International Human Rights Day
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention ‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common human rights standard for all people and all nations.
International Human Rights Day
The British government supports human rights, democracy and good governance around the world to increase Britain’s security, to protect British citizens overseas, and to secure political freedom globally.
In Tajikistan, the British Embassy Dushanbe undertakes a wide range of human rights activities:
- supporting the development of British and Tajik parliamentary cooperation in order to create a more transparent, accountable and effective Tajik parliament;
- voicing our support for freedom of the media and religious tolerance, at political levels and with civil society;
- providing development aid through the Department for International Development, encouraging effective participation by parliament, civil society and media in governance issues;
- lobbying the government of Tajikistan, including through senior visitors and in conjunction with international partners, on the improvement of human rights in Tajikistan
The British Embassy in Dushanbe is committed to practical measures to help Tajikistan meet its international commitments. Key areas where the British government has worked to promote human rights are:
- supporting prison and detention reform by sponsoring and opening a training centre in partnership with the Tajik Ministry of Justice for the use of penal institution staff, where detention officials can conduct training, organise workshops and exchange ideas. At a recent training workshop on detention best practices, prison guards learned methods of appropriate treatment of prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment.
- funding a project from the British Government’s Conflict Pool for the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative in GBAO, which aims to develop the legal capacity of lawyers and advocates in the region. Project activity is underway and an initial workshop for project participants was held on 18 September.
- Creating equal opportunities for all by constructing a dedicated playground suited to the needs of disabled children in Panjakent with the NGO ‘Mission East’. The playground provides a new and safe social and recreational area for approximately 200 children with disabilities.
To mark International Human Rights Day 2013, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Robin Ord-Smith released the following statement:
“The British Embassy is working hard to help Tajikistan to meet its international human rights obligations and foster greater civil society. I am proud of the wide range of Embassy activity to support and promote human rights in Tajikistan.”