Today, a republican conference dedicated to the theme "The Development of Human Rights over 35 Years of State Independence of Tajikistan" was held at the National Library of Tajikistan, with the participation and address of the Deputy Chairperson of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mavsuma Muini.
Mavsuma Muini noted that the protection and respect for human rights and freedoms constitute the foundation of any democratic state. Following the attainment of independence and the adoption of the 1994 Constitution, the Republic of Tajikistan elevated human rights and human values to the rank of supreme legal force. This political and legal choice demonstrates that the state places the human being at the center of its activities and directs its entire legal system toward protecting their interests.
The recognition of the supreme value of the human being, their rights and freedoms, as well as the guarantees of their protection, serves as a fundamental attribute of a rule-of-law state, which Tajikistan has enshrined within its Basic Law.
It should be noted that the recognition of the human being as the supreme value has also claimed a worthy place in the traditions of our ancestors' legal thought and found reflection in the modern legal system. Our ancestors, preaching the principle of "Good thoughts, good words, and good deeds," expressed the best aspirations of humanity and the foundations of high morality. This wise maxim has served for centuries to shape humanist values.
The norms of the Cyrus Cylinder have not lost their significance to this day, and their continuity is traceable in international documents, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Evidence of this was the adoption on November 6, 2025, of the resolution entitled "The Cyrus Cylinder: An Initial Declaration of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity," initiated by the Republic of Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran during the 43rd session of the General Conference of UNESCO.
The resolution emphasizes the historical and spiritual significance of the Cyrus Cylinder as one of the first humanist documents proclaiming the values of freedom of conscience, respect for cultural diversity, and peaceful coexistence. The adoption of this document will make a weighty contribution to strengthening universal human values, expanding mutual understanding between civilizations, and promoting the dialogue of cultures within the framework of UNESCO.
The Government of the country is taking concrete measures to strengthen and protect human rights in Tajikistan, including children's rights, the prevention and elimination of discrimination against women, the provision of rights for persons with disabilities, as well as the suppression of and punishment for the use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
In this regard, Tajikistan pays special attention to strengthening international cooperation in the field of human rights within the framework of the United Nations and other international structures.
Within the framework of its international obligations, the Republic of Tajikistan cooperates with the special rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council. Beginning in 2005, at the official invitation of the Tajik side, a number of special rapporteurs and independent experts have visited the country, studied the state of human rights in various fields, including freedom of expression, women's rights, and the prevention of torture, and presented their recommendations.
Such initiatives testify to Tajikistan's firm commitment to cooperating with international human rights mechanisms.
Furthermore, the Republic of Tajikistan regularly fulfills its obligations within the framework of the universal periodic review and other UN mechanisms, timely submitting periodic reports to the Human Rights Council.
In the contemporary period, against the backdrop of the collision of interests of world powers, we witness violations of international law, which impedes the full realization of human rights and freedoms.
The violation of international law in modern conditions is characterized by the ignoring of the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations (such as the inviolability of borders, sovereignty, and the non-use of force), the weakening of oversight institutions, and the growth of geopolitical conflicts that pose a threat to global stability. Military intervention in the internal affairs of sovereign states, the use of force, the violation of international humanitarian law, the utilization of legal norms in one's own geopolitical interests, and the ignoring of decisions by international organizations represent only some of the destructive actions permitted by leading powers in resolving interstate issues.
We are witnessing how international law, designed to ensure universal peace, fails to cope with the tasks assigned to it during a period of acute confrontation between superpowers. The existing system of legal regulation proves incapable of resisting emerging arbitrariness, in which the realization of individual states' interests is carried out through the imitation of legal decisions or bypassing any established norms.
Today, as the world faces a rise in armed conflicts, political and humanitarian crises, and other transnational threats, the need for international solidarity and the search for new ways to strengthen peace is felt more acutely than ever.
Under such conditions, the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of a special resolution proposed by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, the Esteemed Emomali Rahmon, entitled "International Decade for the Strengthening of Peace for Future Generations (2027–2036)" is a most important event on a global scale.
The document emphasizes the need to assert a culture of peace, prevent conflicts, enhance tolerance, foster mutual understanding, and expand dialogue among civilizations as the basis for a dignified life for future generations.
This resolution once again reminds us that peace is not merely the absence of war. It entails the creation of a favorable environment in which human rights and freedoms are protected, social justice is ensured, and constructive interstate cooperation is developed.
The adoption of this initiative coincides with a period when millions of civilians in various regions of the planet face serious security threats and destructive conflicts. Undoubtedly, it reflects the primordial peacemaking character of the Tajik people and will henceforth serve as a weighty contribution to promoting the global culture of peace agenda.
Yet another resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on the initiative of the Republic of Tajikistan was the declaration of 2027 as the International Year of Legal Literacy.
This initiative will make a significant contribution to the full realization of human rights and the strengthening of the rule of law at both national and international levels.
It also correlates with the country's international obligations and once again testifies to Tajikistan's firm commitment to cooperating with human rights mechanisms.
As emphasized earlier, in the process of implementing its domestic policy, Tajikistan pays special attention to the recognition, observance, and protection of human and civil rights and freedoms. At the constitutional level, the human being, their rights, and freedoms are proclaimed as a supreme value, and state bodies are assigned the direct obligation to ensure their protection.
In fulfilling these tasks, a key role belongs to the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan. Exercising the fundamental principle of democracy regarding the expression and realization of the people's will, the legislative body takes direct part in creating legal, political, and organizational guarantees, as well as in forming internal mechanisms for human rights protection.
The primary task of the country's legislative body is the drafting and adoption of laws taking into account new public relations and the norms of international documents, aimed at ensuring the stability of the foundations of the constitutional system, state security, human and civil rights and freedoms, public health, and public morality.
In this direction, the Majlisi Oli has adopted a number of regulatory legal acts oriented toward the recognition of the human being, their rights and freedoms.
Regardless of the sphere of public relations regulated by normative legal acts, the essence of any law adopted by parliament boils down to ensuring human and civil rights and freedoms. Laws regulate public relations, and the main subject in these relations is always the human being. Consequently, the human being is at the center of attention of every legal act adopted for the purpose of protecting their interests.
Independence for us is the highest symbol of the Motherland and patriotism, the greatest blessing of state-building that teaches us creative labor in the name of strengthening political, economic, and cultural independence, and also ensures the development of civil society and a dignified life for every citizen.
Independence is a vivid testimony to the strength of the state, the preservation of national identity, historical ideals and aspirations, our international passport, and the honor and dignity of independent Tajikistan, a full-fledged member of the world civilized community.
