This prestigious forum brought together heads of ombudsperson institutions and national human rights institutions from more than 20 countries, including Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, the Slovak Republic, Turkey, Serbia, Oman, and Montenegro.

Representatives of international organizations also took part, including the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ombudsman Association (OIC Ombudsman Association), among others.

During the first session, the Ombudsman of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Feruza Eshmatova, delivered a speech outlining the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan aimed at ensuring the protection of human rights. She emphasized that the new version of the Constitution has significantly strengthened the legal foundations for guaranteeing human dignity, honor, freedoms, and rights.

She also noted that the Law “On the Commissioner of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman),” adopted in 2024, had been aligned with the updated constitutional norms. The law enhances the significance of the Ombudsman institution as a national human rights body by expanding its powers.

Initiatives such as the “Ombudsman School” and “Ombudsman Hours,” which aim to provide legal assistance and engage with the public in various regions, as well as the “Huquq Bilimdoni” (Legal Knowledge) quiz conducted among children with disabilities and those living in orphanages, sparked particular interest among the participants.

The symposium also focused on sharing national experiences among ombudsmans and discussing modern mechanisms for ensuring human rights protection, particularly in the digitalization and artificial intelligence era. Special attention was given to the provision of legal assistance to populations affected by conflict.

For reference, the institution of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan was established as an independent state body based on the Constitutional Law adopted on December 28, 2001. The Ombudsman is authorized to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals and citizens, oversee the activities of state authorities, review individual complaints, and make recommendations to relevant bodies in response to identified human rights violations.

Additionally, the Ombudsman conducts regular monitoring of the human rights situation in institutions where persons with restricted liberty are held, working to prevent torture and cruel or inhuman treatment.

Within the framework of the symposium, Feruza Eshmatova held a series of bilateral meetings with ombudsmans from various countries to discuss issues of mutual cooperation and the further development of partnerships in the field of human rights.