Diplomatic Pouch

By Oybek Khamrayev, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Since 2017, amid a wave of structural reforms affecting all...

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has opened an election observation mission for the early presidential election in Uzbekistan on 9 July. The mission will consist of a core team of 11 international experts and 24 long-term observers, with 250 short-term observers to be requested. The mission will monitor all aspects of the election, including pre- and post-election developments, and assess compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections. Meetings with representatives of state authorities, political parties, civil society, the media and the international community will form an integral part of the observation. An interim report will be published two weeks prior to the election, with a final report containing recommendations to be published some months after the election.

By Umida Tukhtasheva The referendum held in Uzbekistan on 30 April 2023 led to the adoption of the new Constitution. Strengthening the right to seek,...

Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights Continues to Advocate for Human Rights and Justice Amidst Global Challenges, Says Executive Director Judith Abitan

By Gulnoza Rakhimova The participation of international organizations and foreign observers in elections is essential for the open and transparent conduct of democratic elections. At...

The chemical industry of Uzbekistan plays an important role in diversifying exports and attracting companies who have left the Russian market.

15th century Qur'an sells for over £7 million at Christie's auction in London

Advocate general recommends giving Crimean treasures to Ukraine in ongoing legal dispute, with final ruling to come from Supreme Court of the Netherlands. The advocate general's opinion supports the Amsterdam Court of Appeal's ruling that Ukraine should receive the artefacts, due to the country's suspension of the operational right of the Crimean museums. The museums in Crimea have objected to this ruling and have filed an appeal in cassation to the Supreme Court. The court is expected to issue its final ruling on the matter in September 2023.

The Hague Academy of International Law celebrated its centenary during the last week of May with a festive program held in the premises of the Academy in the new wing of the Peace Palace. The Academy was conceived during the second Peace Conference in the Hague in 1907, and was ready to start in October 1914, but the Great War (WW1) intervened, so the first courses could only be held in the Peace Palace in 1923. The Academy has been famous for its worldwide appeal, due in large measure to the excellence of the professors and of the students. The Hague Academy of International Law is well known in the world, probably more so than in the Netherlands. The General Assembly of the UN annually calls upon States to support this grand old institution for the study, teaching, and dissemination of international law.

AI and Blockchain technologies could facilitate a less biased approached within the financial industry; as data shows that in many developed economies access to banks are a particular struggle for ethnic, or racial minorities, or those belonging to groups that have historically faced societal discrimination.