Uzbekistan
I. Summary of Conclusions
1. Like all nations, Uzbekistan is vulnerable to the risks associated with climate change. However, Uzbekistan bodes well in terms of global comparison. Uzbekistan belongs to the lowest risk class in Asia.[1] Globally, Uzbekistan ranks #158 in terms of risk.[2]
2. Uzbekistan should aim to improve its coping and adaptive capacities, both of which are severely lacking in the country.[3]
3. Uzbekistan should work to increase gender parity within its borders. Women are at a greater risk of harm from climate-related disasters than men. Moreover, gender violence and abuse are pervasive, leading to the denial of fundamental human rights for women and other victims of gender-based violence.
4. Uzbekistan should work to diversify income sources. Due to climate change, droughts are already pervasive and are likely to intensify. Thus, relying on agriculture may lead to economic instability and strife, which could imperil social and economic rights in the country, Uzbekistan’s right to development, and Uzbekistan’s fundamental right to self-determination and to its own means of subsistence.
Climate Change
5. Uzbekistan is vulnerable to “droughts, high temperatures, heat waves, heavy precipitation, mudflows, floods, and avalanches.”[4] Given the economic dependence on agriculture, such impacts may be particularly devastating to the country’s wellbeing.
6. Above-average temperatures are predicted as global warming increases, leading to water scarcity, health issues, and poor crop-growing conditions. This will have implications on the human rights to health and the right to life, among other human rights.
7. Changes in precipitation patterns are likely going to impact the stability of bedrock in the country, leading to increased landslides in Uzbekistan.[5] Given the geography of the nation, such landslides are particularly dangerous for vulnerable populations, specifically in the Southern and Eastern regions of the country. Increased precipitation is also likely to alter river flows and lead to increased mudslides and dangerously heavy precipitation. Again, this will likely impact vulnerable populations most significantly.
Gender Parity
8. We commend Uzbekistan for addressing issues related to gender equality and non-discrimination. As one of the first Central Asian countries to ratify the CEDAW – UN Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Violence and Discrimination against Women, gender inequality has steadily been decreasing in Uzbekistan.[6] Strides have been made in this issue area, but more work is to be done to achieve full equality.
9. The UN has noted gaps in its data collection, specifically gaps in certain key areas, including: violence against women, unpaid care and domestic work and key labor market indicators, such as the gender pay gap.[7]Uzbekistan should increase transparency and share such data indicators with international organizations.
10. It is anticipated that due to lost income from droughts and other climate related issues, domestic violence rates may increase. Uzbekistan must take steps to reduce and prevent domestic violence, particularly as climate stressors grow more severe. This can include working to decrease the stigma surrounding domestic violence survivors, creating a centralized domestic abuse hotline, holding abusers accountable, and creating safe havens for women and other victims of gender-based violence.
11. Uzbekistan successfully adopted a law on “Guarantees of Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men” in 2019.[8] However, enforcement of this law has been inadequate.[9] Uzbekistan must abide by its promises and protect women by enforcing this law.
Democracy
12. While some advances have been made to democratize the state, there remain significant challenges to civic and political participation in Uzbekistan according to Freedom House.[10]
13. Minor corruption has been publicly prosecuted and diminished.[11] Efforts should continue and expand to larger-scale corruption cases.
14. Media is still subject to controls by the government, which implicates civil and political rights including, without limitation, Article 19 of the ICCPR. We encourage Uzbekistan to consider media liberalization to report on issues such as climate change and gender inequality. Uzbekistan to consider additional political participation and means of opening representation in the government. Political participation in government matters is protected by the ICCPR and also relates to the fundamental rights of the people of Uzbekistan to choose their collective future, an essential aspect of their self-determination.
[1] World Risk Report 2021. Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft, Ruhr University Bochum – Institute for International Law of Peace and Conflict, 2021. Accessed at https://repository.gheli.harvard.edu/repository/10930/.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4]https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/uzbekistan/vulnerability#:~:text=Impacts%20from%20climate%20change%20make,Darya%20and%20Syr%20Darya%20Rivers
[5] Ibid.
[6] https://uzbekistan.unfpa.org/en/node/9674
[7] https://data.unwomen.org/country/uzbekistan
[8]https://www.unodc.org/centralasia/en/news-cj/women-leaders-of-uzbekistan-stand-for-gender-equality-and-human-rights.html
[9]https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uzbekistan-women-crime-feature/uzbek-domestic-abuse-victims-feel-judged-trapped-despite-new-law-idUSKBN28707L
[10] https://freedomhouse.org/country/uzbekistan
[11] Ibid.