Via Serica Brings Karakalpakstan’s Human Rights Concerns Before the United Nations
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND | APRIL 21–22, 2026
Via Serica brought the human rights concerns of the Karakalpak people directly before the United Nations during the 117th Session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and its review of Uzbekistan.
Ahead of the review, Via Serica submitted a comprehensive civil society shadow report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, documenting serious concerns affecting the Karakalpak people and ensuring that information from civil society was formally placed before the Committee.
The submission addressed issues including discrimination, protection of Karakalpak identity, language and culture, restrictions on fundamental freedoms, accountability for the events of July 2022, and the treatment of individuals who have sought to defend the rights of the Karakalpak people.
Read Via Serica’s shadow report submitted to UN CERD: tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2FCERD%2FCSS%2FUZB%2F69178&Lang=en
Via Serica also participated in the Committee’s review of Uzbekistan in Geneva on April 21–22, 2026, during the 3209th and 3210th meetings of CERD’s 117th Session.
For a people whose experiences and voices have too often remained outside international attention, bringing Karakalpakstan before a United Nations human rights mechanism was significant.
Karakalpak voices deserve to be heard where governments are held accountable.
Our participation was not simply about attending a UN session. It was about ensuring that the experiences of the Karakalpak people entered the international record, that difficult questions were placed before an independent UN human rights body, and that the concerns raised by victims, families, human rights defenders and civil society could not simply be ignored.
The review created an important opportunity for international scrutiny of Uzbekistan’s obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
The proceedings are publicly available through UN Web TV:
Watch the 3209th Meeting, CERD 117th Session
Watch the 3210th Meeting, CERD 117th Session
Via Serica believes that international accountability begins with documentation, evidence and the courage to speak when silence is easier.
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