International roundtable discussion on private property rights supported by OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan

Protecting private property and improving legislation on business entities’ rights were the focus of an international roundtable discussion hosted by Uzbekistan’s Supreme Court with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator and in co-operation with UNDP, USAID and the German Agency for International Co-operation on 1 November 2018 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The event brought together around 100 participants, including the Chairperson of the country’s Supreme Court, the Head of the Senate Committee on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Issues, and the Chairperson of the Association of Arbitration Courts. Other participants included representatives from prominent international and local law firms, a variety of local businesses and delegates from a range of different development organizations active in Uzbekistan.

The participants shared best practices and discussed the challenges currently faced in the Central Asian region and beyond. They examined how to improve national legislation aimed at increasing the quality and efficiency of proceedings, and how to implement effective protection mechanisms and develop the institutional capacity to ensure the rights and interests of entrepreneurs. A separate panel focused on alternative methods of dispute resolution between entrepreneurs, which discussed topics such as mediation and the potential conflicts between investment arbitration and international treaty obligations.

The Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan supported the roundtable discussion as part of its project on supporting improvements to policies and practices on the legal protection of private property rights in Uzbekistan.