§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK observers were(a) sent by his Department and (b) part of international missions to Uzbekistan on 5 December 1999; and if he will make a statement. [59686]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienNeither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office nor the OSCE sent observers to Uzbekistan for the parliamentary elections on 5 December 1999. No other international missions were deployed.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK observers were present in Uzbekistan on 27 January; and if he will make a statement. [59683]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe UK did not send official observers to the national referendum, which took place in Uzbekistan on 27 January 2002. However, the Government of Uzbekistan invited two UK nationals in a private capacity.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports have been received by his Department on human rights in Uzbekistan since April 1997; and if he will make a statement. [59688]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) receives regular reporting on human rights in Uzbekistan from our embassy in Tashkent. The embassy closely monitors the human rights situation in the country and is in regular contact with the leaders of independent human rights organisations and international NGOs based there. The FCO also receives information direct from human rights organisations. For example, in January, Human Rights Watch wrote to the Department outlining concerns about human rights in Uzbekistan. In 1179W the same month, the UK ensured that issues highlighted by Human Rights Watch were raised at the EU-Uzbekistan Cooperation Council.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when representations have been made by(a) his Department and (b) UK diplomatic staff in Tashkent to the Government of Uzbekistan concerning human rights since April 1997; and if he will make a statement. [59687]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) frequently raises human rights concerns with the Ambassador of Uzbekistan in London. It also contributes to EU statements and raises human rights issues and individual cases together with EU partners at the OSCE.
In Tashkent, the embassy monitors the human rights situation and maintains a close dialogue with human rights groups. General human rights concerns and individual cases are raised by senior FCO officials visiting Uzbekistan and by the British Ambassador. The embassy also makes representations with EU colleagues.
UK diplomatic staff regularly remind Uzbekistan of its international obligations under the OSCE charter and the EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, as well as under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Uzbekistan signed in 1995.
The UK has carried out, with the cooperation of the Uzbekistan authorities, a number of projects to improve human rights, including most recently a project to install electronic recording equipment in courtrooms.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK observers were present at the presidential elections in Uzbekistan on 9 January 2000; and if he will make a statement. [59684]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe UK did not send official observers to the presidential elections which took place in Uzbekistan on 9 January 2000.