In her address, Maria Telalian, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), emphasized the importance of strong and independent National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in ensuring effective human rights protection and translating international obligations into practice.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the International Covenants on Human Rights, Telalian highlighted that their adoption demonstrated what states can achieve through international cooperation—namely, the development of universal standards and the commitment to uphold them.
Her remarks placed particular emphasis on public trust in state and human rights institutions. She noted that trust cannot rest on declarations alone; rather, it must be built through institutions citizens can rely on, accountability, dialogue between citizens and state authorities, and the consistent application of human rights standards in everyday life.
"Trust cannot be sustained by declarations alone. It is built through institutions people can rely on, through accountability for rights violations, through dialogue between citizens and state authorities, and, above all, through the consistent application of human rights standards in people's daily lives."
Telalian also underscored the role of independent NHRIs as a bridge between international human rights standards and their implementation at the national level, as well as between citizens and state institutions.
Key functions of NHRIs highlighted included independent monitoring of human rights compliance, the formulation of recommendations for state authorities, participation in improving legislation and public policy, the handling of complaints, support for the protection of victims' rights, and the prevention of violations.
At the same time, it was emphasized that the effectiveness of such work is directly linked to the independence of national human rights institutions, the availability of sufficient resources, and the ability to exercise objective oversight of the actions of state bodies.
Press Service of the National Center of the
Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights