When: Friday, 19 June 2015, 11:00-13:00
Where: Geneva, Palais Des Nations, Room XII
Organisers: CIVICUS, ICNL, World Movement for Democracy, ECNL, Article 19, fidh, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch
Within the Central Asian context, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have remained largely closed to independent scrutiny. To varying degrees, civil society in these countries, including NGOs, human rights defenders and media, continue to be subjected to a wide scope of state repression and unwarranted legislative restrictions. With limited opportunities for public dissent at the national level, it is imperative that the international community, including the Human Rights Council, takes effective measures to address undue limitations on the core civil society freedoms and persistent violations of human rights.
The side event will provide an important occasion to examine the disparate transnational experiences of civil society actors in creating a more enabling environment for civil society in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and identify specific action the international community can take to support the promotion and protection of human rights in these countries. The event will further provide an opportunity to discuss effective implementation of recommendations put forward by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association following his official visit to Kazakhstan in January 2015.
Speakers:
- Maina Kiai, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
- Ivar Dale,Norwegian Helsinki Committee
- Nozima Kamalova,Expert/ Independent Scholar
- Anara Ibrayeva Dignity Astana, Kazakhstan
