OREANDA-NEWS. December 1, 2008. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Development of the System of Protection of Human Rights international conference was conducted in the conference hall of the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan (IDHR). The forum was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, administration of the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights and Permanent Mission of the United Nations to Turkmenistan.

The conference to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) brought together the considerable audience: the deputies of the Mejlis, specialists of the national ministries and departments, representatives of the public organisations, diplomats accredited to Turkmenistan, journalists, heads and specialists of the local offices of the UN agencies – UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), World Health Organisation (WHO).

The thematic reports on the UDHR’s role in the modern world and the development of the national human rights mechanisms were presented at the conference. The experts of the leading UN agencies and their Turkmen counterparts appreciated the profound role of this fundamental document standing as criterion for detecting the level of respect and adherence of the international human rights norms. This fundamental legal document underlay the conventions and international covenants on various aspects of human rights protection.

Those speaking at the conference noted that from the first years of independence Turkmenistan declared peace, stability and development, recognition and respect to the fundamental democratic freedoms and rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be the priorities of its domestic and foreign policies. Ratification of the universally recognized UN conventions laid the foundation for the development of the national legislation.

Speaking at the conference Mr. Richard Young, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan noted that the world community highly appreciated and welcomed the policy of progressive reforms initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov who attached special significance to improvement of the national legal system in compliance with the universally recognized norms and the priorities of the national development. Mr. Richard Young said that in recent years human rights were of particular concern to the Turkmen state and society. The large-scale, versatile work was carried on in the country to revive and establish the age-old democratic traditions in the society, to give the real guarantees of the exercise of the political, economic, social and other rights to citizens.

The conference participants were unanimous that a critical step on this path was adoption of the new version of the Constitution of Turkmenistan this September that considerably broaden the spectrum of the rights and freedoms of citizens of Turkmenistan. 

The further development of the democratic processes, strengthening of the foundation of Turkmenistan as a jural state and establishment of civil society were the focus of the forum. In this regard emphasis was put on the role of the agencies established on the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov: the Interagency Commission for Monitoring the International Human Rights Commitments of Turkmenistan, the Interagency Commission for Improvement of the Legislation, the Institute of State and Law under President of Turkmenistan. The participants were unanimous that the universal norms of international law adapted to the national legislation would facilitate Turkmenistan’s successful integration in the global legal, political and economic environment.