DEPUTY RIGHTS COMMISSIONER TO VISIT CENTRAL ASIA

28 February 2003




The Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, will undertake an official visit Central Asia from 2 to 16 March 2003, in follow up to the official visit to the region of Secretary-General Kofi Annan in October 2002.

The Deputy High Commissioner is scheduled to visit Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in order to enhance dialogue and technical cooperation between the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and these countries. Mr. Ramcharan will be focusing in particular on the implementation of international human rights conventions and norms in the five countries.

In each country, the Deputy High Commissioner has requested to meet with Government officials, including at the highest level, the ministers for foreign affairs, the ministers of justice, the ministers of education, the ministers of interior, the presidents of the supreme and constitutional courts, and heads of national human rights institutions. He will also meet with various non-governmental organizations, representatives of international organizations, the diplomatic community and the United Nations country teams.




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