Today, the Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan, Faizali Idizoda, met with the Chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Hala bint Mazyad Al-Tuwaijri.
It was noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was among the first countries to officially recognize the state independence of the Republic of Tajikistan. The strong ties between our countries undoubtedly originate from the spiritual and historical bonds of our two friendly peoples, as well as from the brotherly relations between the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia.
The relationship between the two brotherly countries is steadily developing based on mutual understanding and taking into account the interests of both parties. In implementing the Foreign Policy Concept of the Republic of Tajikistan, priority is given to the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“We are interested not only in investing in Tajikistan’s economic projects of national and regional importance but also in expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, including in the field of human rights with Saudi Arabia, and we are making efforts in this direction,” stated Faizali Idizoda.
The Majlisi Namoyandagon is a professional parliament with extensive experience in adopting laws and ratifying international treaties, including those related to human rights. In this regard, the Majlisi Namoyandagon has established comprehensive cooperation with all state institutions involved in human rights, particularly with the Ombudsman for Human Rights and the Ombudsman for Children.
The institution of the Ombudsman for Human Rights is a special body for the protection, promotion, and development of human rights. Thanks to the country’s independence, it was established for the first time in the history of Tajik statehood in 2008, based on advanced global experience.
Back in 2007, in his annual address, the Head of our State emphasized: “With the aim of further advancing the democratization process of society, as well as enhancing the level of human rights protection, I believe that the time has come to address the establishment of a national institution of the Human Rights Ombudsman in our country.”
The establishment of the special institution of the Human Rights Ombudsman and the provision of its legal framework in Tajikistan – with the participation of the Majlisi Namoyandagon in its formation – reflects the particular attention of the country’s highest leadership and our people to universal values. This is because, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan, the individual, their rights and freedoms are recognized as the highest value, and life, dignity, honor, and other natural human rights are inviolable. The State, while recognizing human and civil rights and freedoms, ensures their observance and protection.
We are confident that in the field of human rights we can effectively utilize universal mechanisms for coordinating the protection of human rights, as well as the achievements of parliamentary diplomacy through the activities of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and the recently established Parliamentary Council of Asia and Africa.
For us, as members of parliament engaged in lawmaking, priorities have been clearly defined. In particular, these include adopting laws to protect the rights of women, children, and other vulnerable groups; guaranteeing the right to education; combating all forms of discrimination; and similar issues. We have already achieved significant results in this area.
One of the areas that deserves our attention is the labor migration of Tajik citizens abroad. In this regard, we have high hopes for the activities of the Human Rights Committee in Saudi Arabia concerning the protection of the rights and interests of migrants.
As is known, since February 2025, the process of labor migration of our citizens to Saudi Arabia has been carried out through the State Institution "Agency for Employment Abroad" under the Ministry of Labor, Migration, and Employment of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan.
Similarly, every year thousands of Tajik citizens travel to perform the pilgrimage to the Kaaba, and an integral part of their journey is not only ensuring proper conditions for the pilgrimage but also safeguarding their rights. In this regard, we believe that the two human rights institutions can establish extensive cooperation.
