Democracy in Uzbekistan

The monthly newsletter by the Nationwide Movement 'Yuksalish', Institute for Socio-Economic Initiatives, and the International NGO 'Regional Dialogue'

          Newsletter #25                                                                                            May 5, 2022      

This publication is prepared with the support of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)
of the US Department of State. The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
the views of the INL or the United States Government 

Representatives of the Yuksalish Nationwide Movement as part of the delegation of Uzbekistan visited the United States in April to study best practices in the field of preventing corruption, supporting civil society institutions, and establishing interaction with leading think tanks and structures in this area.

For reference: the visit was organized by Regional Dialogue International NGO as part of a joint program with the US Department of State. The delegation included representatives of the Anti-Corruption Agency of Uzbekistan, the Academy of the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Yuksalish Nationwide Movement.

During the visit, April 20-27, a number of meetings and events were held with representatives of law enforcement agencies, public organizations, think tanks and the media.

For example, meetings were held with the leadership of the Pioneer Institute, an independent anti-corruption think tank, the Atlantic Council, a think tank that promotes the economic and political transformations that are critical to shaping the future.

As a result, the parties agreed to establish cooperation in conducting joint research in the field of openness and transparency, supporting anti-corruption research by civil society institutions and think tanks, increasing the capacity of NGOs in Uzbekistan to help prevent anti-corruption activities. In particular, the participation of representatives of the Pioneer Institute in the work of the Central Asian Civil Society Forum and the signing of a corresponding memorandum of cooperation with the Yuksalish Nationwide Movement was proposed.

During the meeting, the delegation got acquainted with the activities of the Atlantic Council, the system of interaction between the Council and the anti-corruption agencies of the United States and other countries. As a result, an agreement was reached on the establishment of a joint expert-analytical group to analyze the impact of corruption on socio-economic reforms and conduct research, as well as to exchange information and analytical materials.

The delegation also visited the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the US Department of State. This Bureau prepares annual reports on the countries of the world in the field of religious freedom. Meetings were held with the leadership of The Boston Globe, judges, congressmen, experts in the field of combating corruption.

As part of the trip, a presentation was also organized of the results of the first stage of the project ‘Creation of the First Anti-Corruption Laboratories in Uzbekistan’, implemented by the Yuksalish Nationwide Movement in partnership with the Regional Dialogue International NGO, Slovenia, and the Anti-Corruption Agency of Uzbekistan.

Moreover, a dialogue was held with Richard Stoddard, Senior Central Asia Advisor of the US Department of State. He highly evaluated the contribution of the Yuksalish Nationwide Movement to the development of civil society in combating corruption in Uzbekistan. Richard Stoddard, focusing on the Anti-Corruption Laboratory and the principle of its work, expressed his readiness to provide additional financial and content support for the creation of the Independent Expert Alliance of Central Asia.

Public Monitoring and Evaluation Groups Created in All Regions of Uzbekistan

Public groups for independent monitoring and evaluation have been formed in all regions of Uzbekistan from among representatives of civil society institutions. They are led by the heads of regional divisions of the Yuksalish Nationwide Movement.

They included 402 people from among representatives of NGOs, media, experts and public activists, as well as 20 youth monitoring groups were formed, consisting of 650 volunteers.

These groups will create an effective local mechanism for informing the public about the essence and content of the Development Strategy, ensuring public oversight over the implementation of state programs and supporting citizens’ initiatives. They will prepare annual alternative reports in order to assess the level of achievement of the goals defined in the Development Strategy and the State Program.

It is planned to hold quarterly public hearings in the regions based on alternative reports submitted by groups, support for socially significant projects, taking into account the opinion of citizens.

Publication of Information about the State Social Order Is Obligatory

According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of April 22, 2022, the following mechanisms for implementing social partnership and public oversight will be posted on https://e-ngo.uz electronic portal by December 1, 2022:

• participation of NGOs in the development of programs, monitoring their implementation, submission to the responsible government agencies of a document to be considered based on the results of monitoring, proposals on draft laws;
• placement on the electronic portal of the results of consideration of NGO proposals for programs;
• submission of documents prepared by NGOs based on the results of public oversight to government agencies and publication of the results of their consideration.

From January 1, 2023, government agencies and organizations will be required to post on the electronic portal:

• drafts of social and economic programs;
• announcements on the provision of state social order to NGOs for the implementation of projects;
• applications sent to public funds for the next year;
• results of the state social order, the state of spending.

It is worth mentioning that https://e-ngo.uz portal was developed by the Ministry of Justice to provide online services to NGOs.

Volunteer Groups to Be Created under Government Agencies

From June 1, 2022, an electronic platform for volunteers will be launched on the basis of the youth portal of Uzbekistan. This is provided for by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers ‘On measures to further support volunteer activities.’

The platform will keep records of volunteers, provide data on government agencies interested in attracting volunteer assistance, post announcements of their events and projects. Volunteer activities abroad will be taken into account as well. Moreover, it is planned to place on the platform the methodological recommendations on the work of government agencies with volunteers.

The Agency for Youth Affairs will be responsible for the operation of this platform and its ongoing support.

The Cabinet of Ministers also approved a Regulation establishing the procedure for attracting volunteers by government authorities and khokimiyats. As volunteers, persons who have reached the maturity age, possessing knowledge and skills in the relevant field of activity can be involved in the activities of government agencies. Announcements about the selection of volunteers should be published on the websites of government agencies.

Legal Platform on Gender Equality Launched

The Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan and Madad NGO have launched an electronic legal platform gendermadad.uz, aimed at ensuring gender equality in society, preventing harassment and violence against women, and providing free legal advice.

Through the platform, users can receive legal assistance on issues of gender equality, protection of women’s rights, regulation of family relations, protection of maternal and child health, information on benefits for women, and international standards. All content is formed in a plain language, without complex legal terms.

The electronic platform has a feedback system that allows to get answers to legal questions and advice from qualified lawyers online.

Afghan Citizens Will Get New Opportunities for Education in Uzbekistan

Tashkent Hosts the First Festival of Volunteers

Tashkent has hosted the first Festival of Volunteers under the motto ‘We are together’. It was organized by the Association of Volunteers of Uzbekistan jointly with the Agency for Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, with the support of Search for Common Ground International NGO, the European Union and a number of other partners.

Forums and conferences, charity events and environmental actions, meetings and master classes, contests and other events brought together several hundred young people from different parts of Uzbekistan, activists of initiative groups and volunteer organizations, as well as international experts, representatives of the social protection sector, and public opinion leaders.

Within the framework of the festival, the winners of the Volunteer of the Year Contest were awarded. More than 50 representatives of volunteer groups and projects were able to meet and share experience. During the education conference with the participation of public activists, local and foreign experts, and young people, a number of plans were developed for the further intensification of the volunteer sector.

Training on Writing an Alternative Report on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

On April 12-13, the National Center for Human Rights, together with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Association of Disabled People of Uzbekistan and a number of other partners, organized a training for members of nongovernmental organizations to prepare an alternative report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The goal is to impart the skills to representatives of leading organizations dealing with disability issues in Uzbekistan to prepare an alternative report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. During the training, the national program coordinators of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central Asia Erkin Isakulov and Yulia Votslava provided detailed information on the general idea, principles and concepts of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In 2023, Uzbekistan will be reporting to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the implementation of the tasks of the convention. This report can be presented not only by the government of Uzbekistan, but also by civil society institutions, including public associations of people with disabilities.

Business Knowledge through Online Platform

The Ministry of Innovative Development of Uzbekistan supports the project of the Tadbirkor Ayol Association of Business Women of Uzbekistan ‘Creation of a unified online platform for teaching entrepreneurship to women.’

As part of the project, a web resource will be created where women willing to start their own business will be able to gain basic knowledge and skills in the field of entrepreneurship at a convenient time for them, and improve their skills. Thus, a distance learning system will be established in this area, which will optimize the costs of attracting teachers, transportation costs and other material and financial costs for training.

It is also planned to develop educational and methodological materials and manuals to improve the efficiency of business women in various areas of entrepreneurship, the use of modern information and communication technologies.

Request from Citizens for Certain Information and Documents to Be Prohibited

Since July 1, communal organizations are prohibited from requesting from the population, including business entities, certain information and documents. Those include certificates approving or disapproving their registration in psycho-neurological, narcological clinics, the presence or absence of a criminal record, tax debts, a citizen’s private housing, address and reference information, and others.

Regional electric networks, water supply companies, and heat and power services, together with the Ministry for Development of Information Technologies and Communications, must integrate their information systems with the Digital Data Platform operating within the Electronic Government system by June 1.

Nearly 40,000 Protection Orders Issued in 2021

In 2021, law enforcement agencies received 39,343 appeals about cases of pressure and violence against women and girls. All of them received protection orders. Of these, 378 orders were issued to minors, 9,861 orders to women and girls aged 18-30, and 29,104 orders to women over 30.

Of all registered cases of violence against women, 34,330, or 87 per cent, were committed in the family.

During the consideration of appeals, 106 cases of sexual, 234 cases of economic, 18,777 cases of psychological, 13,658 cases of physical violence, and 7,174 cases of pressure were identified.

In 20,769 cases of protection orders, the families reconciled, in 15,142 cases the conflicts were resolved, 921 cases ended up with divorce, and in 2,222 cases the conflicts were not resolved.

Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan

On April 30, Uzbekistan sent another train of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan from Surkhandarya Region - food, clothing, essential goods, as well as 100,000 doses of a coronavirus vaccine and PCR tests. A train of 58 carriages was sent through the Ayritom border checkpoint in Termez.

“This once again demonstrates the friendly and truly brotherly nature of the policy of the President of Uzbekistan towards the Afghan people, who today, in fact, are building their future anew,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, official representative of the interim government of Afghanistan.

Last December, 63 carriages of humanitarian aid were sent to Afghanistan, in September - 1,300 tons of food, medicine and clothing.

More Equality and Inclusion in the Workplace

The International Labor Organization has published a new report, Transforming Enterprises Through Diversity and Inclusion.

In 2021, the ILO conducted a survey of 12,087 staff members in 75 countries across five regions. 19 percent of the survey data comes from Europe and Central Asia. Of the participating enterprises, 39 percent are small, 20 percent are medium and 41 percent are large. 9 percent of survey participants have a disability.

The survey showed that the feeling of involvement in work is most often associated with the length of the work experience, and not with personal characteristics (age, gender or ethnicity). 92 percent of senior employees said they feel engaged and that diversity is respected and valued in their work, compared to 76 percent of lower-level respondents.

Employees of medium, large and multinational companies are more likely to feel the return of their work than employees of small and national enterprises, the survey found.

According to the study, creating an inclusive culture and environment in the workplace allows employees to experience a sense of equality, increasing their involvement and positive impact on the development of the enterprise, the study notes. Employees must feel that they are valued and respected, regardless of their gender, age, race, etc. According to the survey authors, this directly affects their contribution to business performance.

Get Married Without Time Out

The Ministry of Justice has developed a draft law on amendments to the Family Code of Uzbekistan, in which it proposes to abolish a one-month time-out period for registering a marriage.

According to the current version of the Family Code, marriage is concluded after a month from the date of application to the registry office. In case of viable reason, the registry office may allow the marriage before the expiration of a month, and in case of pregnancy, the birth of a child and the illness of one party, the marriage can be concluded on the day the application is submitted.

The bill provides for amendments to articles 13 (Marriage procedure), 17 (Medical examination of persons entering into marriage) and 212 (Place and time of marriage registration) of the Family Code.

If the bill is passed, the couple will be able to register their marriage, without waiting for the expiration of one month, after passing a mandatory medical examination.

“The adoption of the bill will put an end to the worries of citizens, eliminate bureaucracy and corruption in registry offices and health authorities,” the Ministry of Justice believes.

Komil Allamjonov: Freedom of the Media Needs Support from International Organizations

Komil Allamjonov, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Public Fund for Support and Development of National Mass Media:

“The press, closed for years, is now reopened thanks to the political will of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and despite the difficulties and problems on the path of reforms, the chosen path remains unchanged.

Close cooperation with the UN Human Rights Office is essential for the development of the press of Uzbekistan, its free operation and, most importantly, for the protection of the population from various aggressive and cruel foreign propaganda.”

Sherzod Asadov, Press Secretary to the President of Uzbekistan, denied reports of alleged rocket fire from the territory of Afghanistan on parts of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan in Termez, Surkhandarya Region.

“According to the Ministry of Defense and the Border Troops of Uzbekistan, no military activity is observed on the Uzbek-Afghan border, the situation is stable,” Sherzod Asadov said, urging not to succumb to provocations.

Uzbekistan Embassy Resumes Work in Kyiv

This April 22, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Ukraine resumes its work in Kyiv.

It is worth reminding that in March, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Ukraine was temporarily relocated from Kyiv to Lvov.

Arrest Replaced by a Fine

Political scientist Kamoliddin Rabbimov was arrested for 15 days by a court decision. After an appeal, his arrest was replaced with a fine.

On his Facebook page, Kamoliddin Rabbimov said that he is at home.

“On April 17, at about 7 pm, there was a raid near the Chorsu market. By measuring the rule of law in my personal interpretation, I intervened in the affair. However, I understand that it was a mistake to interfere in the affairs of the police officers. Fines have been imposed on me under the articles of the law, and I intend to pay them on time. I will try to give more details later. Please don’t politicize this matter. There were mistakes made on my part,” he said.

Subsidies for NGOs Working with People with Disabilities

A state subsidy will be allocated to pay salaries to employees of nongovernmental nonprofit organizations working with persons with disabilities (societies of the disabled, the blind, the deaf, the Association of the Disabled People).

This was reported at a videoconference on measures to further strengthen support for socially vulnerable segments of the population, held on April 29 under the chairmanship of the President of Uzbekistan.

In addition, all employees of specialized boarding schools will be paid a bonus of 50 percent of their salary. For these purposes, 30 billion soums will be allocated from the state budget.

A Working Group for the Protection of Women’s Rights Created

A working group has been created in the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan to protect the rights of women and increase responsibility for committing obscene acts against minors.

The working group is entrusted with the task of analyzing law enforcement practice and inventorying legal acts, studying international experience and developing proposals for improving the legal framework in the field of protecting the rights of women and children, which will be subsequently considered by the Parliament.

A Draft Regional Media Strategy Was Presented to Promote Peace, Interethnic Harmony and Religious Tolerance in Central Asia

Among the objectives of the media strategy, developed with the participation of experts from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, is to unite the efforts of government authorities and civil society through the strengthening of the media as part of a holistic and coordinated approach in countering the spread of extremist ideas among young people, leading to radicalization, ethnic hatred and terrorism.

Inclusive Trip to Bukhara

The Social Tourism Association, within the framework of the Travel for All Project, organized a two-day trip to Bukhara for people with disabilities from Tashkent Region. 16 representatives of Angren Muruvvat LLC under the Society of the Disabled acquainted with the sights of the ancient city.

The Social Tourism Association was established in Uzbekistan to develop inclusion in this area. In particular, the Travel for All Social Project was launched. The Association is also assessing travel opportunities for people with disabilities to create the conditions to travel more frequently.

The Center for Training Football Referees Starts Operating in Uzbekistan

The Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan has registered another republican NGO - the Center for Training Football Referees of Uzbekistan.

Its goal is to coordinate the activities of referees of all types of football competitions in the country, training, retraining and advanced training of referees, as well as assisting them in their organizational and managerial activities.

 Persons with Disabilities Learn Marketable Vocations

Ten persons with disabilities completed the computer literacy training course and received certificates.

The training was organized by the Inclusive Society Public Association of Disabled People in Tashkent as part of a grant project funded by the Public Fund for Support of NGOs and Other Civil Society Institutions under the Oliy Majlis. The project is aimed at training persons with disabilities the marketable vocations, their vocational guidance and a stable income employment.

Mahalla Residents Are Taught the Basics of Job Search through E-Platform

The Yurt Istiqboli Social Information Center of Sirdarya Region has organized a training for residents of Yangi O’zbekiston community in Mirzaobod District. It is organized within the framework of a project financed by the Eurasia Foundation.

Participants were able to improve their job search skills in Uzbekistan, increase the level of legal knowledge about employment procedures, including through the resources of the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations. So, they learned how to search for vacancies and post CVs on ish.mehnat.uz portal.

Childhood Academy: Preschool Education at Home

On April 14, UNICEF, together with the Ministry of Preschool Education and the Bilim Makon Innovative Center for Information and Pedagogical Technologies, launched the ‘Childhood Academy’ Learning Passport digital platform to support preschool education in Uzbekistan.

It is designed to help studying at home. Teachers will find advanced training courses and class schedule there, and children will be able to play educational games and watch educational videos.

By launching the ‘Childhood Academy’ Learning Passport, Uzbekistan aims to reach nearly 20,000 educators, helping approximately 1.5 million children improve learning and development outcomes.

Editor-in-Chief of the Online Media Vowed of Being Forced to Remove Her Article Due to Threats

Anora Sodikova, editor-in-chief of Rost24.uz, said that she had to delete an article about entrepreneur Jahongir Usmanov because of threats and pressure. In the report, she says that “a chain of several companies owned by Jahongir Usmanov leads to offshore companies and financial crimes.” The journalist posted the deleted video on her Facebook page.

Komil Allamjonov, head of the Board of Trustees of the Public Fund for Support and Development of National Mass Media, expressed concern about the situation and said that “no one has the right to threaten a journalist.”

Women of Uzbekistan in Senior Positions

Women occupy 27 percent of senior positions in Uzbekistan. The share of women in entrepreneurship is 25 per cent, in political parties - 44 per cent, in higher education - 46 per cent.

This was reported at the forum ‘The Role of Women Parliamentarians in the Development of Uzbekistan’, held in Tashkent on April 13, with the participation of parliamentarians, representatives of government agencies and international organizations.

Abdulaziz Kamilov Becomes Deputy Secretary of the Security Council under the President

Abdulaziz Kamilov, who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2012, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of the Security Council under the President of Uzbekistan.

The fulfillment of the duties of the head of the Foreign Ministry is entrusted to Vladimir Norov. Since December 31, 2021, Vladimir Norov has worked as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

A Newly Appointed Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan Takes Office

The newly appointed Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan Musa Dzhamanbaev has taken up duty.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, the parties confirmed the mutual readiness to intensify ties in the political, trade, economic, transport, energy, cultural and humanitarian areas.

Musa Dzhamanbaev replaced Ibragim Dzhunusov, who headed the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Uzbekistan in 2018-2022.

Ilkka Raisanen has been appointed as the new Ambassador of Finland to Uzbekistan with residence in Helsinki. Prior to his appointment to Tashkent, he worked as a Counselor to the Chief Director of the Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

In this post, he replaced Maria Liivala, who in 2018-2021 headed the diplomatic mission of Finland in Uzbekistan with residence in Helsinki.

Among the plans of the new ambassador is to open branches of Finnish universities with double diplomas in Uzbekistan.

Nodirjon Khalbutayev Is a New Deputy Advisor to the President

Success stories of Uzbekistan NGOs

Improving the Quality of Services Is a Priority for MDTs

On April 7-10, Osh city hosted the Leadership Academy - a youth exchange between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The event was organized by the Representative Office of the Search for Common Ground International NGO with the financial support of the European Union.

The purpose of the Leadership Academy is to exchange experience between the #YoshStan (Uzbekistan) and #JashStan (Kyrgyzstan) project teams, strengthen cooperation between the youth delegations of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on leadership development, inclusive governance, peacebuilding, effective interaction with local authorities.

Within the framework of the Leadership Academy, trainings were organized on youth volunteering, civic activism and inclusive governance, master classes on social networks, the development of communication skills and other soft skills, presentations on the state youth policy of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, women’s leadership, and a flash mob ‘Youth for peace and development’.

In addition, the #YoshStan and #JashStan project teams presented the results of their work on mini-grant projects aimed at providing employment and useful leisure time for young people in rural areas. In particular, it was reported that in 7 mahallas of Asaka District of Andijan Region, youth activists organized free computer literacy courses, teaching foreign languages, cutting and sewing, hairdressing, and one of the participants opened a family nursery in her community.

For reference: “#YoshStan: Increasing the role of youth in decision-making at the local level” project was implemented by the Andijan Hamroh NGO together with the Search for Common Ground International NGO with the financial support of the European Union.

Kattakurgan NGO Supports Young People with Visual Impairments

The Qalb Ko’zi project of the Kattakurgan city branch of the Society of the Blind of Uzbekistan has become the winner of the grant competition announced by the Public Fund for Support of NGOs and Other Civil Society Institutions under the Oliy Majlis.

On April 15, the presentation pf the project took place, which provides for the provision of 100 books (using Braille and audio books) to young people with disabilities. To raise awareness of the target audience, a recording studio has been created, fitted up with the necessary equipment and technology. This will allow to create audiobooks and record podcasts and other useful materials. In addition, it is planned to assist in the employment of persons with disabilities.

The initiators expect that the Qalb Ko’zi project will become an important factor in enhancing the artistic and scientific potential of young people with visual impairments.

Partnership in Action Network: 382 Victims of Human Trafficking Enabled to Return Home

382 citizens of Uzbekistan who were victims of human trafficking returned to their homeland thanks to the joint efforts of the Partnership in Action International Network of NGOs of Central Asia and the Russian Federation.

It was created at the initiative of Uzbekistan’s Istiqbolli Avlod NGO in 2018 to consolidate a vital partnership of nongovernmental organizations in the protection of victims of human trafficking and other forms of violence. The Partnership in Action Network includes 12 NGOs from Central Asia and Russia, which have been effectively interacting for 15 years. The initiative was supported by the Eurasia Foundation. By early 2022, the network had reached a regional scale, bringing together 32 nongovernmental organizations from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, thus covering countries of origin and destination.

The most important achievement in four years was the joint work on more than 300 cases of assistance to victims of labor and sexual slavery or labor exploitation, as a result of which 382 people were returned to their homeland. Much attention is also paid to increasing the potential of network members, training specialists, and interaction between professionals - lawyers, psychologists, and hotline specialists.

On April 12, 2018, Kazakhstan’s Almaty hosted the first forum, which developed the mission and vision of the Partnership in Action Network. In general, it was determined that the network’s main mission is to build a sustainable system for ensuring human rights by bringing together organizations to combat human trafficking and other forms of violence through the provision of legal and socio-economic services and advocacy.

Since then, similar forums are held annually. The latest one states that there is an urgent need to move to a higher level of cooperation of coordination structures between the five countries of Central Asia and Russia. For this, it is proposed to create an interstate transnational referral mechanism, taking into account the fact that each country in Central Asia already has developed basic elements for its functioning.

In its activities, the Network is guided by the national Constitutions of the participating countries, legislation and international agreements on combating human trafficking and other forms of violence.

If the Partnership in Action Network was originally created as a basis for annual meetings of partner NGOs, today it has become a full-fledged platform for joint actions, regular real-time communication to solve urgent problems and develop recommendations, exchange information and promote capacity building.

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