Uzbekistan’s Ombudsman institution, civil society organizations gain skills in alternative reporting to UN treaty bodies

From 23 to 25 June 2025, 25 regional representatives from Uzbekistan’s Ombudsman institution and civil society organizations participated in a training course conducted by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) to learn how to write alternative reports to UN treaty bodies.

During the event, organized in co-operation with the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman), participants analyzed past reviews submitted to the UN Committee Against Torture and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, exploring approaches for drafting targeted alternative reports. Emphasis was placed on the use of disaggregated data, witness testimonies and legal analysis.

“Alternative reports on human rights, submitted by civil society, are an important complement to official government reports to the UN human rights treaty bodies. This training is designed to assist civil society representatives and national human rights institutions in gaining a deeper understanding of how international human rights mechanisms work in practice, as well as in improving the skills necessary to produce high-quality reports,” said Ambassador Antti Karttunen, the PCUz’s Head of Office, in his opening remarks.

The training was conducted in an interactive format, integrating group exercises and thematic case studies. Participants enhanced their understanding of the structure and content of alternative reports, examined human rights-based approaches and acquired practical skills essential for preparing alternative reports.

The event contributed to enhancing the engagement of national human rights institutions and civil society organizations in international human rights monitoring mechanisms.