DUSHANABE, November 1, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- On Friday October 31, the First Human Rights Dialogue Meeting between Tajikistan and the European Union (EU) took place in Dushanbe.

According to the European Commission Delegation Tajikistan, the EU delegation was headed by Mr. Jacques Pellet, Head of Division for Human Rights, Humanitarian and Social Affairs of France’s Foreign Ministry, and included Ms. Riina Kionka, Personal Representative for Human Rights of the EU Secretary General/High Representative and Mr. Rolf Timans, Head of Human Rights and Democratization at the European Commission.  The Tajikistan delegation was headed by Mr. Yusuf Salimov, Head of Department for Constitutional Guarantees of Citizens Rights within President''s Executive Office, and included Mr. Rustam Mengliev, the First Deputy Minister of Justice, as well as representatives of various Ministries and State agencies.

The meeting was organized in the framework of the EU strategy for Central Asia adopted in June 2007. This strategy includes the establishment of Human Rights Dialogues between the EU and each of the Central Asian states.

The agenda of the dialogue comprised the following issues for discussion: national framework for the protection of human rights (reform and independence of the judicial system, and human rights monitoring mechanisms and national institute for the protection of human rights); civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights (death penalty, freedom of conscience and religion, freedom of expression (including media freedom), conditions of detention and torture, freedom of association and assembly, right to health, and right to education); women''s rights; child rights; cooperation in the international fora for the protection of human rights (United Nations Human Rights Council and General Assembly, Durban follow-up, universal periodic review mechanism, cooperation with international human rights monitoring mechanisms, and ratification and implementation of human rights international instruments and commitments); individual cases; and human rights situation in the European Union.

The dialogue was held in an open and constructive atmosphere, with exchanges on a wide range of issues of mutual interest or concern, as well as consideration of possibilities for concrete cooperation. In the framework of the Human Rights Dialogue the EU intends to provide analysis and recommendations, share best practices, and render assistance in terms of Human Rights improvements to Tajikistan.

The EU delegation met representatives of civil society active in the Tajikistan. The EU delegation will also visit NGO projects funded by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) in Qurghon Teppa, Hissor and Dushanbe.

The EU delegation proposed to hold the next meeting of the EU-Tajikistan Human Rights Dialogue in 2009 in Brussels. Both sides agreed to hold a dedicated Human Rights seminar between civil society representatives from Tajikistan and the EU, to be organized in Dushanbe in the near future.