Within the framework of the 30th session of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), held in May 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland, the delegation of Turkmenistan, headed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan V. S. Khadzhiev, took part on May 7, 2018 at the 3rd review of Turkmenistan.
In the course of the above-mentioned event, the Turkmen side made a presentation on the main directions of Turkmenistan's policy to implement the commitments undertaken in the field of human rights, and also informed about the progressive changes that made it possible to make significant progress in resolving a number of issues identified during the dialogue in connection with the UPR of Turkmenistan, which was held at a meeting of the HRC in 2013.
In turn, 74 states made statements about positive changes in the country during the reporting period, in which the adoption of a new version of the Constitution of Turkmenistan in 2016, in which the range of rights and freedoms of citizens of Turkmenistan was expanded, was highlighted. At the same time, the participating countries welcomed the further implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender Equality in Turkmenistan for the period 2015-2020, the National Action Plan for Human Rights in Turkmenistan for the period 2016-2020, and the National Action Plan of Turkmenistan to combat with human trafficking for the period 2016-2018. In addition, the countries participating in the UPR welcomed Turkmenistan's actions aimed at further improving the institution of the Ombudsman established in 2017 as a national human rights institution.
Among other recommendations, the Turkmen side welcomed the proposals of the UPR participating countries to further strengthen cooperation with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Within the framework of the visit of the Turkmen delegation in Geneva, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan met with the Director General of the United Nations Office in Geneva, M. Moeller, during which the issues of bilateral cooperation within the framework of the SDG implementation were discussed. In this regard, it was suggested that a briefing be conducted at the UN Office in Geneva to study the experience of Turkmenistan in the implementation of the SDG.
