Murad Uzakov, the Head of the Center for Regional Studies of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies (under the office of the President of Uzbekistan) on measures by the UN and Uzbekistan for regional security and stability in Central Asia

IN recent years, the leadership of Uzbekistan, implementing a radically new proactive foreign policy strategy, has paid particular attention to building practical cooperation with international organizations. One of the priority areas is the development and strengthening of multifaceted interaction with the United Nations and its specialized structures.

In particular, today Tashkent is comprehensively expanding its contacts with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia (UNRCCA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other United Nations agencies. At the same time, in its interaction with them, it attaches particular importance to ensuring security and stability in Central Asia and enhancing its role in the system of international relations.

Among other things, thanks to Uzbekistan’s intensified partnership with the UN, significant progress has been made in establishing in Central Asia a new atmosphere of mutually beneficial cooperation based on mutual trust and good-neighborliness.

As a consequence, the consolidation of the region’s states has significantly strengthened, and they have become more active in proposing and implementing joint regional and international initiatives, programs and projects aimed at ensuring the sustainable development of Central Asia.

Thus, if in the period from 1991 to 2016 about 20 resolutions were adopted at the UN on the initiative of the Central Asian states, 18 resolutions have been adopted since 2016.

The documents reflected such important issues as sustainable development, security, peace and confidence-building in the region, water conservation, climate change and ecology, and prevention of radiation threats. The protection of youth rights and promotion of tolerance took an important place.

UNGA Resolutions Passed
At the same time, Uzbekistan is becoming an active participant in promoting the interests of Central Asia on the UN platform. Thus, in 2018-2022 on the initiative of our country six UNGA resolutions were adopted, including “Strengthening regional international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region” (June 2018), “Education and religious tolerance” (December 2018), “On declaring the Aral Sea region as a zone of environmental innovation and technology” (May 2021).

In addition, a resolution was adopted in the framework of the UNHRC: “On the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the human rights of young people” (October 2021) and at UNESCO – “The Khiva Process” (November 2021) following the International Forum “Central Asia at the Crossroads of World Civilizations” (14-16 September 2021, Khiva).

The Code of Voluntary Commitments of States during the pandemic, developed by the Uzbek side, was circulated as an official document of the UNGA as Uzbekistan’s contribution to the global efforts to combat COVID-19.

Moreover, the Tashkent and Bukhara declarations, which call on the international community to expand multi-confessional and intercultural dialogue and support multilateral cooperation on preventing and countering terrorism, were also recognized as official UN documents.

The totality of all resolutions and other documents initiated by the Central Asian countries of Central Asia within the framework of the UN has created, undoubtedly, a serious foundation in uniting the efforts of the states of the region and the international community in ensuring the political, economic, social and environmental security of Central Asia.

The following factors have played a crucial role in the successful promotion of Uzbekistan’s policy of interaction with the UN:

• First, the intensive diplomacy of the head of Uzbekistan and intensification of political dialogue within the UN.
Thanks to the political will of the President of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev, Tashkent has been actively participating in the activities of the UN General Assembly and specialized agencies since 2016. In particular, the head of our country has attended and addressed the 72nd, 75th and 76th sessions of the UNGA, as well as the High-Level Segment of the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

During this period, Sh. Mirziyoyev held 3 meetings with UN Secretary General A. Guterres (in June and September 2017 and April 2019), which allowed to comprehensively discuss and agree on effective measures to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, primarily on issues of regional security and sustainable development of Central Asia.

It should be noted that on 10-11 November 2017 in Samarkand, during the international conference held under the auspices of the UN “Central Asia: One Past and Common Future, Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Mutual Prosperity”, the Central Asian states stated the need for closer and coordinated cooperation of the Central Asian countries in the prevention of new challenges and threats, as well as their interaction with international and regional organizations and partner countries. At the same time, the need to strengthen the central role of the UN in combating challenges and threats to security in the region was emphasized.

In the communiqué adopted at the end of the conference, the delegates appealed to all UN agencies and other international organizations, as well as interested partner states of the Central Asian countries to increase and strengthen cooperation with the states of the region on issues of regional security and sustainable development, in accordance with the priorities, interests, needs and national programs of the Central Asian countries, providing them with the necessary technical, expert, legal, financial and other assistance.

Moreover, within the framework of the Samarkand SCO summit held in September 2022, the President of Uzbekistan S.M. Mirziyoyev met with UN Deputy Secretary General R. DiCarlo and adopted a “Roadmap” on measures for further development of practical interaction.

Also in 2022 and January 2023. UN Deputy Secretary-General A. Mohammed visited Uzbekistan.

Eleven Plans of Practical Measures to develop Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies have been adopted and are being implemented, which undoubtedly also contribute to increasing Central Asia’s resilience to external challenges.

• Second, advancing a constructive agenda to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and other transnational challenges.
Today Uzbekistan is a party to 14 major universal international legal instruments and actively participates in global efforts to counter international terrorism.

Our country was among the first to support the fight against this threat, including the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GTS), which has become a comprehensive, collective and universally recognized legal framework for uniting national and international efforts to combat terrorism.

Uzbekistan became an active participant of the Joint Action Plan for Central Asia approved in 2011. The Joint Plan of Action for Central Asia on the implementation of the UNGASS. The implementation of this Plan has made it possible to strengthen regional consensus on common principles and approaches to combating terrorism, create effective mechanisms for cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally, build counter-terrorism capacity and strengthen the security of the region.

The logical continuation of practical activity in this direction was the holding in 2022 in Tashkent of the International High-Level Conference “Regional cooperation of Central Asian countries within the framework of the Joint Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy”, proposed by the President of Uzbekistan Sh.Mirziyoyev at the 75th session of the UNGA.

This conference helped to identify new priorities and areas of cooperation and to give a new impetus to regional cooperation in combating the threats of extremism and terrorism. The Tashkent Declaration and the updated Joint Plan of Action for the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia will be extremely important for the further sustainable development of the region.

At the same time, the effective realization of the tasks set today requires strengthening the mechanisms of continuous monitoring and coordination of interaction between the countries of Central Asia. In this regard,
in October 2022, Uzbekistan and the UN Counter-Terrorism Office signed a “Road Map”. Currently, within the framework of the Roadmap, work has begun on opening an office of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office in the region.

At the same time, in the context of growing cyberterrorism and to effectively counter the use of digital technologies for terrorist purposes, Uzbekistan has intensified its efforts to implement the UN CTU Program on Cyber Security and New Technologies in Central Asia, adopted in 2020. The UN CTU’s Program on Cyber Security and New Technologies in Central Asia adopted in 2020.

In particular, on 25-26 September this year, for the first time in Tashkent, together
with the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, the organization of a regional seminar on relevant topics is planned. During the event, the parties intend to discuss the creation of a virtual network on cyberterrorism in Central Asia.

Uzbekistan also actively cooperates with the UN and its specialized agencies in countering transnational drug and crime threats.

In particular, there is effective cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the implementation of specific practical projects designed to strengthen national and regional capacities. At the initiative of Tashkent
In 2021, the Regional Program for Central Asia for 2022-2025 was developed and signed jointly with UNODC, which laid a solid foundation for work in this direction.

Uzbekistan also intends to work with UNODC to develop a Joint Anti-Drug Action Plan covering the countries of Central and South Asia.

One of the important institutions in countering drug-related crime is the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center for Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, which is successfully functioning in Tashkent. The Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center for Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors (CARICC), which has significantly increased the level of coordination and cooperation in this area.

Efforts in this regard were continued by the agreement reached in 2021 between the President of Uzbekistan
The agreement between the President of Uzbekistan and the Executive Director of UNODC in 2021, and the opening of the UNODC in May 2023. The UNODC Information Center will be opened in Tashkent in May 2023. Its main objectives are to help strengthen the state borders of the Central Asian countries bordering Afghanistan and to counter illicit trafficking in narcotics, firearms, human trafficking and illicit financial flows.

In addition, a mechanism has now been established for the UN Counter-Terrorism Office and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to conduct step-by-step training courses on combating terrorism, violent extremism, organized crime and the financing of terrorism for the country’s law enforcement officers.

• Thirdly, increased cooperation on establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan has always been in favor of resolving the situation in Afghanistan exclusively through peaceful political and diplomatic means.

At the same time, Uzbekistan’s pragmatic and constructive policy on Afghanistan has acquired a holistic, comprehensive and dynamic character with the election of Shavkat Mirziyoyev as President of the country. Thus, Tashkent has intensified its efforts to resolve the Afghan issue and continues to advocate coordination of efforts of all countries to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan within the framework of the United Nations.

It is important to note that in all the speeches of the Head of Uzbekistan at the UN platforms, the key place is given to the settlement of the Afghan problem, specific initiatives are put forward to assist in achieving stability in this country. They also demonstrate Tashkent’s commitment to preserving the central role of the United Nations in resolving the Afghan issue and interest in uniting the efforts of the entire international community to establish lasting peace in this country.

In particular, Mirziyoyev repeatedly stated on the UNGA platform that “the issues of establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan should remain in the center of attention of the UN” and “it is necessary to strengthen the role of the UN in resolving the situation in Afghanistan, and its voice should sound louder than ever”.

Also, Uzbekistan’s important contribution in this direction was the holding of the 2018 Tashkent High-Level International Conference on Afghanistan “Peace Process, Security Cooperation and Regional Cooperation” under the auspices of the United Nations, which marked a new stage in mobilizing the efforts of the international community to resolve the Afghan problem.

In turn, the High-Level International Conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities” consolidated the efforts initiated by our country.

A characteristic feature of Uzbekistan’s Afghan policy is that Tashkent views Afghanistan not only in terms of security threats, but also as a country that can act as a bridge between Central and South Asia and strengthen trade and economic ties between the two regions.

Moreover, Tashkent continues to urge the UN and the international community not to reduce the volume of international assistance and attention in order to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a source of permanent threats again.

That is why today Uzbekistan is taking active steps to consolidate the efforts of the entire international community in establishing Afghanistan as a peaceful, stable and prosperous State free of terrorism, war and drugs. In particular, the Uzbek city of Termez, bordering Afghanistan, is carrying out an important mediation mission, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid sent by foreign countries to that country.

Thus, the international logistics hub in Termez “Cargo Center”, opened in 2021 on the initiative of President Sh. Mirziyoyev under the auspices of the UN, currently serves as the main point for sending humanitarian aid from the UN to Afghanistan.

In two years, the World Food Program, UNICEF and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs have delivered more than 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan through it.

In addition, today Uzbekistan is interested in developing a unified international approach to the Afghan question, which would make it possible to bring together the positions of various States on Afghanistan,
and also contribute to the country’s early recovery from the current difficult socio-economic situation.

The initiative of President Sh. Mirziyoyev is aimed at this purpose on the formation of a high-level International Negotiating Group under the auspices and with the support of the United Nations. Its implementation will make it possible to strengthen international consensus on key issues of settling the situation in Afghanistan and keep the Afghan issue in the center of attention of the world community.

That, in turn, will also mobilize funds from the international community for infrastructure and socio-economic projects that will lay the foundation for a long-term and lasting peace in Afghanistan.

• Fourth, progressive engagement with the UN on youth policy support.
In the context of population growth in Central Asian countries, where young people make up a significant demographic group – about 30%, Uzbekistan, realizing the growing demand from them for socialization, education and employment, is actively building cooperation with the United Nations in this area. At the same time, an effective youth policy is an essential condition for ensuring stability and sustainable development in Central Asia.

That is why President Sh. Mirziyoyev emphasizes positioning young people not as risks, but as agents of positive change and a source of new opportunities for sustainable development of CA countries and the region as a whole.

In this context, much work has been done in recent years. In particular, in August 2020, the Samarkand International Forum on Youth Rights was successfully held under the auspices of the UN, which resulted in the adoption of the Samarkand Resolution “Youth 2020: Global Solidarity, Sustainable Development and Human Rights”. The document defines the important role that youth can play in promoting peace and security, sustainable development and human rights, and the importance of active, meaningful and inclusive youth participation in decision-making, especially in Central Asian countries.

Also in December 2022, a Global Forum on “Human Rights Education” was organized in Samarkand together with international partners: the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and its Regional Office, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNODC and others, a Global Forum on “Human Rights Education” was organized. It resulted in the adoption of the Samarkand Plan of Action for 2023-2025 on the development of human rights education, which defines the tasks, proposals and recommendations facing the international community, national governments, educational and scientific institutions and civil society institutions for the effective implementation of human rights education and training. It is important to note that the initiative to hold this forum was put forward by the President of Uzbekistan at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly and the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The resolution “Education and Religious Tolerance” adopted by the UNGA on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Mr. Sh. Mirziyoyev is a great achievement. The document is designed to ensure universal access to education, eliminate illiteracy, and promote tolerance, mutual respect and mutual understanding in order to strengthen security and peace.
and mutual understanding for the sake of strengthening security and peace.

In addition, Tashkent is actively pursuing an initiative to adopt the UN International Convention on the Rights of Young People, which should enshrine the need for the active participation of young people in democratic processes, the right to comprehensive family support and protection, the right to public support and care, legal personality and equality before the law, to participate in decision-making at the national and international levels, and to protection from violence and exploitation.

Undoubtedly, the measures taken by Uzbekistan to safeguard the interests of young people make it possible to overcome challenges and open up opportunities to harness the potential of young people, which in turn increases the resilience and strengthens the security of Central Asia.

• Fifth, consolidation of efforts to address regional climate change challenges.
At present, the CA region is increasingly experiencing the consequences of global climate change. At the same time, climate change contributes to the aggravation of water scarcity, land degradation and desertification, increasing number of natural disasters, which becomes a critical problem for the region and poses a serious threat to sustainable development.
and poses a serious threat to sustainable development.

According to UN data, Central Asia is warming faster than other parts of the world. While the average global temperature has increased by 1.1°C since 1900, in our region the average annual temperature has increased by 1.6°C, i.e. from 13.2°C to 14.8°C on average. At the same time, according to forecasts, the air temperature may increase by another 1.5°-3°C until 2050.

In this regard, as well as realizing the importance of the problem and the need to take effective measures to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of climate change, the climate agenda has become a priority for Uzbekistan.
In this regard, and realizing the importance of the problem and the need to take effective measures to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of climate change, the climate agenda is becoming a priority for Uzbekistan. President of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev has repeatedly noted that “Uzbekistan pays serious attention to the issues of combating climate change, protecting the environment and biodiversity. This is our human duty before the present and future generations”.
and future generations”.

Today, we can confidently say that these words are confirmed by practical actions. Thus, thanks to the efforts of Tashkent, in 2018, the Multipartner Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea Region was established under the auspices of the UN, which has become a reliable platform for practical assistance from the international community to the population of the region living in an area with a difficult environmental situation. To date, the Fund has attracted 134.5 million dollars of financial resources from donor countries.

The UN also supported the International Innovation Center of Priaralie, established in 2018. International Innovation Center of Priaralie. The objectives of the Center are to develop research and practice, improve the ecosystem and sustainable livelihoods, and introduce best practices in research and innovation in the saline lands of the dried Aral Sea bed.

An important achievement was that in 2021, during the 75th session of the UNGA, a special resolution proposed by the President of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev on declaring the Aral Sea region a zone of environmental innovations and technologies, co-sponsored by about 60 states, was unanimously adopted. In it, the UNGA declares support for regional activities and initiatives aimed at improving the environmental, social, economic and demographic situation in the Aral Sea region.

At the same time, in 2023, the Central Asian University of Environmental Studies and Climate Change was opened in Tashkent, which will be engaged in training, retraining and advanced training of specialists, scientists, researchers, managers and entrepreneurs capable of solving important environmental, socio-economic and scientific-technical problems of Uzbekistan.
and entrepreneurs capable of solving important environmental, socio-economic and scientific-technical problems of Uzbekistan and Central Asia.

Uzbekistan actively participates on a permanent basis in the annual meetings of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
in the annual meetings of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. During the 27th meeting, held in 2022, the Uzbek delegation advocated for consolidation of efforts in achieving carbon neutrality, promoting renewable energy, climate change adaptation projects, combating desertification and land degradation, introducing water-saving technologies and other climate actions in Central Asia.

Another important aspect was that the UN supported Uzbekistan’s intention to hold the first “Samarkand International Solidarity Forum for Shared Security and Prosperity” in the spring of 2024 on climate change, which will also include discussion of opportunities for international cooperation to reduce risks and threats in the Central Asian region and attract climate finance.
The UN has supported Uzbekistan’s intention to hold the first “Samarkand International Forum of Solidarity for Shared Security and Prosperity” on climate change in spring 2024, which will also discuss opportunities for international cooperation to reduce risks and threats in the Central Asian region and attract climate finance.

Given the growing challenges and emerging new threats to the Central Asian region, Uzbekistan, led by President Mirziyoyev, will continue to strengthen interaction with the United Nations in ensuring regional security and sustainable development of Central Asia. This will also be facilitated by the given dynamic pace of regional processes and cooperation, consolidation of efforts by the countries in solving the problems of Central Asia.

At the same time, the forthcoming participation of the head of Uzbekistan in the 78th UNGA will contribute to the formation of a broad and effective agenda for further utilization of the potential of interaction at the global level in strengthening security and stability in the region.

In general, it can be stated that Uzbekistan’s proactive diplomacy within the UN to promote the interests of Central Asia opens up broad opportunities and prospects for practical interaction with the international community. At the same time, the openness of Uzbekistan and Central Asia to the development of ties at the global level will convert challenges into opportunities, which in turn will contribute to the formation of a new model of regional cooperation under changing conditions.

Murad Uzakov is the Head of the Center for Regional Studies at the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Above article contributed through the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Singapore

By Axmad Mamasadikov

THE geostrategic position of Uzbekistan determines its role in the development of the logistics potential of the region, together with the countries of Central Asia such as Afghanistan. Currently, Afghanistan is gradually striving to become the center of a new macro-region connecting Central and South Asia. However, without establishing stability in this country, it is extremely difficult to talk about its sustainable economic development and the entire region, the diversification of transport corridors and interconnectedness with South Asia.

As part of the new regional policy carried out by the Republic of Uzbekistan to build constructive and mutually beneficial ties with neighboring countries, one of the priority areas is the development of cooperation with Afghanistan.

Historically and geographically, the peoples of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan had close ties and good neighborly relations. These ties have been stretched since ancient times – since on both sides of the Amu Darya there lived a people who had almost identical culture, traditions and customs. At the present stage, relations between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are built on the basis of the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs. Uzbekistan has provided and continues to provide assistance to its southern neighbor in restoring its economy and social infrastructure. During the Soviet period, specialists from Uzbekistan arrived in Afghanistan to work in the agricultural sector and the oil and gas sector, worked as teachers in educational institutions, and carried out scientific work in research centers.

Sustainable Development Needed
The sustainable development of Afghanistan is an important factor that can contribute to the stability and prosperity of the Central Asian region. Since the first days of independence, Uzbekistan has made efforts to peacefully resolve the Afghan conflict. The Republic has always advocated the early establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan and has made a significant contribution to the restoration and development of the economy of the neighboring country, improving the lives of its people by increasing the volume of mutual trade and implementing major infrastructure and humanitarian projects.

Both on a bilateral basis and within the framework of multilateral formats, Uzbekistan consistently declares the need for more active involvement of Afghanistan in regional economic integration processes, further implementation of socio-economic projects in the country and continued humanitarian assistance, which is very necessary to stabilize the situation and prevent a humanitarian crisis.

Since 2017, Uzbekistan has significantly expanded reciprocal ties with Afghanistan and actively joined international efforts to resolve the Afghan problem. At the same time, the high dynamics of Uzbek -Afghan relations is the result of the new foreign policy strategy of Tashkent. Its main provisions were detailed by the President of Uzbekistan at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2017, during the Samarkand high-level conference on Central Asia in November of the same year and at the consultative meeting of the heads of state of the region in Astana in March 2018.

International Conference
On 26th July 2022, an international conference “Afghanistan: Security and Economic Development” was held in Tashkent, dedicated to the implementation of a number of infrastructure and humanitarian projects in Afghanistan. This conference has become a logical continuation of the initiatives of the leadership of Uzbekistan and demonstrates the openness of the foreign policy of the republic, aimed at restoring the historical interconnectedness of the regions of Central and South Asia.

At this stage, Afghanistan began to be seen not as a country from whose territory a threat to peace and stability emanates, but as a state capable of becoming a friendly and prosperous part of our common region. A very significant event initiated by Uzbekistan in the framework of promoting peace in Afghanistan was the International Conference on Afghanistan, held in Tashkent in March 2018.

Today, promoting the economic recovery of Afghanistan through the implementation of joint projects in the transport, economic, energy and educational fields is one of the priority areas of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy.In order to further develop effective trade and transport and logistics ties with neighbouring countries, especially Afghanistan, as well as ensure the security of international transportation of goods and expand the transit potential of Uzbekistan, the integrated use of the resource base of border regions and the creation of favorable conditions for actively attracting foreign direct investment in 2018 The free economic zone “Termez” was created.

In addition, the Termez International Trade Center (Termez ITC) was formed in 2020, which has an infrastructure for storage, transportation and other modern services for manufacturers, exporters and buyers. In the near future, a full-fledged commissioning of this ITC is planned.

One of the features of the legal regime of ITC “Termez” will be the provision of a number of basic services on the principle of “single window” using interactive mechanisms. Services include customs, tax, certification, phytosanitary, veterinary, transport and banking operations, currency exchange and mobile communications, medical and hotel services, car maintenance and others. In addition, citizens of Afghanistan, as well as other states and stateless persons entering from the territory of Afghanistan, may not apply for entry visas (go through personal and passport control) and stay on the territory of the ITC for 10 days without temporary registration.

Strategic Projects
At present, Uzbekistan is making efforts for the economic recovery and development of Afghanistan, offering the construction of new infrastructure projects. The foreign policy strategy of Uzbekistan is aimed at the practical implementation of the following vital initiatives (strategic projects) for Afghanistan in the field of transport, energy, trade and education:
– Construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway corridor;
– Construction of the power transmission line “Surkhan – Puli- Khumri ”;
– Laying of fiber-optic communication lines by “Uzbektelecom” and “Afgan Telecom Corp.”;
– Training of afghan specialists in Uzbekistan. In the city of Termez, the Educational Center for the Training of Afghan Citizens is successfully functioning, in which more than 100 afghan boys and girls study. In the future, it is planned to increase the number of students up to 250 students.

Summing up, it is worth noting that in recent years Uzbekistan has accumulated significant experience in participating in the implementation of various economic projects in Afghanistan. In the process of rebuilding its economy, Afghanistan needs a large amount of goods and services that are not available in the country, but which can be obtained from Uzbekistan. The presence of serious human and industrial potential allows Uzbekistan to successfully implement the above infrastructure projects.

The implementation of the aforementioned projects on the territory of Afghanistan will ensure the beginning of the process of restoration and development of the economic sector of this country. In the future, the constructed facilities will not only be an integral component of the infrastructure of Afghanistan, but will make a significant contribution to strengthening connections between the countries.

Above article contributed by Axmad Mamasadikov, an independent researcher and expert on Central Asia and Afghanistan, through the Republic of Uzbekistan Embassy in Singapore

By Azamat Toshev, the Vice Chairman of the Committee of the Interethnic Relations and Friendly Cooperation with Foreign Countries

LOCATED at the crossroads of the Great Silk Road, Uzbekistan for centuries served as a strong bridge connecting Europe, the Middle East, South and East Asia with its rich cultural and historical heritage. Hundreds of great scientists who made a great contribution to the development of world science and created the fundamental foundations of religious and secular sciences were born on this land and are known to the world. For thousands of years, Uzbekistan has become a world civilization where representatives of various nationalities and religions lived in peace, and where the cultures of different peoples enriched each other.

Genuine human values such as hospitality, humanity, peace-loving, tolerance towards representatives of different nationalities and religions have become the way of life of our people.

​Indeed, what is the place of the implementation of friendly and peaceful foreign policy, ensuring inter-ethnic harmony in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan?

Firstly, nowadays, when the recent history of New Uzbekistan is being created, the implementation of a mutually beneficial and practical foreign policy in order to ensure inter-ethnic harmony and tolerance, the expansion of friendly relations with foreign countries, the creation of an atmosphere of stability and harmonious neighbourhood in Central Asia, being faithful to the spiritual heritage of its ancestors, has been identified as a separate area in the Strategy for Action on the five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the New Uzbekistan Development Strategy.

Therefore, in order to ensure consistency in the conduct of a peace-loving foreign policy, the preamble to the Constitution defines Uzbekistan’s friendly relations with the international community and, first of all, as a striving to strengthen and develop friendly relations of Uzbekistan with the world community, primarily, with neighbouring states on the basis of cooperation, mutual support, peace and harmony, it occupies a special place in the implementation of the New Uzbekistan Development Strategy.

As an important factor in the development of New Uzbekistan, special attention was paid to strengthening of inter-ethnic solidarity and friendly relations with foreign countries, and the legal basis was created for ensuring equal rights and freedom of representatives of 16 religious denominations, more than 130 nationalities and peoples living in our country.

As an important factor in the development of New Uzbekistan, special attention was paid to strengthening of inter-ethnic solidarity and friendly relations with foreign countries, and the legal basis was created for ensuring equal rights and freedom of representatives of 16 religious denominations, more than 130 nationalities and peoples living in our country.

Secondly, Article 4 of our Constitution stipulates that the Republic of Uzbekistan shall ensure a respectful attitude toward the languages, customs and traditions of all nationalities and ethnic groups living on its territory, and create the conditions necessary for their development.

The enshrinement in the Constitution, as the main objective of ensuring inter-ethnic and interfaith harmony, well-being and prosperity of the multinational native Uzbekistan, aimed at strengthening this provision, serves to further strengthen the culture of tolerance in society.

Today, an effective system has been established in order to widely implement the provisions of our Basic Law and legal documents, to implement the state policy of Uzbekistan in the field of inter-ethnic relations.

As a result of the study of foreign experience in the field of legal regulation of inter-ethnic relations, more than 40 regulatory legal documents on the improvement of legal documents – two laws, nine decrees and eight resolutions of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 3 resolutions of the Oliy Majlis, and a number of resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers were adopted.

In particular, on May 19, 2017, at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Sh.Mirziyoyev, a separate state body – the Committee on interethnic relations and friendly cooperation with foreign countries under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established.

In cooperation with 153 national cultural centers, 38 friendship societies and 98 societies of compatriots abroad, the Committee makes a significant contribution to ensuring inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony and developing friendly relations with foreign countries.

Thanks to the political will of the head of our state, Sh. Mirziyoyev, very important reforms were implemented in terms of establishing a constructive dialogue based on mutual respect with neighbouring countries, opening the borders of Uzbekistan to the world, and establishing checkpoints.

As a result of the open and friendly foreign policy of Uzbekistan, completely new – effective political, economic and cultural relations with foreign countries, including neighbouring countries, were formed during the recent years.

In particular, according to the initiative put forward by Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in September 2017, holding Consultative meetings of the leaders of the Central Asian countries became regular.

Also, in accordance with the special resolution “Enlightenment and religious tolerance” adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2018 based on the proposal of the leader of Uzbekistan, the “Week of Tolerance” held annually in our country dedicated to the International Day of Tolerance on November 16 will further strengthen friendship.

As a result of the acceptance of Uzbekistan as a full member of the Turkic Council on September 15, 2019, not only cultural and spiritual relations, but also trade and economic relations are rapidly developing within the organization.

Establishment of Public Diplomacy Center
According to the Resolution of the President of Uzbekistan, on June 26, 2018, the establishment of the Public Diplomacy Center of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan under the Committee helps to strengthen mutual trust and good neighbourliness, interethnic and inter-religious harmony, and strengthen inter-civilizational dialogue between the Member States of the organization.

Concept of the state policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of cooperation with compatriots, was approved by the President on October 25, 2018.

It allowed us to rapidly develop constant communication and cooperation with our compatriots living abroad.

As a result, the Committee signed more than 40 memorandums of cooperation with related organizations abroad.

The adoption of the concept of the state policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of inter-ethnic relations by the President of Uzbekistan on November 15, 2019 has raised international relations and friendly cooperation with foreign countries to a new level.

As a result of a rational policy, in Uzbekistan television and radio programs and broadcasts are broadcast in 12 languages, newspapers and magazines are published in 14 languages, and education in 1,865 of more than 10,000 general education schools in our country is being conducted in 6 languages, namely Karakalpak, Russian, Tajik, Turkmen, Kyrgyz and Kazakh languages.

According to the Decree No. PD-5430 as of May 4, 2018, “Friendship Houses” were established in the centres of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and regions, and national cultural centres were placed in them free of charge.

In particular, in 2019, the House of Korean Culture was opened with the participation of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the President of the Republic of Korea.

The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan was adopted in 2021 on establishing July 30 as the “Day of Peoples Friendship” in our country.

In order to adequately reward the work of local and foreign partners who have contributed to the strengthening of the atmosphere of interethnic friendship and harmony in Uzbekistan, the “Friendship of Peoples” badge was established based on the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 335 as of June 1, 2021.

In the past period, more than 500 activists of national cultural centres received state awards, were honoured with orders and medals. 14 of them were awarded the title of “Hero of Uzbekistan”.

The “Vatandoshlar” (Compatriots) Public Fund, established on the basis of the Presidential Resolution No. PR-5220 as of August 11, 2021, created a practical mechanism to further unite compatriots living abroad around the historical Motherland, and to support compatriots and public associations formed by them.

In 2022, within the framework of the nationwide project “Green Space”, activists of national cultural centers and 16 religious denominations laid the foundation for the “Garden of Tolerance” in the territory of the “New Uzbekistan” complex.

Thirdly, in 2022, Uzbekistan hosted high-level meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Organization of Turkic States, as well as a number of other high-level international conferences, promoting practical initiatives aimed at strengthening peace and friendship in the world.

Today, as a logical continuation of large-scale reforms, the strengthening of the independence and sovereignty of our country defined in the development strategy of New Uzbekistan, the expansion of partnerships based on mutual trust in Central Asia, and the implementation of deeply thought-out and pragmatic foreign policy, updating our Basic Law is a rapidly changing requirement of life.

Thus, the provisions on the implementation by the Republic of Uzbekistan shall pursue a peaceful foreign policy aimed at the comprehensive development of bilateral and multilateral relations with states and international organizations are enshrined in article 18 of the Constitution.

A comparative analysis of the practice of foreign countries shows that the constitutions of most countries indicate the competent State body to determine and implement foreign policy. The provisions on peaceful foreign policy included in our Basic Law are expressed in the constitutions of a number of countries, such as Japan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.

Provisions on a peaceful foreign policy aimed at strengthening and developing friendly relations with neighbouring countries on the basis of cooperation, mutual support, peace and accord are unique values for Uzbekistan, rarely found in foreign constitutions.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned amendments to the Constitution demonstrate the stability and consistency of the foreign policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in protecting the national interests of our country in the current troubled time; we are now entering an upswing in our development as an important factor for peace and security in the region.

In conclusion, the constitutional reforms implemented in our country will raise the quality of close cooperation in all fields in Central Asia to a higher level, further develop relations with our traditional partners, strengthen Uzbekistan’s activities in the United Nations bodies, institutions, global and regional organizations, and the role of our country as an equal subject in international relations as the legal basis of development, it serves to ensure the prosperity of our Motherland, and the peace of our country.

Establishing the principle of friendly and peace-loving foreign policy in accordance with the social and legal life of our country, the needs of the citizens, and the aspirations of the people in our main law becomes a new constitutional value that unites the people and guides them towards development.

Professor Muhammadilhom Yoldashev, Doctor of Philosophy, looks at how since Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev came into power more than six years ago, he has made it his goal to create the necessary conditions for the free and comfortable existence of citizens by introducing extremely responsible reforms. Professor Yoldashev reviews what are the most important changes that have taken place in Uzbek society as result of those reforms

Freedom of Speech & Happiness
MORE than six years have passed since the beginning of a new era in Uzbekistan and it seems to me that one of the greatest achievements in our country over the past six years has been the loss of an incomprehensible mental pressure, a feeling of fear in our society. Fear of criticism, talking about problems, knowing that they have become rich, recognizing poverty. Such examples can be cited in large numbers. What is today? Today we are talking freely, without any fear, about the topic we want.

In some cases, there is also the fact that we go beyond the limits by speaking understandably, knowing or not. It is no secret that we are putting our youth under the influence of various harmful ideas, not thinking about the consequences of freedom.

But no matter how difficult it is, the head of our state prefers to remain faithful to democratic principles. And we are not always aware of the value of this approach to the issue. The fact that freedom of speech and thought in Uzbekistan was provided not on paper, but in practice was a universal event. The worldview is that we did not believe in the provision of freedom of speech, freedom of thought by foreigners tugul himself. We heard a lot of talk that Uzbeks are not ready for democracy, they just need to be guided by hardship. If Kezi came, we would have liked it.

But where does hurficrity remain if the people are not given the opportunity, democratic changes in the true sense of society do not begin? We know that not everyone dared to start such a business. The reason was result of the unwillingness of society to do so, many problems could arise, which different forces could use in their own interests.

Nevertheless, the passion for ensuring freedom of speech and thought in society and, through this, ridding our national psyche of the dangers of the consciousness of dependence did not leave Shavkat Mirziyoev for a moment. Is there a greater happiness than when a person freely expresses his opinion-in the world?! He cannot say that I am literally free, as long as he cannot openly express his opinion about his reality, about the issues that make him think. Such a state absorbs the consciousness of the human mind, leading it to the swamp of mental dependence. Therefore, the issue of freedom of speech and thought has long been considered as an important condition for progress.

Criticism is Needed, But…
If in society citizens have the opportunity to express their unbiased thoughts and views without fear, problems are solved in time, the state develops. This is a proven fact. This must have been the main goal of building a city of prosperous people, which our ancestors had dreamed of for centuries, and a civil society, which the whole world strives for, in fact. But are we not used to criticism alone as freedom of expression? In some cases, are we not confused by unreasonable criticism? True, where there is development, both a problem and a drawback are found, there will be criticism. The point is only in finding the right solution, realizing these problems and shortcomings in time.

Unfortunately, it makes one think that some criticism is aimed not at a problem solution, but at creating a mood of instability in society, dissatisfaction among people.

Free and critical opinion is not prohibited, but if criticism is aimed at a solution to a particular problem, relying on a rational proposal, it is undoubtedly accepted, recognized by the state and society, our people, as a soul. It’s okay if critical thought and Idea serve the prosperity of the land. But without unreasonable, practical solutions, criticism weakens confidence in reforms, arouses suspicion in people. This, in turn, breaks the bond of kindness in society. Mutual harmony between them eliminates the feeling of unity in the way of good goals.

Criticism is generally ambivalent. The first is impartial and truthful criticism, which seeks the benefit of society and includes practical solutions to the existing problem, and the second is criticism, which seeks only ulterior motives, without recognizing the achievements of society.

At this point, let me be forgiven by the people of our society, the intellectuals-he, the stones being thrown into our land, despite the attacks aimed at breaking down our spiritual unity, for some reason we are not in a hurry to give a reasonable answer to them, we are indifferent.

If only one of the ten works carried out in our country finds a drawback, then the whole world is hearing it, knowing it. And we can’t show our achievements better. It is especially sad at a time when developed countries, prestigious international organizations are recognizing the effect of reforms in our country.

Lesson from the Past
Having escaped the feeling of unrealizable fear, we touched above on the fact that we had the opportunity for freedom of speech and thought and its importance. But we are used to looking at such changes as normal. Living from the past to the conclusion teaches you to look at the future in a thoughtful way, to appreciate the value of the present. This increases the sense of gratitude in humans, strengthening unity in society.

A few years ago, a teacher, doctor, student and student may feel like a lie in an ear that they have not heard being forcibly taken out on a cotton swab. Try one imagine the state of our compatriots, who, although they live in a neighboring state of several miles, could not see for years, could not even go to their condolences when kezi arrived.

Not to mention the sabru qanoatit of our women, who were born in a neighboring country and have lived in Uzbekistan for 25-30 years, but who, even when they were grandchildren, could not afford the citizenship of our country. From the first days of its existence, the head of our state has seriously entered into the protection of the rights of entrepreneurs. Supported them in every possible way.

Many people should know the days when the entrepreneur was now checked on his feet and “touched his head on a stone with his mouth touching the soup.” There is also the fact that the people of science are ashamed to say that for many years they are academicians, professors, to whom innocence eventually causes the value of intellectuals in society, the passion of young people for science to fade.

We remember well those scientists who, having defended their doctoral dissertation with hard work, Ne-ne had difficulty supporting their family after returning to work. It is also true that many of them, in the hope of earning a living, abandoned their beloved profession, passed on science and went to the market. Today this situation has completely changed. In the last 6 years, the salary of professors of higher education institutions has increased by 4 times in the middle. When a Professor works at a rate, he receives an average of 15 million with his master. An additional rate of 0,5 can take another 5 million rubles generated. In a number of Osms, English-language learners receive a 100 percent premium. This means that the professor has a monthly average of 30 crore.

On top of that, the scientists who defended doctoral dissertation (PhD) in the world’s top-500 ranked OTs have been prescribed Masters: 22.5 crore in the top-100 ranked OTS, 18 crore in the top-100 to 300, 15 crore in the top-500 Examples of this kind can be found in other fields.

Easy to Speak
Many investments in the economy, in the social sphere are necessary to achieve the huge milestone set before us. The solution of this issue was approached in a completely new way. First of all, international experience was studied. Did not sit down depending on the internal possibilities. As a result, 8 billion dollars of foreign direct investment entered our economy in 2022 alone, while the volume of exports reached 19 billion dollars. As a result of large-scale reforms, last year the gross domestic product exceeded 80 billion dollars for the first time.

The presence of the poor in our country was clearly recognized and a completely new system of social support was created for them. While 500,000 low-income families received welfare benefits in 2017, more than 2 million families are supported today. The allocation increased 7 times to 11 trillion.

The issue of human dignity in New Uzbekistan has become a priority of state policy. The achievements in this regard, the fruits of our reforms are recognized and recognized not only by neighboring countries, but also by leading countries of the world, prestigious international organizations. At this point, let’s dwell on some of the work carried out on the path of human perfection in our country.

In 2022, the funding for the health care system was 3.5 times higher than in 2017, at 25.7 trillion. Funding for medicines and medical supplies increased 6.3 times. The monthly salary of medical workers was increased by 3.3 times, ending the involvement in forced labor.

In 2017-2021, as part of the investment programs, 7.2 trillion soums were completed in 1370 medical institutions with a total of 62,644 beds in the Ministry of health system.

In 2017, 27.7% of preschool children (708,000) were covered by preschool education, compared to 71.8% (2.1 million) by 2022.

Unlike other branches and sectors, where the fixed minimum wage amount is independent, for the first time the salary of pedagogical workers was increased 1.5 times in 2 stages (September 1, 2018 and January 1, 2019). To date, the opportunity has been created for educators to receive a salary equivalent to a thousand US dollars with Masters. The involvement of teachers and students in forced labour was also put to an end.

Over the past five years, 4,635 schools have been reconstructed and renovated in our country. During the same period, the number of non-governmental general education organizations in our country increased almost 5 times. While 6 years ago the number of higher education institutions was 77, today this figure has increased from 200. Admission to them increased 3.5 times, and youth coverage with higher education increased from 9% to 38%.

From 2021, a new system of allocation of preferential education loans was established, and to this day 151,000 young people were given a preferential education loan of 1.7 trillion soums. More than 65,000 student women were allocated interest-free educational loans for around 727 miles-liard.

In 2017-2022, 145 new sports facilities were built, as well as reconstruction and repair work on 119 facilities. A total of Rs 1.6 trillion was spent on this. In 2017, more than 72,000 students attended 305 children’s schools of music and arts, while today the number of schools is 324, the number of students is 93,000.

Over the past five years, 11 new museums, 2 theaters have been created, 12 theaters, 4 museums and more than 100 cultural centers have undergone construction and renovation.

During 2017-2022, more than 100 benefits were granted to young people aimed at providing social assistance, ensuring employment, realizing their talents and supporting their initiatives. In particular, a separate program was adopted aimed at housing young families. In 2018-2020, 3,460 young families were handed over and the initial payment of ₹ 156 billion was paid on condition of interest-free repayment for 20 years. In 2022 alone, more than 292,000 young men-girls were provided with 580 billion soums of assistance through the youth book system. As a result of the work carried out, Uzbekistan ranked 101st (in 2020-106th) in the human maturation index in 2022 with 0.727 points. The education index in this direction increased from 0.729 in 2020 to 0.745 by 2022, and Uzbekistan rose to 75th place.

In the Global Innovation Index, Uzbekistan rose from 122nd to 93rd in 2020 and from 82nd in 2022 to be among the top 10 states achieving dramatic positive changes. In the direction of human capital of this index, Uzbekistan was recorded in 2021 in the 72nd place (30.4 points), and as of 2022 it was ranked 65th (30.8 points).

The Endpoint
Society has its own power. On its basis lie the phenomena of eurylaxis. One of the phenomena is self-esteem. When was the man and the ground where he was born dear? When people living in that land live with a sense of gratitude, a sense of pride in their land.

When asked the question of when the policy of freedom ended, we look for the answer from the realities of history: in times when the mood of division and indifference appeared.

The second is the phenomenon of the era. The flash of thought should always be on. That is, there is such a view: thinking is a means of understanding the world. And the world is the space in which man is born. Both the good and the bad of this space are, first of all, unique. Therefore, a person is forced to defend his homeland on his own, preserve it.

Today a modern interpretation of this process has been formed — protection from an information attack. Therefore, each of us must participate in the protection of the honor of our country.

A person who loves his homeland prefers fair and impartial criticism, strengthens unity, not distrust in society. Such criticism is supposedly a call, urging everyone to actively participate in reforms in our country, overcome difficulties together, and become more jipsated around the head of our state. After all,”love for the Motherland is convinced.”

If you pay attention, our people will always ask for peace, peace, health and safety first of all, when they create a hand for prayer. An important factor in achieving such goals is unity.

Even in the ancient book “Avesto” of our ancestors, it is not for nothing that a noble thought, a noble word, a noble deed are mentioned. Society, which achieved the unity of the people, the unity of good intentions, good deeds, always flourished.

In a land where there is unity, harmony, tranquility prevail. Therefore, our country has long relied on the proverbial words “there is a lot of talk in unity”, “United self, uniting dust”.

So let’s unite, let’s become chips today, where these complex, global threats, the need to solve many-lab problems inherited from the past are increasing every day. So that such a living becomes the commandment of our conscience, the criterion of our activity.

Ms Malika Kadirkhanova,the Chairperson of the Senate Committee of the Oliy Majlis on Women and Gender Equality, posits that at this present stage of reforms in Uzbekistan, protecting women’s rights and legitimate interests, providing social support to women in need, and ensuring gender equality needs to continue systematically and brought to a “qualitatively new level”

A number of measures aimed at ensuring the social, political and economic rights of women were determined under the Decree of the President of 7 March 2022 which states: “On measures to further accelerate the work on systematic support of family and women/” It charts the national programme for increasing the activity of women in all sectors of the country’s economy, as well as political and social life in 2022- 26 was approved. and their practical implementation is being ensured. The strategy for achieving gender equality in Uzbekistan until 2030 was adopted in order to take these things to ​a qualitatively new level.

The marriage age for men and women was set at 18, and the list of jobs with unfavourable working conditions, in which women’s labour is prohibited in whole or partially, was abolished. The position of inspector for working with women was introduced in the internal affairs system. In particular, a 4 per cent quota was allocated for adult girls from families in need of social protection to study at a higher educational institution.

Starting from 9 February 2022, the length of service for women, which includes the period of maternity leave, has been increased from three years to six years. The period of working experience for children with disabilities since childhood has been extended from 16 to 18 years. Since September 2022, pregnancy and childbirth allowances have been established for women in private enterprises and organizations at the expense of the state budget. Interest-free education loans were introduced for women studying at higher education institutions, technical schools and colleges, and the procedure for state reimbursement of contract fees of all women studying at the master’s level were established. The procedure for covering the educational contracts of low-income family members, orphans or female students deprived of parental care without the condition of reimbursement at the expense of additional resources of the local budget was introduced.

In addition, the Alimony Fund was established, and in the case of the debtor being brought to criminal liability for evading the financial support of his minor child, the practice of directing the payment of alimony payments to cover the arrears was established.

Reforms aimed at radically increasing the role of women in the socio-political life and business sphere of our country are still in progress. A unique system was created for preparing socially active women for leadership positions, training, and improving their qualifications. As a result, in 2016, the number of women leaders in our country was 7%, by 2020 this figure has increased to 12%, by 2022 to 27%, and among entrepreneurs to 25%. A single electronic database of promising women candidates working in state bodies and organizations was created, and a reserve list of more than 25,000 women for leadership was created. In 2022, a program to increase the activity of women in public administration was developed with the participation of ministries and agencies, and directed towards implementation.

Today, at the system of state and public organizations, about 1,400 women are working in leadership positions at the level of republics and regions, and more than 43,000 at the level of districts and cities. 48 or 32% of the 150 deputies elected to the Legislative Chamber are women. It is not an exaggeration to assert that these results are achieved due to the conditions created for women in the field of politics and management to serve the future of our country.

The Academy of Public Administration and the State Committee for Family and Women developed a 552-hour “School for Women Leaders” program for training female leaders. As part of the program, 100 active women were trained. Data on 142 female graduates of the Academy during the period of 1996-2021 were compiled and included in the national personnel reserve database. At the same time, a single information system was created to record women’s victims of harassment and violence. 29 centres, including 1 republican centre, 14 regional centres and 14 exemplary inter-district centres for rehabilitation and adaptation of women are operating effectively.

Further Strengthening the Legal Framework
Women are making a worthy contribution to the development of New Uzbekistan. This is the result of the reforms implemented to strengthen the influence of women and protect their rights and interests in the most basic aspects of society – political, economic, and social spheres. In recent years, significant efforts have been made to further strengthen the legal basis for ensuring gender equality in all areas. Important measures have been taken to reinforce the legislative and institutional basis of achieving these goals, and more than 20 normative legal documents have been adopted aimed at further improving the system of comprehensive support of women, protection of their rights and legal interests. The concepts of “gender expertise” and “gender audit” were introduced into the national legislation. A law was adopted on the simplification of the legal basis of the adoption procedure. Those who committed a minor crime and served a sentence were allowed to adopt a child pursuant to this document. Furthermore, a law was adopted to guarantee the rights of women in difficult ​2 social situations. Based on the recommendation of the UN, the Law “On Protection of Women from Harassment and Abuse” and other relevant legal documents were improved, the concept of “domestic violence” was included in the law, and responsibility for domestic violence was established as a separate crime. Currently, the mechanism of protection of women from harassment and abuse has been improved, and a draft law defining the procedure for issuing a protection warrant for one year by a court decision has been developed and submitted to the Legislative Chamber.

Within the framework of the Gender Equality Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan by 2030, the Central Election Commission has established 11 indicators monitoring the participation of women and men on an equal basis at all stages of the election in order to involve women and men in the election process on equal terms, to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the formation of election commissions. During 2022, the importance of women and the provision of labour rights were set as separate indicators in the ranking of single personnel departments in state bodies and organizations. The basis of legal regulation of labour relations has been improved in the Labor Code adopted in 2022 in accordance with international standards on human and labour rights. More than twenty new norms protecting women’s labour rights were included in this Code. In particular, citizens’ rights to dispose of their abilities to work, to exercise them in any form not prohibited by law, to freely choose the type of training, profession and speciality, workplace and working conditions were particularly strengthened.

Execution of International Documents
Uzbekistan submits periodic national reports to the UN Human Rights Council on the implementation of international conventions and pacts. Parliamentary supervision over compliance with international obligations in the field of human rights has been established. As part of the implementation of the gender strategy, the issue of implementation of the International Labor Organization conventions “Equal relations and equal opportunities for working women and men: workers with family responsibilities”, “Part-time work”, and “Housekeeping” into our national legislation has been considered. Proposals were developed on the expediency of the Republic of Uzbekistan’s accession to the Hague Convention on the international order of child support and other forms of family support. Currently, a draft law is in the process of being enacted into this international document. Last year, the national action plan for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution “Women, Peace and Security” and the “roadmap” for 2022-2025 were approved by the republican commission on increasing the role of women and girls in society, gender equality and family issues. Based on this document, it was decided to adopt temporary special measures to increase the number of women in leadership positions and encourage them. In addition, work has been started to prevent cases of violence against women, to expand their protection, to strengthen the fight against human trafficking, including ​3 trafficking of women and children, and to increase the readiness and responsibility of the competent state bodies to prevent the risk of violence against women.

The regulation of issues related to the rights of labour migrants is of particular importance for Uzbekistan. Therefore, in 2019, our country became a member of the International Organization for Migration. A special fund was established to support persons working abroad, to protect their rights and interests. In 2022, the “Cotton Campaign” coalition, which unites companies that produce finished products from cotton and trade in cotton products, recognized the complete elimination of forced and child labour in Uzbekistan and cancelled the ban on Uzbek cotton. Moreover, in the annual report of the US Department of Labor “List of goods produced by child labour and forced labour – 2022”, Uzbek cotton was removed from the list of goods produced by child labour and forced labour. Today, constitutional reforms are being implemented in our country. The draft constitutional law “On amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan” has been prepared. The draft law was subjected to gender-legal expertise.

On July 20, 2022, an international public discussion (consultation) was held in the city of Tashkent on the topic “Reflection of provisions on women’s rights in world constitutions”. At the event, suggestions were made for further development of the constitutional and legal basis of ensuring the effective protection of women’s dignity, rights, freedoms and legal interests. Today in our country, ensuring the rights and interests of women, gender equality, developing women’s entrepreneurship, creating new jobs for them, and improving working and living conditions have become a priority of state policy. This, in turn, serves to increase the influence of women in the most basic aspects of society – political, economic, and social spheres, their activity in each field, and the participation of our sisters in the life of society is expanding year by year.

Ranokhon Tursunova, Associate Professor of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (Uzbekistan), Dept of Political Science and Doctor of Historical Science, puts forth the case for why the country practically guarantees a state system which puts the development of human capital a top priority

IT is an undeniable fact that in the 21st century the success in development can only be achieved by those countries that have chosen to prioritize investment in human capital, since the accumulated knowledge and information have now become strategic resources.

A state system of sustainable education, which consists of pre-school, general secondary and primary vocational education, higher and postgraduate education, professional development and retraining, is well-developed in Uzbekistan. However, it is necessary to point out the peculiarity of the model proposed by our state, which implies a permanent learning process, in which a person has the opportunity to gain knowledge for a long time and further improve it.

As for pre-school education, the system has not been regulated from a constitutional-legal point of view so far. It is quite relevant and timely to introduce a new edition of the Constitution with regulations that the state creates conditions for the development of pre-school education and upbringing, as well as general secondary education are supervised by the state. First of all, this project was formed in the process of studying the international experience, constitutions of foreign countries, as well as on the basis of proposals and initiatives of our compatriots.

Specialised Education Ministries
Since 2017, the government has been working intensively to develop preschool education in Uzbekistan. In this regard, a specialized Ministry of Preschool Education has been created, and the Concept for the Development of Preschool Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030 has been adopted, which serves as a legal basis for implementing reforms in this sphere. Meanwhile, the government is expected to pay a particular attention to stimulating the involvement of private capital by means of public-private partnership in the sphere, increasing the percentage of children in preschool education to 80.8 % by 2030, and also boosting the coverage of six-year-old children by the preschool training system to 100 % by the end of 2024-2025 academic year.

The next link in the chain of lifelong learning is school education, which aims to form the basic knowledge in the training of professional staff.

A new edition of the Constitution, which stipulates that the state guarantees free general secondary and primary vocational education, whereas general secondary education is compulsory, will serve as the constitutional basis for further improvement of the sector.

It should be noted that the work on radical transformation in the school sector of Uzbekistan is being carried out intensively. Over the past six years, the legal framework for improving public education system has been updated, a revised edition of the Law “On Education” has been adopted, the Concept of Development of Public Education in the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030 and more than 20 legal and regulatory acts of the President and the government have been adopted.
In the “Year of Human Care and Quality Education”, a number of important measures have already been taken, including the introduction of complimentary meals for elementary school children at all schools.

In accordance with a state program-2023, there will be a gradual introduction of teaching students two foreign languages and one profession in one of the schools of each district (city), educational programs aimed at bringing up students in the spirit of human and national values and patriotism since the academic year 2023-2024.

The State as Guarantor of Education
Consequently, consolidating the state’s status as a guarantor of free general secondary education and elementary vocational education for the younger generation, as well as a compulsory general secondary education, will serve as the constitutional basis for a radical reform of school education.

The following amendment establishes the right of citizens to obtain a higher education in the state educational institutions on a competitive basis at the state’s expense. In turn, the higher educational institutions have the right to an academic freedom, self-government, freedom of research and teaching within the limits established by law. The proposed formulation in the new edition of the Constitution clearly and distinctly defines the role of the state as regards obtaining higher education on a competitive basis.
Over the past six years, the considerable changes have taken place in the sphere of higher education in Uzbekistan. For instance, the enrollment quotas have been increased, bringing the total coverage to 28% (five years ago this indicator was only 9%). The number of state grants has increased. Besides, for the second year in a row, girls from families in need are being given two thousand places at universities.

Furthermore, university entrants now have the opportunity to choose five state universities for enrollment, test exams are now staggered, and the scores are announced promptly. Besides, it is now possible to submit documents to a university online, as well as to take an admission test to Tashkent universities, while staying in the region.

At the same time, the switch to a hybrid form of education (full-time, part-time, evening and distance studying) and the increase in the number of universities operating in the country, including private and branches of foreign universities can be considered an important innovation as well.

In carrying out a fundamental reform of the higher education system, Uzbekistan is pursuing the main goal of becoming a competitive country that invests heavily in training highly qualified personnel in demand on the labor market. Thus, the demand for higher education in Uzbekistan has been growing every year.

Introducing Inclusive Education
In the sphere of education, the innovations that are taking place in our society must have a particular place. An inclusive education is part of them. There are many young people in the country with certain disabilities who, despite everything, want to learn, work and be useful for the state and society.

An amendment is proposed to the new edition of the Constitution “Inclusive education and upbringing should be provided for children with special educational needs at the educational institutions”.

The inclusive education is a novelty for our society, therefore, we can only adapt it based on the international experience. At the same time, in the implementation of the social state model, it is necessary not only to identify, but also to create conditions for the integration of young people with disabilities in the educational space of our country, their formation as full members of society.

The components of the state continuous education also include the postgraduate education, advanced training and retraining of personnel. On September 6, 2019, the Presidential Decree “On Additional Measures for Further Improvement of the Professional Education System” was adopted. On February 26, 2021, the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Regulation on the organization of the process of retraining and advanced training of managerial and pedagogical staff of professional educational institutions.

It should be emphasized, that the role of highly qualified specialists in the innovative economy is significant and will continue to grow. In this regard, the constant renewal of professional and personal skills will contribute to a consistent reform of all spheres of life and activity.

All of the above-mentioned amendments to the Constitution in a new edition shall give a new impetus and dynamic character to the system of sustainable education, as well as ensure Uzbekistan’s innovative development and competitiveness in the world arena.

They are part of an elite group of foreign women diplomats who represent the interests of their countries. IN Diplomacy received the following responses to our call for them to share their thoughts on three questions we feel are relevant to ask on the subject of women empowerment. We are compiling the answers for a special April edition of IN Diplomacy issue

THERE is currently a record number of women heads of mission posted to Singapore. At the last count 24 have presented their credentials and 19 are based here. This fact alone is worthy of popping the cork off an extra bottle of champagne to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) as it points to the great strides already achieved by women in the diplomatic field. However, they are also the first to say more can be done. We found this out from their answers to the following three questions that we posed:
1. What are the most pressing needs and objectives that still need to be achieved to empower women today internationally and in your country?
2. What steps we can collectively take to improve the state for women’s equality in the world?
3. How do you see women’s roles in diplomacy and international relations evolving in the coming years?

H.E. Sun Haiyan
Chinese Ambassador to Singapore

• Over the past ten months since I came to Singapore as Chinese Ambassador, I have had quite a few thought-provoking and enlightened  discussions with the female ambassadors to Singapore. There are over  20 female ambassadors and many more senior as well as promising young female diplomats posted to Singapore, contributing their wisdom and talent in the field of diplomacy and international relations. My work as Chinese Ambassador to Singapore, for example, has received the strong support of many outstanding young female diplomats from the Chinese Embassy, which I believe is also the case in many other foreign missions here.

• Both China and Singapore, and indeed many countries around the world, have over the years made tremendous efforts to empower women and achieved remarkable progress in this respect. The presence of so many female leaders taking on important roles in every walk of life in Singapore speaks volume of the achievements the country has made in empowering women. It has been such a pleasant and rewarding experience interacting with the female leaders across different sectors in Singapore.

• In terms of women empowerment globally, much has been achieved, but it is far from enough. We need to do more domestically and globally to realize the UN Sustainable Development Goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. The task may be daunting, and the challenges formidable, but with our joint and consistent efforts, I am convinced we’ll see more and more women playing extraordinary roles across various fields in different societies, living up to their full potential to create a better world for women, girls, men, and boys everywhere.

H.E. Michaela Fronkova
Ambassador of Czech Republic to Singapore

• The international environment discusses often and at length the need for gender balance. And rightly so, because this question, despite being on the table for several decades, is still not satisfactorily resolved. Admittedly, it has to be sad, several ways to improve it are entirely in the hands of women. It is crucial to spread awareness among us women that it is our duty to support and help each other. We are our own best friends, we need to keep this in mind all the time and remind ourselves of it.

• We, women, are the ones who bring new lives into the world. It is us who pass on the foundations of values ​​to children in the first years of their lives. So it’s about raising boys correctly from a young age, leading them to respect women, but also raising girls correctly – leading them to self-respect and self-confidence. Guide girls not to let themselves be handicapped by mistakes, because to make mistakes is human. You have to learn from them and move on. Psychologists claim that the difference between men and women in the approach to their own mistakes is striking. The man makes a mistake, closes the imaginary door behind him and doesn’t deal with it anymore; the woman remains with her own mistake for a long time, she although closes the imaginary door, but she remains locked with the mistake in the room.

• The number of women in diplomacy in my country is increasing, this trend is particularly noticeable among the younger generation. Therefore, women are not yet represented so much in the highest positions, but at lower career levels their number already exceeds men. It is then only a matter of time before the percentage of female ambassadors increases. Of course it is right – a woman brings empathy to diplomacy, an approach that is more and more needed in a world with fast-growing and ubiquitous technologies. Diplomacy is about man for man, it remains fully in human hands and you need to have an empathetic approach to achieve long-term results in diplomatic negotiations.

H.E. Judit Pach
Ambassador of Hungary to Singapore

• In my opinion, one of the most pressing needs is to promote greater gender equality in all aspects of life, from education and access to health care to equal opportunities in the workplace and equal pay for equal work. Additionally, it is essential that women empower women. By supporting each other, women can create a stronger, more empowered future where their voices are heard and respected. Furthermore, supporting and lifting each other up enables us to develop a stronger sense of self-worth, as well as the confidence to stand up for our rights, pursue our goals, and advocate for change.

• I believe collectively, we can all take steps to challenge pervasive gender-based discrimination in all forms. We need to empower women and girls through meaningful conversations and support networks. As a female leader myself I believe it is very important that we make sure that female voices are heard and respected within decision-making processes.

• I believe women’s roles in diplomacy and international relations will continue to grow, as women are becoming increasingly influential in setting global agendas and making a significant impact in the global community, either through their work in government and politics, their activism, or their accomplishments in other fields. What is more, women are often on the front lines of conflict, working to bring peace and stability. Women are often first responders to humanitarian crises and often are the people most aware of the real needs of their communities. This increasing role of women is essential both to achieve justice and to ensure we reach our full potential, on both the individual level and on the global scale.

H.E. Sarah Ann McGrath
Ambassador of Ireland to Singapore

• The theme of this year’s IWD “Embrace Equity” is one which I am very passionate about because it captures the idea that systems which on the surface appear “fair” or “meritocratic” are not always equitable because not everyone is starting from the same place. I believe it is important that we recognise that the change that is needed to achieve gender equality involves changing organizations, and indeed society, rather than approaches which focus on changing or “fixing” women to encourage them to emulate the behaviors of men to succeed at work. Policies which support genuine work/life balance – regardless of family status – and empower women and men to be their authentic selves and expand their choices will not only result in greater gender equality but also better and more successful societies.

• The approach of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland to both gender equality and broader diversity and inclusion can be summarized using “the three Rs”

Resource: Women are over 50% of the population so if we do not recruit, retain or promote women we are overlooking an enormous pool of talent for our organization.

Reputation: We want to be seen as a great place to work and Ireland – like many countries – advocates for gender equality in our foreign and development policy. We must then also take the same approach inside our own organization to be consistent with our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Representation: As a diplomatic service we have a representational role. My colleagues and I represent Ireland around the globe and Ireland, like the world, is 50% female. I am very proud to be the first woman to serve as Ireland’s Ambassador to Singapore and while Ireland is far from perfect we will this year for the first time reach gender parity amongst the leadership of our overseas missions.

• Every role in diplomacy and international relations is one which can be a woman’s role. In the years ahead I hope we will see some additional “firsts” in roles which have up until now only been occupied by men e.g. the next Secretary General of the United Nations but also continuing progress toward critical mass in organizations and roles where the glass ceiling has already been broken. Gender equality and embracing equity whether in foreign or domestic policy is not only about women, it is about all of us. Any study you care to consult will show the direct economic and other benefits of women’s full and equal participation. In summary: when women succeed, societies succeed. 

H.E. Rukhsana Afzaal​
Pakistan High Commissioner

• I think the overall societal attitudes and response to women in leadership roles are still not up to the mark. Women still suffer biases, hostility, and at the times, vitriol in the workplace. Secondly, when a man fails, his failure is an individual failure, his gender is never blamed, but when a woman fails, the gender is blamed and ridiculed for being inferior. Thirdly, though women have joined the active workforce and shoulder the financial responsibilities of the family, their roles as mothers, daughters, and wives has not changed. While they share the financial burden of the male members of the family, the male members do not share their household responsibilities, which results in early burnouts, i.e many talented women throwing in the towel.

• The society needs to create an enabling environment for women to step out of the four walls of their houses and join the workforce. It has to give them a sense of security and comfort that they can become useful members of the household and contribute to the family income without compromising their dignity. No country in the world can afford half of its able-bodied population sitting at home and only half contributing to the national economy.

• Women bring their perspectives to the negotiations. They are more sensitive, patient, considerate, empathetic, resilient, and far-sighted, and have an eye for minute details. They bring sobriety and more meaning to the discussion. Their presence always adds value and credibility to diplomatic initiatives.

H.E. Ms. Magdalena Bogdziewicz
Ambassador of Poland to Singapore

• Last year’s developments negatively affected millions of women across the globe – through socio-economic inequalities, natural catastrophes, human rights violations. In Poland, but also internationally, one the most pressing issues became the humanitarian situation of women in conflicts and as a result of them. My country hosts currently over two million of refugees from Ukraine, most of them women and children, who lost almost everything as a result of Russia’s war: their loved ones, property, jobs, social safety nets. It is crucial to support them so that they can rebuild their lives in new circumstances.

• For women that suffer as a result of war, like for women in general, the key thing is to create opportunities and let them build their lives with independence and dignity. Securing access to job market, state and social services but not less importantly to child care and education opportunities for their children can go a long way. This approach has been adopted by Poland where both state institutions and non-governmental entities offer avenues and programmes to do so.

• I am confident the role of women in diplomacy will only grow. It is a trend we have been observing for a while, as women often bring to the table many abilities necessary in modern diplomacy starting from multitasking and organization to pragmatism and communication skills. I see additional promise in technology as a big enabler of the current trends towards hybrid or more flexible working arrangements which will help to maintain work-family life balance for both genders.

H.E. Sumadhurika Sashikala Premawardhane
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Singapore

• Creating an enabling environment at the workplace for women through flexible working options, be it part-time or remote working, can be a game changer that helps to balance work with other responsibilities. Not only does this help those with children or caring responsibilities to stay in the workforce, but in some cases, it can encourage women who were hitherto compelled to stay away from the workforce to actively enter it and contribute. I believe this is one of the most pressing needs that needs to be achieved to empower women globally, which can also be a boost to global growth.

• Collectively, we should work towards improving conditions for women by enacting laws that tackle inequality in every sphere and creating a conducive environment that can lead to increasing women’s participation in the labor force. Some of these issues include addressing inequality in property ownership, access to credit, education, and healthcare, while of equal importance is improving access to transportation, technology, electricity, and water infrastructure.

• It is clear that there is significant economic gain from gender inclusion. I believe that women in diplomacy have a pivotal role to play in shaping the global discourse and advocating to level the playing field.

…And a Note from
H.E. Genevieve Edna Apaloo
Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to Singapore

On this auspicious occasion, we celebrate the outstanding achievements and resilience of women from all walks of life and all over the world, whom, despite numerous roadblocks, have challenged gender norms, broken down glass ceilings, and created opportunities for themselves and for generations yet to come.

The celebration of International Women’s Day is a stark reminder of the immense impact women have had and will continue to have on society.

his year’s theme “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality” throws into the spotlight, the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities. 

According to the United Nations, Women hold only 2 in every 10 science, engineering and information and communication technology jobs globally, with an estimated USD$1 trillion from the GDP of low and middle-income countries lost in the last decade due to women’s exclusion from the Technology and Digital education.

To re-echo the words of a renowned Ghanaian scholar, Dr. James Emmanuel Kwegyir-Aggrey, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation,” to wit, the impact of women’s education is felt across the board; within communities, countries and the world at large.

It is against this age-old wisdom that I laud the carefully selected theme and join in the clarion call for conscious and sustained efforts towards women’s full participation in today’s digital world for a sustainable future. 

I thank you.

…And a Wish for Greater Empowerment from
H.E. Anneke Adema
Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Singapore

“For creating a better gender balance – in whatever area – female solidarity and empowerment are key!”

On February 13, 2023, the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) received Menteri Besar of Johor, Malaysia, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Onn Hafiz bin Ghazi to expand collaborative links and promote investment opportunities in Johor.

The Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) welcomed Menteri Besar of Johor, Malaysia, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Onn Hafiz bin Ghazi on February 13, 2023. The visit to the SMF was part of Menteri Besar’s three-day tour to Singapore, with the goal of strengthening collaborative connections and promoting investment prospects in Johor.

During the visit, leaders from prominent manufacturers, trade organizations, and chambers (TAC) held fruitful conversations with the renowned Johor delegation led by the Menteri Besar. The conversations focused on opportunities for mutual cooperation among business groups in both regions, as well as the role of the SMF as a TAC in fostering partnerships.

Mr Lennon Tan, President of the SMF, said, “I am honoured and grateful that the Menteri Besar chose to visit the SMF during his trip to Singapore. This visit has provided immense value for our members by opening up new investment opportunities and strengthening their business relationships in Malaysia. With the manufacturing sector looking to recover from the challenges of the past year, this visit is a timely encouragement for businesses to expand beyond Singapore and find new avenues for growth.”

Sourced from official site

Enterprise Singapore sent 21 local companies and 58 business delegates to the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 in Lucknow, resulting in the signing of six MOUs.

Enterprise Singapore has been in close ties with India in varying scopes of partnerships since the “Make in India” initiative was introduced in 2014 by the Indian Government as one of the other ways paved to establish a business-friendly ecosystem in India. These fruitful collaborations will be further deepened through Enterprise Singapore’s visit to the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 in Lucknow with 21 local companies and 58 business delegates. 

In addition to attending the summit, the companies and delegates also visited the Smart City Command Control Center to gain knowledge and dig into further prospective partnerships. As an outcome of the event, Enterprise Singapore and the Uttar Pradesh government successfully signed six memoranda of understanding with the main focus on advancing infrastructure setup, waste management, and logistics. One of the notable MoUs in the scope of infrastructure setup is the cooperation in a pilot project initiating smart water technologies as an alternative to reduce expenses and increase the availability of potable water in Kudha Keshavpur, Ayodhya district. On the part of waste management, Vans Chemistry, an e-waste management service provider, is planning to establish a pre-dismantling and e-waste collection facility in Greater Noida to act as its base of operations in North India. Not to mention, in terms of logistics, Transworld Terminals is seeking to build a versatile storage facility in the same location.

This is a landmark set of partnerships since it is the initial cooperation between Enterprise Singapore and the Uttar Pradesh government. Although the Uttar Pradesh Government is not the traditional partner of Enterprise Singapore, this is a fresh way to start as an extension of the broader cooperation between Singapore and the Indian Government in the business sector.

For further details on the visitation, .