In 2020 the deadline for the implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan of Turkmenistan for 2016-2020 expired.
The PFD document is available here.
Pursuant to the National Human Rights Action Plan of Turkmenistan for 2016-2020, UN Special Rapporteurs were scheduled to pay a visit to Turkmenistan from 2016 to 2018. Despite the fact that these obligations are set forth in the National Human Rights Action Plan, Turkmenistan did not extend the invitation.
On 28 January 2021 Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry hosted a regular session of the Inter-departmental Commission on the Implementation of International Obligations of Turkmenistan in the area of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
Five years ago, on 15 January 2016, Turkmenistan adopted its first National Human Rights Action Plan, which was designed and developed based on 183 adopted recommendations from the 2012 UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review.
The Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) facilitated the adoption of these recommendations by preparing reports for the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The Action Plan envisages concrete measures which were envisaged to be executed in the period of 2016 to 2020 with performance and efficiency indicators.
The invitation of UN Special Rapporteurs to Turkmenistan is viewed by the TIHR as one of the most significant objectives set forth in the Action Plan. The Action Plan refers to it twice.
It is first mentioned in the section “Civil and political rights” (clause 6) Initiate the invitation of UN Special Rapporteurs. Carry out consultations with OHCHR and develop programmes of visits of Special Rapporteurs.
The second reference is made in the section “Legal system: judical system, law enforcement agencies and bar association” (clause 9) Cooperation within the framework of special procedures and OHCHR by providing permission and facilitation of procedures for the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and for the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
UN Special Rapporteurs were scheduled to be invited in the period from 2016 to 2018.However, they did not pay a visit to Turkmenistan at that time or throughout 2019-2020.The post Turkmenistan has not invited UN Special Rapporteurs despite its obligations first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.