OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO

UNCLAS STATE 096402 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV OSCE KPAO PHUM PREL UZ SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO COMMENTS BY ODIHR DIRECTOR LENARCIC ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN UZBEKISTAN ¶1. (U) Post is authorized to present the following statement at the September 17 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna. Begin text: Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. The United States is pleased to take note of the recent comments by the distinguished Director of ODIHR Ambassador Janez Lenarcic on the forward movement made by Uzbekistan and the increased cooperation between the Government of Uzbekistan and ODIHR in the area of human rights. The efforts to improve detention conditions, the release of some human rights activists, and the extension of the International Committee of the Red Crescent program of prison visits were all particularly well received. We urge Uzbekistan to continue looking to ODHIR for guidance in areas such as enhancing legislation on human rights, fighting trafficking in persons and raising public awareness of human rights. We also take this opportunity to urge Uzbekistan to capitalize on this increased cooperation and ensure full compliance with the requirements of due process in the appeal hearing for journalist Dilmurod Sayyid. We are confident that cooperation between Uzbekistan and ODIHR will continue, especially in light of the upcoming December 27th elections, for which we expect ODIHR to offer assistance and to deploy an observation mission. Thank you Madame Chairwoman. CLINTON