Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

List of issues in relation to the third periodic report of Uzbekistan *

I.General information

Please provide information on the steps envisaged to incorporate the rights enshrined in the Covenant in domestic law, including an update on the draft human rights strategy of action for the period 2019–2021 mentioned in paragraph 47 of the State party report and information on whether an open, inclusive and effective public consultation will take place in the drafting process. Please also provide information on the cases in which Covenant rights have been invoked before or applied by domestic courts, if any, including the number of such cases and examples. Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure the independence of the judiciary and the separation of its powers from the legislature and the executive.

Please provide information on the legislative framework regarding the registration of independent self-initiated civil society groups. Please provide information on the steps taken to ensure participation and consultation in the drafting of the code on non-governmental non-commercial organizations. Please provide information on the steps taken to ensure that all non-governmental organizations, including those working on economic, social and cultural rights, are able to operate freely.

Please indicate to what extent the State Statistics Committee generates disaggregated statistical data that is relevant in assessing the progress achieved in complying with its obligations under the Covenant.

Please provide information on the impact of the anti-corruption measures described in paragraph 54 of the State party report, in particular regarding access to health care, education and residence registration.Please indicate what measures have been taken to ensure the independence of prosecutors and judges and the protection of whistle-blowers.

II.Issues relating to the general provisions of the Covenant (arts. 1–5)

Please provide information on the progress made in meeting the nationally determined contributions for reducing emissions under the Paris Agreement. Please provide information on the progress made in implementing adaptation measures. Please provide information on the results of the measures described in paragraph 41 of the State party report on the socioeconomic situation of the population of the Aral Sea region.

Maximum available resources (art. 2 (1))

In order for the Committee to assess whether the State party is using the maximum available resources to realize the rights recognized in the Covenant, please provide information on the evolution over the past 10 years of:

(a)The proportion of persons below the poverty line, and the levels of inequality, defined as the ratio between the total income accruing to the richest decile of the population and the total income of the poorest 40 per cent of the population;

(b)The proportion of public revenue that is generated through taxes;

(c)The tax rates levied on corporate profits and on personal income, the value added tax rate (exclusive of the value added tax on luxury items, tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks and snacks, and fuel), and the percentage of total revenue that is generated from personal income taxes collected from the richest decile of the population;

(d)Public expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product and, within total public expenditure, the proportion of the public budget that is allocated to social spending (social security, food, water and sanitation, housing, health and education);

(e)Inflation-adjusted absolute levels of social spending.

Non-discrimination (art. 2 (2))

Please indicate whether the State party intends to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, taking into account general comment No. 20 (2009) on non-discrimination in economic, social and cultural rights. Describe the steps taken to combat discrimination against the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups, such as Roma/Lyuli, persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, regarding access to health care, employment, housing and education. Please specify what steps have been taken, if any, to decriminalize homosexuality. Please provide information on the measures taken to raise awareness, especially among marginalized and disadvantaged persons, to prevent human trafficking, including the budgetary allocation for this purpose.

Equal rights of men and women (art. 3)

Please provide information on the status of implementation of Act No. ZRU-562 on guarantees of the equal rights and opportunities of women and men. Please provide information on how the State party envisages addressing the challenges with regard to equality between men and women, such as occupational segregation by sex, low salaries and asymmetry in women’s ownership of property and assets. Please provide information on the steps taken to increase the representation of women in political leadership positions and in decision-making.

III.Issues relating to the specific provisions of the Covenant (arts. 6–15)

Right to work (art. 6)

Please provide information on the effectiveness of the order on additional measures to eradicate forced labour, adopted by the Government on 10 May 2018. Please clarify whether legislative amendments are foreseen to criminalize various forms of forced labour, including the worst forms of child labour, and what other measures are being taken to counter such practices and to provide support to victims.

Right to just and favourable conditions of work (art. 7)

Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure effective compliance with the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. Please provide information on the minimum wage, its applicability to all workers regardless of the type of contract, including in the informal economy, and enforcement mechanisms and their effectiveness. Please provide information on the steps taken or envisaged to regularly review and adjust the level of the minimum wage to ensure a decent living for workers and their families.

Trade union rights (art. 8)

With reference to paragraph 106 of the State party report, please provide an update on the new version of the Trade Unions Act and its conformity with the Covenant.Please clarify whether the draft code on non-governmental non-commercial organizations has been brought into line with article 8 of the Covenant by eliminating administrative barriers. Please provide further information on how the draft law on the organization and holding of meetings, rallies, demonstrations and other mass events fully allows for the exercise of the right to strike and please indicate any restrictions on the right to strike in the public and private sectors and their justification.

Please provide updated data on the number of trade unions and their members, disaggregated by sex and ethnic group, in both the public and the private sector in the past five years, including the numbers and percentages of employees belonging and not belonging to trade unions.

Right to social security (art. 9)

Please provide information on the measures taken to develop a national social security strategy and government policies to establish social security programmes to cover all persons in vulnerable situations. Please provide information on the specific steps taken to extend social security coverage, in particular to children, older persons and persons with disabilities.

Protection of the family and children (art. 10)

With reference to paragraph 128 of the State party report, please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to prevent violence against children in the Mehribonlik homes and other children’s institutions. Please indicate what measures have been taken to ensure the enjoyment of the rights contained in the Covenant by Roma/Lyuli children.

Right to an adequate standard of living (art. 11)

In the light of the Committee’s previous recommendation (E/C.12/UZB/CO/2, para. 21), please provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to address land ownership, in particular regarding women’s access to land ownership, to ensure access to justice in the case of land deprivation, prosecution of the perpetrators and redress for the victims. Please provide information on the realization of the right to food, particularly on hunger, malnutrition and obesity.

Please provide information on the steps taken to prevent forced evictions, in particular in the context of urban development projects.Please clarify whether, in case of evictions, affected residents are consulted prior to the decision being taken, and indicate whether opportunities for alternative housing and compensation are provided to those affected by such evictions.

Please describe the impact of the measures taken to increase the provision of adequate and affordable housing units, including social housing units, particularly for low-income families and disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups, and include statistical data on the number of social housing units provided, the number of applications submitted for social housing and the number of units granted.Please also provide information on homelessness, including disaggregated statistical data on the number of homeless persons.

Right to physical and mental health (art. 12)

Please indicate to what extent health services are available and accessible in all parts of the country, including, with reference to paragraph 149 of the State party report, adequate mental health services.

Please provide information on the effectiveness of the measures taken to counter the spread of HIV infection described in paragraph 156 of the State party report, and whether they include HIV prevention measures, and harm reduction policies and programmes. Please also provide statistical data on the prevalence of hepatitis C and tuberculosis in the State party and measures of prevention.

Please indicate the major challenges related to sexual and reproductive health and provide information on the implementation of the Reproductive Health Act 2019 mentioned in paragraph 157 of the State party report and on its impact in terms of ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health services, including emergency contraception. Please provide information on sexual and reproductive health education, services and counselling provided to the public in general and to adolescents in particular.Please provide information on the efforts taken to reduce both maternal and infant mortality.Please also provide information on the most marginalized groups, in particular Roma/Lyuli.

Right to education (arts. 13–14)

Please provide information on access to education and the specific steps taken to improve the quality of primary and secondary education, especially in rural and remote areas.

Please describe the measures taken to achieve gender parity in higher education.Please indicate whether the school curriculum includes instructions on equal rights of women and men and promotes gender equality.

Please describe the measures taken in order to ensure access to and the attainment and completion of education by children belonging to marginalized and disadvantaged groups, including Roma/Lyuli.

Cultural rights (art. 15)

Please provide information on the measures taken to preserve the cultural sites of the historical centres of Bukhara and Samarkand.Please provide information on education in minority languages in the State party.

Please indicate the measures taken for the conservation, development and diffusion of science and culture, and to ensure access, without discrimination, to the benefits of scientific progress and its applications for everyone, especially for women, persons with disabilities andpersons in poverty. Please indicate the measures taken to ensure access to the Internet, especially for disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups.