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OSCE organizes international conference in Tajikistan on lawyers in a modern society
DUSHANBE 30 October 2001
DUSHANBE, 30 October 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Mission to Tajikistan co-hosted a two-day international conference on the role of the institution of lawyers ("Advokatura") in today's society. The event was organized by the Tajik Human Rights non-governmental organization (NGO) 'The League of Women Lawyers', with support from the Open Society Institute, the Embassy of Germany and the OSCE Mission to Tajikistan.
More than 120 lawyers and members of human right NGOs from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia took part in the conference. Among the attendants of the conference were Tajik parliamentarians, representatives of the presidential apparatus, including Mr. Shoev, the State Advisor on legal affairs, the Supreme and Constitutional Courts, the Council of Justice, the Prosecutor General's office and all relevant ministries, the Minister of Justice, Mr. Khamidov, as well as international organizations and local media.
This was the first conference in Central Asia focusing exclusively on the crucial role of the institution of lawyers in securing a fair trial and respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in a modern democratic society.
In their reports, Governmental structures and non-governmental organizations gave numerous examples of the current problems that lawyers in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries are facing. The presence of representatives of other branches of the judiciary and of various law-enforcement organs facilitated an important dialogue on crucial issues such as the independence of lawyers, their rights to non-supervised meetings with defendants and professional ethics. The participants obliged themselves to continue the fruitful dialogue initiated by this conference
A working group was created to fulfil the task of collecting and compiling the recommendations of the conference. The recommendations focus on ways to improve and protect the activities of the lawyers as well as bringing the legal regulations guiding their work in accordance with international standards and norms. The recommendations will be handed over to relevant Tajik authorities in the nearest future.
More than 120 lawyers and members of human right NGOs from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia took part in the conference. Among the attendants of the conference were Tajik parliamentarians, representatives of the presidential apparatus, including Mr. Shoev, the State Advisor on legal affairs, the Supreme and Constitutional Courts, the Council of Justice, the Prosecutor General's office and all relevant ministries, the Minister of Justice, Mr. Khamidov, as well as international organizations and local media.
This was the first conference in Central Asia focusing exclusively on the crucial role of the institution of lawyers in securing a fair trial and respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in a modern democratic society.
In their reports, Governmental structures and non-governmental organizations gave numerous examples of the current problems that lawyers in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries are facing. The presence of representatives of other branches of the judiciary and of various law-enforcement organs facilitated an important dialogue on crucial issues such as the independence of lawyers, their rights to non-supervised meetings with defendants and professional ethics. The participants obliged themselves to continue the fruitful dialogue initiated by this conference
A working group was created to fulfil the task of collecting and compiling the recommendations of the conference. The recommendations focus on ways to improve and protect the activities of the lawyers as well as bringing the legal regulations guiding their work in accordance with international standards and norms. The recommendations will be handed over to relevant Tajik authorities in the nearest future.