OHCHR to conclude first working mission

In what is being described as a step in the right direction, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is set to conclude its first working mission to Turkmenistan, a country long criticised for its poor human rights record. "It is the first working mission of the OHCHR to Turkmenistan and it is a needs assessment mission," Professor Rein Mullerson, who is heading up the three-man team, told IRIN from the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat. "We are here at the invitation of the government with the sole purpose of exploring the needs of the country in the field of human rights, as well as the capacity of the country to cooperate with the OHCHR in the fulfillment of their needs." The five-day mission, facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ashgabat, is set to conclude on Saturday. Potential areas of cooperation discussed during the mission included assistance on treaty reporting, human rights education and training for government officials, as well as for civil society organisations. And while human rights in this largely desert, but energy-rich Central Asian state, had long been a source of contention among human rights activists and international observers, Mullerson emphasised his optimism at the level of cooperation demonstrated thus far. "The very fact of the invitation of this human rights mission with the purpose of evaluating the potential of technical cooperation between the OHCHR and Turkmenistan can be seen as a step in the right direction which may lead to more substantial cooperation." Mullerson's visit to Turkmenistan comes within weeks of his deployment as the OHCHR's regional advisor for Central Asia. Based in Kazakhstan, the veteran human rights expert will work to provide advice and training to government officials and policy makers, non-governmental organisations, UN agencies in the Central Asian countries, and other international organisations active in the region. According to an agency statement on Wednesday, Mullerson will also undertake public information activities and support coordination and cooperation with other international organisations and donors working in the field of human rights.