According to the information given by the organizers, there were more than 475 mahallas (citizen’s community gatherings) that ordered special buses to send their representatives to the event. Over 20,000 temporarily unemployed citizens of Tashkent participated in the two-day job-fair, according to initial estimates.

With the purpose of organizing and reaching the goals of the event, hokimiyats (local authorities), representatives of prosecutor’s office, heads of departments and employment support centers gave their consultations to all citizens who asked for help, and provided practical support in finding jobs according to their professional skills.

UNDP’s project, “ACCESS”, participated together with the employment support center of Yunusabad, the pilot district, and provided support, advice and useful materials for people with disabilities (PWDs) who came to the job-fair with hopes to get employment.

“I am very happy to have this opportunity of participating in the job-fair”, said Nasiba Zakirova, who has a disability. “I received a job offer from Prestij Textil company. That is cleaning and checking quality of clothes produced by the company. I could do that also from home".

Job-fairs for job-seekers are conducted throughout the country on a regular basis as a part of the Uzbek Government’s efforts to tackle social problems.

They will focus on people with disabilities and other groups of population covered by the Cabinet of Ministers’ Resolution “On Adoption of the Regulations on Reserving Jobs for Employment of Persons Needing Social Support and Having Difficulties in Labor Market” from 20 August 2008.

Job-fairs are only one element of the socio-legal model of support to employment of PWDs. They have been developed and piloted in three regions of Uzbekistan (Tashkent, Samarkand, and Shakhrisabz) within the framework of the “ACCESS” project.

“ACCESS” is a joint project of UNDP and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population and is aimed at expanding opportunities for social integration and employment for PWDs through raising public awareness and forming positive public opinion on the issues of disability; improving coordination and building capacity of state and non-state actors in promotion of implementation of disability legislation; promoting accessibility of social infrastructure objects; creating a system of social support and employment of PWDs.