On September 1, 1991, the Republic of Uzbekistan became a sovereign nation and entered a new period in its history. This year Uzbekistan will celebrate 25 years of independence. In a relatively short period of time, the country has achieved important milestones in moving forward its socio-economic development through a process of gradual reforms.

As a signatory to the Millennium Declaration adopted in 2000, Uzbekistan has made good progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, due to sustainable high rates of economic growth and the implementation of effective programmes in the social sector, particularly in education and health.  It shows that policies and actions, backed by adequate funding and political commitment, does yield results.

The United Nations (UN) in Uzbekistan commends the goal “to build an open democratic and law governed state, in which a person, his interests, his rights and freedoms are the highest value” as articulated in “The Concept of further deepening the democratic reforms and establishing the civil society in the country”. Recent improvements of legislation on strengthening the role of the parliament and openness of state bodies can be highlighted as part of these evolutionary reforms. Indeed, human development, economic development and democratization have to go hand in hand to fully unleash a country’s potential.

Through our joint programmes and projects with the Government, the UN has been facilitating the country’s efforts to complement positive economic growth rates with effective social policies both at local and national levels, through policy advice and capacity development, as well as by sharing knowledge and experiences from other parts of the world. Our support covers areas from economic reform to improving governance. We assist in healthcare, including maternal and child health, and education reform and social protection. We support the preservation of Uzbekistan’s cultural treasures and the conservation of its natural resources and biodiversity. We also help efforts to counter drug trafficking and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Since independence, Uzbekistan has ratified and signed onto several UN Conventions on the protection of human rights, on security, environmental protection and other areas, and the United Nations is supporting the Republic of the Uzbekistan in the implementation of these conventions.

Uzbekistan effectively cooperates within the framework of the UN General Assembly and with the various specialized institutions of the UN system.  In the framework of the United Nations, the Republic of Uzbekistan put forward a number of important initiatives in the field of ensuring international peace and security, for example through the creation of Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in Central Asia.

We express deep respect to Uzbekistan’s strong commitment to peaceful settlement of disputes and refraining from the use of force in international relations as it was reflected in the Concept of foreign policy activity of Uzbekistan adopted in 2012. We appreciate the acknowledgement by the country of the UN’s coordinating role in maintaining international peace and security as well as expressed commitment to pursue a foreign policy in the spirit of cooperation and friendliness in relation with regional neighbors.

Most recently in September 2015, Uzbekistan, together with other UN member states, supported the adoption of the global agenda 2030 - the Sustainable Development Goals.  The United Nations system in Uzbekistan welcomes and stands ready to assist Uzbekistan’s efforts on nationalization and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the country. We particularly look forward to further strengthening our collaboration within the framework of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for Uzbekistan for 2016-2020, which builds on national priorities and ensures a solid link to global agenda 2030. 

The UN in Uzbekistan congratulates the people of Uzbekistan at the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the national independence and wishes lots of prosperity, peace and wellbeing.