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Uzbekistan's Vanishing Civil Society: Why NGOs are shutting down as the country opens up
DEVELOPMENTS During a U.N. review of Uzbekistan’s human rights record last week, dialogue between the Human Rights Committee and the Uzbekistani state delegation escalated to sharp disagreement on whether Uzbekistan was in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In some ways, this “unusually spirited” defense from the delegation was reflective of Uzbekistan’s posture as a young country—particularly sensitive to critique, fearful of the potential instability that could accompany reform and fundamentally opposed to the idea of transparent governance and a robust civil society. In fact, amidst its outward progress - such as its ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Optional Protocols - Uzbekistan’s government has quietly cracked down on both foreign and domestic NGOs, restraining these organizations’ activities or expelling them from the country. While touting certain reforms on paper, the government has effectively sidelined human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and other actors crucial to the creation of civil society.
