OSCE Centre in Ashgabad organizes training courses on human rights in the justice system

ASHGABAD, 21 June 2007 -International human rights standards in the justice system were the focus of a series of training courses in Turkmenistan, the last of which opened today in the city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea coast.

Organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry and the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (NIDHR) in Turkmenistan's four regions, the courses brought together more than 80 representatives from prosecutors' offices, as well as city and district courts.

Experts from London Metropolitan University, the OSCE and the NIDHR addressed matters such as the concept and origin of human rights law and international human rights documents and standards. Human rights standards related to arrest and detention procedures formed a particular focus.

"It is very important that the topic of human rights is addressed within a specific legal context so that states have a concrete concept of how to translate international law into the national legal system", said Professor Douwe Korff, a human rights and comparative law specialist who has participated in OSCE-supported projects in Turkmenistan for the past four years.

"Because we are more specific this year about how human rights principles are applied in the administration of justice, participants are better able to relate the concepts and legislation to their daily circumstances and work."

The OSCE Centre has organized five courses on international human rights legislation for various civil servants and government representatives since 2001. In the autumn, the Centre plans a related course on International Human Rights Law directed at students and professors of the Law faculty of Turkmenistan State University.