIV/AIDS for 2007-2011, as well as the information outlined in the report and the replies to the list of issues on programmes, projects and practical measures to improve women's access to health care, the Committee is concerned that the incidence of HIV/AIDS is on the increase in the State party. The Committee is also concerned at the lack of sex-disaggregated infant mortality rates, both at the national level and for urban and rural areas, and the lack of data, disaggregated by sex and age, on the number of women and men using contraceptives.

The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Pay increased attention to women's health throughout the life cycle, including by allocating the necessary resources for the implementation of various projects and programmes. The Committee also urges the State party to provide, in its next report, sex- disaggregated data on infant mortality rates, both at the national level and for urban and rural areas. The Committee also requests the State party to provide data, disaggregated by sex and age, on the number of persons using contraceptives, and it recommends the strengthening and expansion of efforts to increase knowledge of and access to affordable contraceptive methods throughout the country so that women and men can make informed choices about the number and spacing of children. It further recommends that sex education be widely promoted and targeted at adolescent girls and boys, with special attention to the prevention of early pregnancy and the control of sexually transmitted infections. (Paragraphs 34 and 35)

Family relations: While noting the information provided by the delegation of the State party that a social survey has been conducted on the question of the marriage age and that the State party is considering introducing the same marriage age for girls and boys, the Committee remains concerned that article 15 of the Family Code currently contains different marriage ages for girls (17 years) and boys (18 years), with the possibility of a dispensation of one year for girls only (16 years). The Committee is also concerned that the practices of polygamy, early marriage, arranged marriage and the kidnapping of young girls to force them to marry continue, particularly in rural areas. The Committee notes the explanation provided by the delegation in respect of polygamy but reiterates its concern that the formulation of article 126 of the Criminal Code prohibiting polygamy in the form of cohabitation with two or more women on the basis of a common household is unclear and may lead to misinterpretation.

The Committee calls upon the State party to: (a) Implement measures aimed at eliminating polygamy in all cases, as called for in the Committee's general recommendation No. 21. The Committee also urges the State party to take all necessary measures to combat the practices of early marriage, arranged marriage and forced marriage of kidnapped women. (Paragraphs 42 and 43)

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UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

CERD/C/UZB/CO/8-9

Last reported: 11 and 12 February 2014
Concluding Observations adopted: 14 March 2014

Issues raised and recommendations given:

Rights of ethnic minorities: The Committee is concerned at the absence of framework legislation for the protection of the rights of ethnic minorities in the State party. The Committee is also concerned about the insufficient support given to the promotion of minority languages, including the Tajik language, and at the decrease in the number of schools providing education in minority languages. The Committee further notes with concern reports that education in minority languages at all levels, including preschool education, is not adequately supported by the State party’s authorities. (art. 5)

The Committee calls upon the State party to adopt framework legislation which defines the rights of persons belonging to ethnic minority groups and establish es mechanisms of dialogue , and to take measures to promote the use of their languages by those ethnic minority groups. The Committee also requests the State party to provide information in its next periodic report on: (a) Measures taken to promote and support education in minority languages; (b)The extent to which measures taken under the 2006 Cabinet Decision on the improvement of the system of retraining and advanced training of teachers benefit education in minority languages; (c)The framework for guaranteeing access to education for the children of migrants, internally displaced persons and refugees.

Trafficking: The Committee is concerned about reports of continuous trafficking of women and children, both nationals and foreigners. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a)Redouble its efforts to prevent, control and sanction all cases of trafficking of women and children; (b)Ensure the adequate protection of all victims of such trafficking; (c)Provide in the next periodic report data about perpetrators and victims, including their ethnic origin, the sanctions applied and the support given to victims. (art. 5)

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CERD/C/UZB/CO/6-7

Last reported: 5 and 6 August 2010
Concluding Observations adopted: 20 August 2010

Issues raised and recommendations given:

Statelessness: The Committee is concerned about the substantial number of stateless persons in the State party, the complicated procedures regulating the acquisition of Uzbek citizenship and the limited other measures taken to avoid statelessness. The Committee is concerned in particular regarding the conditioning of the acquisition of Uzbek citizenship on the renunciation of any other citizenship, which may lead to statelessness. The Committee is also concerned about the situation of children of stateless parents.

The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Amend its national legislation and remove administrative barriers to the acquisition of Uzbek Citizenship by stateless persons including the children of stateless persons in its territory in an effort to prevent statelessness, as well as to consider ratifying the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. (Paragraph 11).

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UN Committee on Migrant Workers

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UN Committee on the Rights of Peoples with Disabilities

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UN Committee on Enforced Disappearance

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Countries

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