A round table, dedicated to the initiative of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres “High aspiration: a call to action in the field of human rights” was held in Ashgabat in the UN building with the technical support of the UN Human Rights Office.
The meeting was attended by UN national partners in the country, including human rights institutions, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education. Lawyers, representatives of academia and civil society were also invited to the event.
As reported in a UN press release, participants learned about seven key areas of rights that underpin sustainable development:
- rights in times of crisis;
- gender equality and equal rights for women;
- public participation and civic space;
- the rights of future generations;
- climate justice;
- the rights underlying collective action;
- new horizons in the field of human rights.
International OHCHR experts presented strategic interventions for action in all seven areas. The call to action supports governments and civil society in expanding and protecting civic space, protecting public freedoms, and increasing civil society participation in national decision-making and UN processes.
Richard Komenda, OHCHR Regional Representative for Central Asia, noted:
“When we approach development from a human rights perspective, we achieve more sustainable, stronger and more effective outcomes. It is for this reason that human rights run like a red thread throughout the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
The participants of the round table exchanged views on issues of strengthening partnership with state bodies in the field of the country's social development.
As notes the source, the call to action for human rights by António Guterres was issued in 2020 on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations as a response to contemporary human rights challenges.
