The Forum was organized by the Commissioner for Children's Rights of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan.
The two-day meeting was attended by the Ombudsmen for Children's Rights of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of Norway, Croatia and Finland, the country that currently chairs the European Network of Children's Ombudsmen (ENOC).
The purpose of the forum is to create an effective regional platform for dialogue and interaction between the Commissioners for children's rights, which will allow them to combine efforts to solve common problems, develop common approaches to child protection, and counter transnational threats.
"The political will and joint efforts of the heads of state of Central Asia are aimed at creating a space of stability, cooperation and development. The regional platform of Children's Ombudsmen will become a practical embodiment of this idea - unity and shared responsibility towards ensuring the well-being of children," said Surayyo Rakhmonova, Commissioner for Children's Rights of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The forum's agenda included discussion of national systems for monitoring the situation of children, ensuring their safety on the Internet, effective mechanisms for preventing all forms of violence, as well as children's access to justice.
"Protecting children's rights is not only a legal obligation, but also a moral responsibility. When countries and institutions join forces, the result in the interests of children increases many times," said Regina Kastigio, Head of the UNICEF Representative Office in Uzbekistan.
OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan, Ambassador Antti Karttunen, added: "This meeting demonstrates a shared commitment that ensuring the safety of children requires constant cooperation, open discussions and the exchange of experiences."
The adopted Declaration of the Central Asian Children's Ombudsmen will become the basis for further deepening cooperation and integrating international initiatives into national strategies for the protection of children's rights.
The Forum will be held annually. The next meeting is scheduled for 2026 in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
