Tashkent branch of Uzbekistan Bar Association organized a roundtable dedicated to issues of ensuring access to lawyers and protection of lawyers during their professional activity. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Uzbekistan assisted Tashkent branch of Uzbekistan Bar Association in organization of this event.

Roundtable entitled "Improvement of advocacy: issues on ensuring access to lawyers and protection of lawyers during their professional activity" was attended by over 60 representatives of law enforcement bodies, main department on punishment implementation of Interior Ministry, prosecutors, judicial bodies and Uzbekistan Bar Association, as well as heads of legal firms and lawyers of Tashkent cities.

Tashkent branch of Uzbekistan Bar Association and UNDP office in Uzbekistan organizes various meetings and seminars dedicated to reforms of judicial-legal system of Uzbekistan, including advocacy. Topic of current event was selected based on several issues and problems, which lawyers face in their professional activities.

The roundtable, which was held at Shodlik Hotel in Tashkent on 13-14 September, was aimed at discussion and find solutions to problems on ensuring access to lawyers and protection of lawyers in their professional activity. These issues become important in light of judicial-legal reforms and improvement of advocacy, as well as ensuring protection of rights in the country.

The participants discussed issues on realization of regulation of Interior Ministry "On order of ensuring right to protection of detainees, suspects and defendants" (access to layers from arrest period, access of lawyers to materials of case and clients, etc.), rules of lawyers’ access to clients in custody and problems in pre-trail process of criminal procedures.

Problems on access of lawyers to courts, disciplinary proceedings on violation of rules of lawyers’ ethics and professional responsibilities were also considered during the roundtable. Participants also proposed to amend and change legislation to improve activity of lawyers and grant them additional privileges.

The event was supported by UNDP’s "Development of Capacities of the National Human Rights Institutions in Uzbekistan". The main objective of the project is to strengthen capacities of the national human rights institutions and relevant bodies to effectively fulfil their mandates for promotion and protection of human rights in Uzbekistan.

The project focuses primarily on activities relating to human rights matters that form part of the mandate and day-to-day work of operational national human rights institutions, which would consequently improve the promotion and protection of human rights.