Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 27 February, the Eco Wellness Hotel & Spa hosted an event in honor of World NGO Day, organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage.

The event was attended by Adviser to the Minister Temur Mirzaev, Chairman of the National Association of Non-Governmental Non-Profit Organizations of Uzbekistan Kamoliddin Ishankhodjaev, a representative of the Public Fund for Support of NGOs under the Oliy Majlis, specialists in the field and heads of non-governmental non-profit organizations.

World NGO Day was first officially announced on 17 April 2010 at the Council of the Baltic Sea Region and was first widely celebrated internationally on 27 February 2014 in Helsinki, Finland. If we turn to history, then in 1950, the United Nations resolution introduced the concept of "International Organization of Non-Governmental Organizations".

“Currently, according to the Ministry of Justice, more than nine thousand NGOs are registered and operate in Uzbekistan. It is important to note the role of public organizations in the further development of tourism in the country, the improvement of infrastructure, the creation of favorable conditions for tourism through the interconnection of regions with high tourism potential, the phased implementation of comprehensive measures to protect cultural heritage is invaluable. For example, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, the Ministry of Mahalla and Family Support, the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, local governments have implemented a number of projects in partnership with NGOs in various fields. Within the framework of the Travel for All project, 50 people with disabilities visited Khorezm, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent,” said Temur Mirzaev.

At the end of the event, the following nominations were awarded:

"The most active NGO of 2021" - the Association of Chefs of Uzbekistan; 

"Most Creative NGO 2021" - Association of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers;

"The most active NGO in social networks in 2021" - Tourism Development Association;

"The most advanced NGO: innovative ideas in 2021" - Uzbekistan Gastronomic Tourism Association

"The most social NGO of 2021" - "Inklyuziv hayot" Republican Public Association of the Disabled.