Tashkent: Regional cooperation among Children’s Rights Commissioners has taken a significant step forward as a two-day forum convenes, bringing together Children’s Rights Commissioners from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as well as Norway, Croatia, and Finland, which currently chairs the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC). The event aims to establish an effective regional platform for dialogue and interaction among children’s ombudspersons from Central Asian countries.
According to EMM, the regional platform seeks to facilitate a constructive exchange of experiences in protecting children’s rights, addressing common challenges, and developing unified approaches to counteract regional and transnational threats. Additionally, the forum aims to strengthen the capacities of children’s ombudspersons institutions in Central Asia. Key issues on the agenda include national monitoring of the situation of children in the region, ensuring internet safety for children, effective mechanisms to prevent violence against children, and ensuring children’s access to justice.
Ambassador Antti Karttunen, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, emphasized the significance of the gathering, stating that it represents a substantial step forward in protecting children’s rights in Central Asia. Karttunen highlighted the collective commitment to ongoing cooperation, open discussions, and mutual learning, underscoring the importance of collaboration among governments, human rights institutions, civil society organizations, and international partners to build stronger systems for child safety and protection.
The forum is expected to conclude with the adoption of the Declaration of Children’s Rights Commissioners of the Central Asian countries, which aims to enhance interregional and international cooperation in ensuring and protecting children’s rights. Initiated by Uzbekistan, the Forum of Children’s Rights Commissioners of the Central Asian countries will be held annually, with the next meeting planned for 2026 in the Republic of Kazakhstan.