OSCE Tashkent centre co-organizes conference on international best practices in criminal procedure

TASHKENT, 26 May 2005 - International best practices in arrest and pre-trial detention were the focus of a conference that ended today in the Uzbek capital. The two-day event gathered about 60 senior Uzbek officials from all regions of the country, including representatives of the criminal justice system, as well as defence attorneys.

The OSCE Centre in Tashkent organized the conference jointly with the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan, the United Nations Development Programme, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the American Bar Association Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative and the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector.

U.S. Ambassador Jon R. Purnell opened the conference by stressing the importance of instituting further legal reforms that are consistent with international norms and the rule of law.

The Head of the OSCE Centre in Tashkent, Ambassador Miroslav Jenèa said: "Legal reforms should be supported not only by creation of the strong legal basis but also strengthening the implementation mechanisms of adopted laws."

Conference participants discussed practical implications of transferring authority for arrest and pre-trial detention to the courts. They also drafted recommendations for the transition process. These recommendations will be published and submitted to the Working Group on reform and liberalization of the judicial and legal system, under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

These reforms are seen as crucial to building trust in Uzbekistan's criminal justice system and bringing it into conformity with internationally accepted principles.