Corporate report

Turkmenistan - Country of Concern update: 30 June 2014

Updated 21 January 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Overall, the pace of reform in Turkmenistan remains slow, though there have been some positive developments in the period April to June, including constructive engagement with international bodies such as the UN and the Organisation for Security & Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The British Embassy in Ashgabat concluded a number of human rights projects in March. The embassy worked through the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on initiatives to encourage greater political and human rights reform. The main project focused on enhancing electoral administration processes through a series of capacity-building activities targeting election officials, mass media, women candidates, and observers. It sought to increase public awareness of elections, political parties and public organisations. The second project with UNDP supported the development of Turkmenistan’s National Human Rights Action Plan, which is due to be published before the end of 2014. The plan should incorporate action points arising from Turkmenistan’s second Universal Periodic Review last year. In the meantime, the UN continues to work with Turkmenistan on its reform agenda.

The embassy also conducted a project though the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and Penal Reform International (PRI). This entailed a visit at the end of March by senior law-enforcement officials from Turkmenistan to learn about prison management in the UK. The Turkmen delegation visited HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the National Offender Management Service, as well as a number of prisons. Participants discussed PRI’s work on torture prevention, complaints and inspection mechanisms, criminal justice issues and penal reform, as well as offender rehabilitation and treatments for drug-users in prison. The programme included training sessions, presentations and roundtable discussions on best practice.

The OSCE Centre has worked with the government of Turkmenistan on a number of other important initiatives. It organised a training course at the end of May on international standards on freedom of religion or belief. The three-day event – led by two international experts from the UK – brought together 23 participants, including members of Turkmenistan’s parliament (Mejlis), representatives of the Council of Religious Affairs, the National Institute of Democracy & Human Rights, as well as officials from law enforcement bodies. The course introduced participants to the main treaties and standards on freedom of religion or belief and the social, political and human context of implementing such instruments.

The OSCE Centre has also continued to support the modernisation of Turkmenistan’s media laws. It organized a two-day event in June to provide further assistance in drafting national legislation on internet regulation in compliance with OSCE commitments and international standards. This builds on the declaration adopted by participants of the 14th Central Asia Media Conference in Ashgabat in 2012 (held with financial support from the UK), which highlighted the opportunities offered by the internet and its important role as a tool to seek, receive, produce and distribute information.

The European Union raised human rights in its response to a presentation at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on 29 May by the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, Ambassador Petrov. The EU reiterated its commitment to support Turkmenistan in its democratic and socio-economic reform process, and appreciated Turkmenistan’s expressed commitment to comply with international human rights standards. The EU noted, however, an enduring gap between the legislative framework in Turkmenistan and its practical implementation. The EU expressed deep concern about civil society and human rights defenders in Turkmenistan and urged the Turkmen authorities to comply fully with international commitments regarding freedom of association, including in respect of NGO regulation and facilitating access for international NGOs. The EU appealed to the Turkmen authorities to participate in the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw, and to engage with civil society, including on issues such as the “Prove They Are Alive Campaign” (which was highlighted in our update for the period January to March 2014).

The EU also called on Turkmenistan to implement recommendations in the report by the OSCE’s Centre for Democratic Institutions & Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 2013 parliamentary election. This report outlined recommendations to help Turkmenistan improve its electoral system, and made clear OSCE’s readiness to assist the authorities in following up on those recommendations. Ambassador Keltchewsky of France, who led ODIHR’s Election Assessment Mission, visited Turkmenistan at the end of May for discussions with officials from Turkmenistan’s parliament on the scope for further co-operation on electoral reform. The full text of the EU’s statement can be found here.