On 11–12 September 2025, Tashkent is hosting the first ever International Forum of Central Asian Commissioners for Children’s Rights under the title of “Current issues in strengthening mechanisms for the protection of children’s rights in Central Asian countries: regional cooperation among Children’s Rights Commissioners.” The event is organized by the Children’s Ombudsman of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan.
The two-day forum brings together Commissioners for Children’s Rights from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as from Norway, Croatia and Finland, which currently chairs the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC).
The event aims to create an effective regional platform for dialogue and interaction of children’s ombudspersons from Central Asian countries. Further, the regional platform seeks to contribute to a constructive exchange of experience in the field of protecting children’s rights, the optimal solution of common problems, the development of common approaches to countering common regional and transnational threats and challenges, as well as strengthening the capacity of children’s ombudspersons institutions of the Central Asian countries.
The agenda of the forum includes such issues as national monitoring of the situation of children in the region; ensuring the safety of children on the Internet; effective mechanisms to prevent all forms of violence against children; ensuring children’s access to justice.
It is expected that the forum will conclude with the adoption of a Declaration of Children’s Ombudsmen of Central Asian Countries, aimed at further strengthening interregional and international cooperation in ensuring and protecting children’s rights.
The Forum of Children’s Ombudsmen of Central Asian Countries, initiated by Uzbekistan, will be held annually. The next forum is scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan in 2026.
***
As part of the forum, the Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, Tanzila Narbayeva, held a meeting with children’s ombudsmen from Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—as well as ombudsmen from Norway, Croatia, and Finland.
During the meeting, special emphasis was placed on the legal foundations for protecting children’s rights and the effective implementation of parliamentary oversight in this area. An exchange of views also took place regarding cooperation with international organizations on children’s rights protection and the active involvement of parliaments, state, and non-governmental organizations in implementing recommended measures. ///nCa, 12 September 2025