February 19, 2014
Deputies heard the report of the Ombudsman.. 2
Svetlana Radzivil updates Asian Championship record.. 3
Press-service of MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan
POLICY
Deputies heard the report of the Ombudsman
On February 14, was held a regular meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
After the adoption of the agenda, proposed by the Kengash (Council) of the Chamber, deputies heard the report on the activities of the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in 2013, which was made by S.Rashidova.
It was emphasized that the parliamentary control over the activities of state governing bodies in the sphere of compliance of human rights and freedoms is one of the main elements in the activities of the Legislative Chamber deputies, so this issue is of great importance for parliamentarians. It was noted that the activities of the Ombudsman last year was aimed at the implementation of measures on enhancing the parliamentary and public control over observance of human rights and freedoms by state governing bodies and administration, their officials, contributing the improvement of the legislation, as well as mechanisms of ensuring and protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens.
In addition, the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights participated in the work on improving the legislation in this sphere, developing international cooperation, increasing public awareness in the field of human rights. Deputies noted that the activities of the Ombudsman last year were aimed at deepening cooperation between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, civil society institutions and international organizations in protecting human rights and freedoms. During the last year, the Ombudsman carried out legal examination of about 15 draft laws to their conformity with national legislation, international standards in the sphere of human rights protection.
Interaction of the Ombudsman with the Legislative Chamber was directed not only at conduction of a legal expertise of the draft laws, but also at participation in control and analytical activities, exchange of information on the results of monitoring of legislation compliance.
One of the important activities of the Ombudsman became the consideration of complaints and appeals of citizens. In all the reporting period, over 11 thousand complaints of citizens were received, of which more than 7,7 thousands of applications and complaints were received by the central office of the Ombudsman, and almost 1000 by the regional representatives. The practice of receiving appeals of citizens by e-mail is improving. A personal reception of the Ombudsman and her staff considered almost 1,4 thousand citizens’ appeals. They were all considered in strict accordance with current legislation.
After answering the questions, a considerable discussion of the report of the Ombudsman was held, where representatives of all factions of political parties and the deputy group of the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan have made speeches.
Deputies from the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen – Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, on the basis of its electoral program emphasized the priority of implementing measures on further strengthening the processes of liberalization of major spheres of public life and ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens. Deputies mentioning that, based on the norms of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the Authorized Person for Human Rights (Ombudsman)”, the basic principles of her activities must be transparency and accessibility to everyone, highlighting issues of further improving the Ombudsman activities in improving the legal culture and justice of citizens, as well as strengthening cooperation with state governing bodies, law enforcement and judicial institutions in the sphere of protecting the human rights and freedoms.
Based on the interests of the party’s electorate, it was emphasized that the Ombudsman is intended to continue to pay close attention to the issues of dealing with complaints against organizations, including in the sphere of the rights of owners of private property and free exercise of entrepreneurship and to prevent unlawful interference with it. Deputies emphasized that the speech of the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights will be taken into account in control and analytical activities of the faction.
Members of the faction of the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan drew attention to the fact that the study of activities of the Ombudsman for Human Rights and with citizens’ appeals once again proves the importance of the Institute of citizens’ appeals. According to deputies, working with citizens’ appeals is an important tool for the protection of human rights, strengthening the link of state authorities and local civil society institutions.
Speakers from the Democratic Party “Milliy Tiklanish” focused on the issues of legal support at the appropriate level of participation of civil society institutions in the implementation of public control over the activities of state governing bodies, including law enforcement agencies. In this regard, representatives of the faction noted the importance of continuing close cooperation of the Ombudsman and deputies of the Legislative Chamber on improving the legal mechanisms of ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens, in particular, issues regarding responsibility of officials for inadequate consideration of appeals of individual and legal entities.
Members of the faction of the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Adolat” raised issues of further deepening activities of the Ombudsman on dealing with complaints on violation of requirements of the legislation in the sphere of housing and communal services. Representatives of the faction made a number of recommendations aimed at further strengthening the cooperation of the Ombudsman with the local representative authorities in protecting human rights.
Members of the deputy group of the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan noted that in recent years, though minor, but still increase in the number of citizens on issues of environmental protection and rational use of natural resources is being observed. In this regard, the deputy group expressed its intention to continue to cooperate with the Ombudsman in order to enhance legal culture and awareness of population in environmental issues by organizing targeted events.
Taking into account the views expressed during the discussion, deputies approved the report on the activities of the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights in 2013 and adopted a relevant resolution.
(Source: Information Service Legislative Chamber Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
HISTORY
Ancient Amulet
A stone statue figurine of two snakes was found in the delta of the Sokh River in Farghona region in 1893 by locals during earth works. The horseshoe sculpture was made by the ancient master, who lived in the second millennia BC. Made of chrysotile, deposit of which is located in five kilometers northeast of the Sokh settlement, the amulet was repeatedly put on display at expositions abroad. Now it is stored at the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan.
The cult of snakes has long been common in many countries. General fund of works of art, depicting the reptiles include the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and up to the early Middle Ages. The Sokh amulet belongs to that period.
In myth and folklore of the world they represent good and evil inclination. Often the snake is considered as a talisman, a house guardian, a symbol of prosperity. In some cultures, snake even expresses the idea of fertility and immortality. However, the snake is associated with dark forces of nature, the underworld and its inhabitants. Obviously, therefore, this amulet represents the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness.
With the discovery of this amulet researchers became interested in the cult of the snake in ancient Central Asia. Based on myths they tried to discover some semantic aspects of this cult. Incidentally, most of them saw in the sculpture from Sokh the image of the common to that place snake – carpet viper. Spotting and some other signs turned a reason to compare Sokh snakes not only with the image of reptiles on the monuments of Central Asian Bronze Age, but also with some antiquities of Mesopotamia. This helped researchers to determine the date of the article.
Made more than two millennia ago, and discovered in the late 19th century, the amulet even today charms and surprises visitors of the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan. It is the centuries-old wisdom and cosmological beginning that made this stone guest from the past reborn again through the centuries to convey to descendants a message about the infinite greatness of ancient ancestors.
(Source: “Uzbekistan Today” newspaper)
SPORT
Svetlana Radzivil updates Asian Championship record
The 6th Asian Indoor Athletics Championship was completed in Hangzhou, China.
Finalist of London Olympic Games Svetlana Radzivil won a gold medal in high jump. She jumped to 1.96 meter and set new record of the Asian Indoor Athletics Championship.
In long jump, Anastasiya Juravleva jumped to 13.6 meters and claimed the first place. Aleksandra Kotlyarova was second with 13.45 meters. Ruslan Kurbanov was third in the same sector among men. He jumped to 16 meters.
In the pentathlon competition, Yuliya Tarasova was second, while Leonid Andreev finished on the third place.
In general team classification, Uzbekistan was fourth with three gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
(Source: UzDaily.com)