CCPR/CO/71/UZB page 7 The Committee recommends that the powers of the Ombudsman be broadened and his/her independence secured. 26. The Committee is concerned about the lack of training of public officials in international human rights standards. The State party should organize training programmes for all public officials, particularly law enforcement officials and the judiciary, on human rights law and the Covenant in particular. 27. While noting the establishment of a 24-hour confidential telephone line through which any citizen can report improper actions by officials, the Committee continues to be concerned about the intimidation and harassment of individuals, particularly those, including human rights defenders, who complain about ill-treatment and torture by public officials (articles 7 and 10 of the Covenant). The State party must protect all individuals from harassment and ensure that persons whose rights and freedoms have allegedly been violated have an effective remedy in accordance with article 2, paragraph 3, of the Covenant. 28. While welcoming the fact that the Covenant takes priority over national legislation and its provisions can be directly invoked before the courts, the Committee is concerned that no relevant case has as yet been brought before the courts. The State party should make serious efforts to disseminate knowledge of the provisions of the Covenant among judges to enable them to apply the Covenant in relevant cases and among lawyers and the public to enable them to invoke its provisions before the courts (article 2 of the Covenant). 29. The State party should widely publicize the text of its initial report, the written answers it has provided in responding to the list of issues drawn up by the Committee and, in particular, these concluding observations. 30. The State party is asked, pursuant to rule 70, paragraph 5, of the Committee’s rules of procedure, to forward information within 12 months on the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations regarding the death penalty (para. 7), torture, inhuman treatment and abuse of power by officials (para. 8), the treatment of detainees and the extortion of evidence (para. 9), conditions in detention centres and penal institutions (para. 10), the length of detention of detainees prior to charge and court review of arrest (para. 13), the independence of judges (para. 15) and the relocation of communities (para. 17). The Committee requests that information concerning the remainder of its recommendations be included in the second periodic report to be submitted by 1 April 2004. -----