TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT CREATES NEW HUMAN RIGHTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000885 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL, IO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT CREATES NEW HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO IMPLEMENT INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS REF: A. ASHGABAT 707 ¶B. ASHGABAT 831 ASHGABAT 00000885 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: An August 24 session of Turkmenistan's Cabinet of Ministers became a vehicle for President Berdimuhamedov to announce that he was establishing an interagency "Human Rights Commission" to coordinate work designed to bring Turkmenistan into compliance with commitments that it has made in signing onto international human rights instruments. At the same session, he restructured the Ministry of Transportation, and appointed a new Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers for energy and construction. Turkmenistan has done little in the 15 years since its independence to begin implementing the human rights conventions onto which it signed. Given Berdimuhamedov's widely rumored impending visit to the UN General Assembly in September, Turkmenistan likely sees this as an effective deliverable as it tries to showcase its new image. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) At an expanded meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers August 24, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers/Foreign Minister Rashit Meredov reported on concrete steps that Turkmenistan had taken in order to fulfill the approximately 100 international conventions onto which it had signed, either upon independence in 1991 or since independence. One of these steps was the establishment of an interagency "Human Rights Commission," that would bring Turkmenistan into compliance with commitments that it made when signing into international human rights instruments. Meredov said he had recommended establishing a special interagency commission to oversee Turkmenistan's fulfillment of its commitments. (NOTE: UNDP Deputy Resident Representative told DCM August 27 that setting up the commission was a requirement of a UNDP human rights project with Turkmenistan. Septel. END NOTE.) A separate press article noted President Berdimuhamedov signed a decree establishing the commission on August 24. ¶4. (U) Also at the Cabinet of Ministers, the president, noting that "failure is obvious everywhere, be it in transport or roads or construction projects," said that he had been advised to set up a separate department for roads (road construction earlier fell under the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport and Roads). He set up a new body, the Ministry of Roads, to oversee all road construction. Berdimuhamedov appointed Asyr Sarybayev minister of the new agency, Saguly Gayipniyazov to serve as the new Minister of Transportation, and Nazarguly Saguliyev as the new Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers responsible for overseeing the energy and construction sectors (bio para 6). COMMENT ¶5. (SBU) A human rights contact at UNDP temporarily assigned to the UN office here following the visit by UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Louise Arbour in May told post that Turkmenistan was facing serious difficulties following up on a mandatory requirement to report on its implementation of the various UN human rights instruments onto which it had signed. Although Meredov had committed to try to carry out this requirement, it had made, up to that time, little progress in implementing most of its commitments. UNDP now says that Turkmenistan has agreed to take even bolder steps regarding human rights. Given Turkmenistan's deputy chairmanship of the UNGA and the decision for Berdimuhamedov ASHGABAT 00000885 002.2 OF 002 to visit the UNGA, the Turkmenistan government must believe this is the right time to make this move. END COMMENT. BIO -- DEPUTY CHAIRMAN SAGULIYEV ¶6. (U) Saguliyev was born in the village of Bagyr in Ahal Province's Ruhabat District in 1959. He graduated from the Turkmenistan Agricultural Institute in 1980, and from the Moscow Institute of Agriculture in 1985 with degrees in mechanical engineering and teaching engineering. He started his work career in 1980 as a teacher at the Ashgabat College of Agricultural Mechanization. In 1982-84, he worked as a senior safety engineer at the headquarters of student construction teams. In 1984-86, he again taught at the Ashgabat College of Agricultural Mechanization, then became the chief mechanical engineer at the Yerbent State Farm in Ruhabat District. In 1991, he became a deputy director of the Birlesik Association, then from 1992-1994, worked as head of the operation department of the Number 2 motor transport enterprise. In 1994-1996, he worked as deputy director of the Azat-92 private venture and director of the Nazarguly-Wekil private venture. From 1996-2000, he held various posts at the Azatlyk district administration. From 2000-2004, he worked as acting deputy chief of Azatlyk District, then, in 2004-2006, worked as chief engineer at the State Hydrometeorology Committee under the Cabinet of Ministers. In 2006, he was appointed Chairman of the State Hydrometeorology Committee. HOAGLAND