On October 25-27, 2017, the 12th Meeting of the Presidents of the Supreme Courts of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in Tashkent (Republic of Uzbekistan), in which Vinod Kumar, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of India in the Republic of Uzbekistan, Kairat Mami, the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan Chairman of the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China Du Vanghua, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic Ainash Tokbaeva, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Isla Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan Shermuhammad Shokhiyen, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan Kozimdzhan Kamilov, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Sabyr Imandosov, Deputy Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Organization of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Akhat Mukashev.
The meeting was chaired by the Uzbek side. During the meeting, held in a friendly and businesslike atmosphere, an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust, the parties discussed pressing issues of justice of mutual interest, as well as prospects for further cooperation of the judiciary in various branches of law.
The issues of improving the legislation on investment disputes, further improving the effectiveness of cooperation between the SCO member states in the provision of legal assistance in civil and criminal matters, the practice of counteracting the recruitment and recruitment of the younger generation in the activities of various terrorist and radical structures in the SCO member states are considered.
The sides highly appreciated the democratic reforms carried out in the judicial and legal sphere of the Republic of Uzbekistan within the framework of the implementation of the activities carried out in accordance with the Strategy of Action for the five priority development directions of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021, as well as the decrees of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures to further reforming the judicial and legal system, strengthening guarantees for the reliable protection of citizens’ rights and freedoms “and” Measures to fundamentally improve the structure and increase the efficiency of the individual the judicial system of the Republic of Uzbekistan “aimed at ensuring the rule of law, strengthening the rule of law in society and improving reliable judicial protection of rights, freedoms, legitimate interests of citizens and business entities.
Noting the mutual understanding in the development of the judicial systems of the SCO member states, affirming the adherence to the principles, ideas and tasks of the Organization, emphasizing that the “Shanghai spirit” is a unique source of successful activity of the SCO and serves as an important guide in developing interstate relations, countering global challenges and threats, The Supreme Courts of the SCO member states declare as follows:
1. Development and improvement of cooperation between the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states is carried out on the principles of mutual trust, friendship and good-neighborliness, stability and mutual understanding, ensuring peace and security in the region, in accordance with the SCO Charter, the Treaty on Long-term Good-Neighborliness, members of the SCO and the SCO Development Strategy until 2025 and the Astana Declaration of the SCO of June 9, 2017.
2. Practical interaction between the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states promotes further improvement of joint activities in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, strengthening justice, law and order, and creating conditions for deepening judicial and legal reforms.
3. The Supreme Courts of the SCO member states note the importance of strengthening legal guarantees for ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens, the need to create conditions for the full implementation of the principle of the inviolability of citizens’ rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitutions, and point out the advisability of expanding the judicial procedure for applying procedural coercive measures, improving the mechanism of investment protection, in order to ensure the implementation of universally recognized principles and norms of international law in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens.
4. The Supreme Courts of the SCO member states in order to further develop friendly relations in areas of mutual interest intend to further strengthen cooperation. Particular attention will be paid to organizing and holding joint conferences, training events and exchanging experiences.
5. The Meeting participants will continue to deepen effective cooperation, make efforts to strengthen security and stability, and ensure sustainable development in the SCO space.
6. The Parties consider it necessary to improve interaction with international and regional organizations, observer states and SCO dialogue partners, as well as with other countries, in order to create conditions for expanding cooperation in the provision of legal assistance in civil and criminal cases.
The heads of delegations noted the high level of organization of the meeting and expressed appreciation to the Uzbek side for the warm welcome.
It was announced that the next XIII meeting of chairpersons of the Supreme Courts of the SCO member states will be held in 2018 in Beijing (People’s Republic of China).
Done in the city of Tashkent on October 25, 2017 in one original copy in the Russian and Chinese languages, both texts being equally authentic.