The European Union and Turkmenistan held the sixteenth annual Human Rights Dialogue on 25 June in Ashgabat. On this occasion, EU Special Representative for Human Rights Olof Skoog visited Ashgabat. He opened the Human Rights Dialogue together with Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. While acknowledging Turkmenistan’s willingness to engage with the EU on human rights, EUSR Skoog encouraged Turkmenistan to take concrete steps to improve the situation in the country, including on individuals whose human rights have been violated, on conditions in detention centres and prisons, gender-based violence and other issues in the scope of his mandate.

Discussions took place in an open and constructive environment, reconfirming Turkmenistan’s readiness to discuss human rights. The EU welcomed the efforts taken by the Office of the Ombudsperson towards obtaining the accreditation by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), as well as the strengthening of the Ombudsperson’s mandate on women’s rights, the rights of the child and business, as well as the increased involvement in the monitoring of places of detention.

The EU welcomed the constructive cooperation between Turkmenistan and the International Labour Organization to address forced and child labour, including the approval of a Roadmap for Cooperation (2024-2025).

Turkmenistan informed about the plans to advance the country’s human rights commitments on women’s rights, children rights and rights of persons with disabilities. The EU urged Turkmenistan to adopt effective anti-discrimination measures and to continue efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence, including through the criminalisation of domestic violence. The EU also called for the de-criminalisation of consensual same-sex relations.

The EU raised continued concerns about enforced disappearances and conditions of detention facilities, including torture, ill-treatment and unhindered access for the International Committee of the Red Cross. Furthermore, the EU reiterated the importance of freedom of opinion and expression, right to information and independent media. The EU stressed the need to ensure affordable and unrestricted internet access for all citizens.

The EU encouraged Turkmenistan to implement the recent recommendations from the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and from the Universal Periodic Review. The EU underlined the importance of establishing a plan with concrete dates to facilitate visits by all UN special procedures who have requested to visit Turkmenistan.

The EU also raised a number of individual human rights cases during the dialogue. A list of cases of concern was handed over by the EU representatives. It was agreed to intensify dialogue on individual cases and to follow up through regular bilateral discussions.

The EU recalled that significant progress in the field of human rights and democratisation remains a prerequisite for the ratification of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement by the European Parliament, as specified in its resolution of 12 March 2019.

The Turkmen delegation was led by Myahri Byashimova, Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan. The EU delegation was led by Dietmar Krissler, Head of the Central Asia Division of the European External Action Service. The Ombudswoman of Turkmenistan, Yazdursun Gurbannazarova, participated in the Dialogue.

The next Dialogue is expected to take place in Brussels in 2025.