Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan

A practical meeting was held between the Representative of the Oliy Majlis for Children’s Rights (Children’s Ombudsman) and the leadership of the Department of Penal Corrections under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

During the meeting, the Children’s Ombudsman presented findings from recent monitoring visits to closed institutions in which minors are detained and are not permitted to leave independently. It was noted that certain shortcomings had been identified in pre-trial detention centers, correctional colonies for juveniles, and facilities accommodating minor girls within women’s colonies. In particular, it was emphasized that existing conditions do not fully meet established minimum standards in some cases, including deviations from sanitary requirements. The need to ensure full compliance with standards related to living conditions, healthcare, and access to quality education for minors in such institutions was underscored.

In turn, the Head of the Department of Penal Corrections informed participants about the measures currently being implemented to support the social reintegration of minors serving sentences. He highlighted ongoing efforts aimed at improving rehabilitation mechanisms and stressed the importance of establishing systematic cooperation with the Children’s Ombudsman to prevent and promptly address identified shortcomings.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to strengthen their constructive bilateral cooperation and work jointly on improving juvenile justice approaches and humane reform of policies regarding minors in custodial institutions.