2003 Press Releases

U.N. General Assembly Adopts Resolution on Human Rights Situation in Turkmenistan

Nov. 25, 2003

On November 24, 2003, the United Nations Third Committee (Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian) approved a resolution on the situation of human rights in Turkmenistan by a vote of 72 in favor to 37 against, with 53 abstentions, at the 58th session of the UN General Assembly. The General Assembly called upon the Government of Turkmenistan to implement the recommendations outlined in the March 2003 report of the rapporteur of the Moscow Mechanism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the measures set out in Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2003/11 of April 16, 2003, and to work constructively with the various institutions of the OSCE, including through the facilitation of further visits. The General Assembly also called upon the Government to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as lawyers and relatives, immediate access to detained persons.

The United States voted in favor of the resolution. Excerpts from the text of the approved resolution on Turkmenistan follow. The full text of the related U.N. press release is available at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/gashc3772.doc.htm.

24/11/2003
General Assembly
Fifty-eighth session
Third Committee

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America

Situation of human rights in Turkmenistan

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming that all States Members of the United Nations have the obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and the duty to fulfill the obligations that they have undertaken under the various international instruments in this field,

Expressing its grave concern about the serious and continuing human rights violations occurring in Turkmenistan,

Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolution 2003/11 of 16 April 2003,

Taking note of the recommendations outlined in the March 2003 report of the Rapporteur of the Moscow Mechanism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,

Noting with appreciation the recent offer of the Government of Turkmenistan to invite a delegation of experts of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide technical assistance in the area of human rights as well as the recent visits of the Personal Envoy of the Chairman-in- Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe for participating States in Central Asia and of the Organization�s High Commissioner on National Minorities,

Calls upon the Government of Turkmenistan:

(a) To implement fully the measures set out in Commission on Human Rights resolution 2003/11 of 16 April 2003 and to inform the Commission before its sixtieth session of the steps being taken in this regard;

(b) To implement fully the recommendations outlined in the March 2003 report of the Rapporteur of the Moscow Mechanism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to work constructively with the various institutions of the Organization and to facilitate further visits of the Personal Envoy of the Organization�s Chairman-in-Office for participating States in Central Asia and of the Organization�s High Commissioner on National Minorities;

(c) To develop a constructive dialogue with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and to cooperate fully with all the mechanisms of the Office;

(d) To grant to the International Committee of the Red Cross as well as lawyers and relatives immediate access to detained persons.