Helsinki: Central Asian Ombudspersons from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan visited Finland on November 27-28 to discuss pathways toward advancing the Paris Principles. The visit was organized under the Finnish OSCE Chairpersonship, in collaboration with the Rule of Law Centre and the University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education.
According to EMM, the meeting also saw participation from representatives of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, and the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. The primary goal of the meeting was to gain a concrete overview of each country’s plans for implementing the Paris Principles, which set the international standards for the functioning of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). This initiative aimed to facilitate goal-oriented follow-up work in this context.
The study visit built on the Ombudspersons’ previous meeting in Helsinki in spring 2024, where they exchanged insights and best practices on iss
ues such as the independence of the Ombudsperson, relations with the judiciary and court-related complaints, and healthcare in closed institutions. The recent discussions further explored topics including integrity in reporting and case handling, as well as the criteria of the Istanbul Protocol, a set of international guidelines for investigating and documenting torture and ill-treatment.