Reported information about continued serious human rights violations in Turkmenistan indicates a lack of overall improvement in this area, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a new report to the General Assembly.

“Nevertheless, they also indicate some progress in addressing the outstanding problems and the readiness of the Government of Turkmenistan to cooperate with the international community and the human rights mechanisms,” he adds.

He urges the Government of the Central Asian country that was part of the former Soviet Union to continue its efforts in the preparation and submission of reports to the UN treaty bodies, to continue its dialogue with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and to implement recommendations made.

The human rights situation in Turkmenistan has been considered both by the UN Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly since 2003 and the present report was submitted in accordance with an Assembly resolution.

Mr. Annan calls upon the Government to invite UN human rights experts on such matters as the independence of judges and lawyers; torture; extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; freedom of opinion and expression; freedom of religion or belief; human rights of internally displaced persons; the situation of human rights defenders; and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

All these officials have expressed their interest in visiting the country and Mr. Annan calls upon the Government to implement their recommendations.