UNHCR welcomes Uzbekistan’s acceptance of the recommendations at the third cycle of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review in 2018 to accede to the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.
UNHCR offers its full support to the Government to work together on the ratification of the international instruments and on the development of the relevant legal framework.
UNHCR supports dialogue with the authorities in Uzbekistan to seek a long-term solution for the mandate refugees through regularizing their legal status. Many refugees have stayed in Uzbekistan for over a decade and are well-integrated into the local society.
UNHCR welcomes Uzbekistan’s acceptance of the recommendations at the third cycle of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review in 2018 to accede to the two conventions on statelessness. UNHCR stands ready to support the Government’s effort in developing a roadmap to the accession through legal advice on the legislation and possibly a country-wide identification, registration and documentation of those who may be at risk of statelessness. UNHCR provides its expertise and support to the authorities in amending its nationality and citizenship laws to put adequate safeguards in place and prevent statelessness in future.
Uzbekistan’s legislation and policies on the birth registration ensure unconditional registration of birth of any child on the territory of Uzbekistan, which is not the case in other Central Asian countries. UNHCR together with the Uzbek authorities would like to share Uzbekistan’s positive experience, practices and mechanisms with other countries in the sub-region for effective prevention of statelessness.
UNHCR stands ready to support the authorities in developing a sustainable national preparedness and response mechanisms in case of a large-scale international forced displacement. UNHCR contributes to the national and interagency-agency efforts in Uzbekistan to build capacity for the response to the internal forced displacement because of man-made or natural disasters.