Uzbekistan Senate Approves Ending Refugee Assistance Agreement

Uzbekistan's Senate has given its approval to a measure that will end an agreement providing aid to refugees.

During its 18th plenary session, the Oliy Majlis Senate in Uzbekistan passed a law to ratify the Protocol on the Termination of the Agreement on Assistance to Refugees and Forced Migrants, originally signed on September 24, 1993. This was reported by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan.

This new legislation will bring an end to an international agreement that was established to foster cooperation among participating nations in supporting refugees and forced migrants. The 1993 agreement was initially created to set up a legal framework for collaboration among member states. This framework was deemed necessary due to the armed conflicts, interethnic disputes, and large-scale migration that arose after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

During deliberations, it was highlighted that the socio-political landscape that prompted the agreement's creation has undergone substantial changes. Furthermore, several of the cooperative institutions and mechanisms between states outlined in the document, such as the Interstate Fund, were never actually implemented or utilized. Consequently, the agreement is now considered to have lost its relevance, both legally and practically.

Senators stated that ratifying the protocol to terminate the agreement aligns with Uzbekistan's ongoing efforts to refine its international treaty policy, taking into account current legal relationships and national interests.

According to the senators, this law will remove an international treaty that is no longer practically relevant from the nation's legal framework. This action will streamline Uzbekistan's international legal foundation and ensure it is consistent with contemporary international law and national interests. The law also aims to enhance legal certainty and consistency in the application of laws.

Following their review, the senators approved the law.