UK notes Uzbekistan’s progress in eradicating forced labor, draws attention to backsliding in ensuring media freedom

The UK Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has released a report on the human rights situation in 31 countries for the first half of 2021.

The list includes Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

According to the document, during the reporting period, “human rights reforms continued in Uzbekistan though at a slower pace than in 2020, and there has been some backsliding on the progress of previous years, including on media freedom.”

Most positively, there remained a sustained commitment to eradicate forced labor, and the government continued to engage with the international community on human rights issues. 

“However, torture and mistreatment continued to occur in detention centers, and whilst investigations took place, these often lacked transparency. A new law on religious freedom came into effect in June, though many of the recommendations proposed by the Venice Commission did not appear to have been incorporated during the reporting period,” the report says.

The UK encouraged Uzbekistan’s parliament to take a more active role in drafting, and scrutinizing human rights legislation.