Friday, August 11, 2023
The endorsement of Uzbekistan by the U.N’s tourism agency is concerning given the ongoing criminal prosecution and cruel treatment of members of the LGBTQ+ community in the country.
Uzbekistan has focused on boosting its tourism potential for years, and those efforts culminated in the selection of Uzbekistan to become a host of the U.N World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s General Assembly to be held in Samarkand in October this year.
In early July, UNWTO Secretary–General Zurab Pololiskashvili met with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Uzbekistan. According to the reports, Poloikashvli ‘warmly greeted’ Mirziyoyev and congratulated him on his recent electoral victory.
UNWTO should consider the consequences of endorsing Uzbekistan as the host for its upcoming General Assembly, refrain from supporting this and other repressive regimes that persecute LGBTQ+ individuals and actively engage in advocacy for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Uzbekistan.
Comments: