DUSHANBE, March 1, Asia-Plus — A roundtable meeting for media formally titled “Fulfillment by Tajikistan of Recommendations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” was held in Dushanbe on February 28.
The meeting organized by Tajikistan”s Bureau on Human Rights and the Rule of Law (BHR) under support of the European Commission Delegation in Tajikistan and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) was held as part of the “Journalistic Human rights Network” project.
Sherali Jononov, an official with Tajik MFA, reported on activity of Tajikistan’s commission on fulfillment of international obligations in the field of human rights. He noted that trafficking in persons from and through the country remains a problem. According to him, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) alone, a group of 50 Tajik women, who were victims of an organized human-trafficking network, were detained and deported to Tajikistan.
Galina Derevechenko, the head of the BHR analytical center, telling the meeting dwelled on a role of civic society in submission of alternative report to the UN Committee on Human Rights. She called on journalists to be more active in protecting human rights.
Concerning possible problems that may face journalists after publication of materials she pointed to the necessity of journalistic solidarity and added that BHR and the Journalistic Human rights Network could provide assistance them.
The meeting participants included representatives from state-run and independent from all regions of the country.
