DUSHANBE, February 14, Asia-Plus  -- A roundtable meeting to discuss a bill on establishment of the national human rights institution (Ombudsman) in Tajikistan has opened in Dushanbe.   

The source at the OSCE Center in Dushanbe said the meeting is discussing comments and recommendations of representatives from the civil society institutions on the bill.   

“This meeting is dedicated to cause discussions among sides interested in observance of human rights in Tajikistan,” Mr. Payam Furigi, Human Dimension Officer, the OSCE Center in Dushanbe, said.    

The event dedicated to make public aware of the ombudsman bill has been staged by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNDP, the OSCE Center in Dushanbe and Tajikistan’s Government.    

We will recall that during her visit to Tajikistan in April 2007, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour met with representatives from Tajik political parties and public associations to discuss the human rights situation in Tajikistan.  One of key issues of the meeting was establishment of the national human rights institution in Tajikistan.         

On April 30, 2007, telling a joint session of parliament, President Rahmon, in particular, noted that Tajikistan fulfills all obligations on observance of human rights, and “time has come to establish an independent human rights institution.”