Representative of Uzbekistan elected to the UN Human Rights Committee

At the UN headquarters in New York within the framework of the 40th session of the states parties to the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), elections of members of the Human Rights Committee (HRC) for the period 2025-2028 took place.

The HRC is a UN body consisting of independent experts who monitor the implementation by state parties of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966). There are 174 states participating in the pact. Uzbekistan acceded to this international document in 1995.

The work of the HRC is aimed at ensuring full respect for all civil and political rights without any discrimination. The Committee consists of 18 independent experts who are elected for a 4-year period by the states parties to the said pact.

Based on the results of a secret ballot held among member countries, the candidate from Uzbekistan, Director of the National Center for Human Rights, Dr. Akmal Saidov, was elected to the HRC, having received the largest number of votes among applicants from other states.

It is important to note that the current election campaign took place in an intense and unprecedented competitive environment with an unpredictable outcome. Each candidate, possessing deep theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the field of international relations and human rights, had a high chance of being elected.

A convincing victory in the elections is evidence of widespread recognition of the effectiveness of the democratic reforms carried out under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens.

The election of a representative of our country to this key body is primarily the result of a pragmatic foreign policy strategy established by the Head of State to build a constructive dialogue with international human rights structures. In particular, over the last period the republic has been visited by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, special rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council, heads of the International Labor Organization and other UN structures. They have repeatedly expressed positive assessments of the reforms being carried out in the country.

The election of a representative of Uzbekistan to the HRC is a historical event. A. Saidov will be the first expert from Central Asian countries to join the Committee. Earlier, in 2021-2023. Uzbekistan has successfully completed its membership in the Human Rights Council, consisting of 47 UN member states.

The Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan expresses gratitude to all countries that supported the election of Uzbekistan’s representative to this prestigious body and reaffirms its commitment to high standards of respect and promotion of human rights and interests “leaving no one behind.”