On December 4, 2024, a meeting was held between the Authorized Representative for Human Rights in Turkmenistan, Ombudsperson Ya. Gurbannazarova, and the head of UNICEF's office in Turkmenistan, Jalpa Ratna. The meeting aimed to familiarize with the Ombudsperson's activities and discuss issues of bilateral cooperation.
Noting that UNICEF in Turkmenistan is one of the main international partners of the Ombudsperson's Office, Authorized Representative for Human Rights Ya. Gurbannazarova spoke about various activities conducted in cooperation with this UN structure on issues related to the protection of children's rights. During the meeting, Ms. Jalpa Ratna emphasized the positive nature and effectiveness of the Government of Turkmenistan's policies in child protection, highly praised the work of the Ombudsperson's Office in this area, and highlighted its importance as an independent institution for protecting and promoting human rights in the country. At the end of the meeting, both parties expressed their readiness to further strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation.
On the same day, Ombudsperson Ya. Gurbannazarova met with David Lewis, Vice President and Senior Political Counsellor of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss human rights compliance in Turkmenistan, the activities of the Ombudsperson's Office as an independent institution in this field, and the powers and functions of the Ombudsperson.
During the conversation, it was noted that relations between Turkmenistan and the European Union in the field of human rights are continuously developing. Ombudsperson Ya. Gurbannazarova informed the guest about the activities of the Ombudsperson's Office since its establishment in ensuring human rights and freedoms, achievements over a short period, accumulated experience, international cooperation, and stated that this work will continue in the future. An important step in expanding the scope and functional capabilities of the Ombudsperson's Office in protecting human rights in Turkmenistan was the opening of two new departments for protecting women's and children's rights and protecting human rights in the private sector. In connection with this, amendments and additions were made to Turkmenistan's Law "On the Ombudsman" at a meeting of Turkmenistan's Mejlis on November 30, 2024, aimed at improving the legal framework for human rights activities in the country.
The role of these measures in strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ombudsperson's Office and further promoting human rights in the country was assessed during the meeting. The parties thanked each other for the meeting and expressed their readiness to further strengthen effective cooperation in human rights protection.
