The main goal of the United Nations Development Programme represented in the Memorandum of Understanding with the National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi by the UNDP/UNV Project “Social Innovation and Volunteerism in Uzbekistan” is to establish an enabling environment for the empowerment of people with particular focus on women’s empowerment and promotion of community based volunteerism as the platform to forge collaboration, spotting talents, introducing social innovation tools. In addition, special emphasis is made for providing evidence of value-added development and encouraging organizations to launch volunteer programmes.

In this context, cooperation of the United Nations Development Programme through the UNDP/UNV Project “Social Innovation and Volunteerism in Uzbekistan” with national partners such as National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi is vital for promotion of social innovation and volunteerism for economic and social development in Uzbekistan.

National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi is the leading educational hub with the wide range of regional libraries in Uzbekistan. The UNDP/UNV Project “Social Innovation and volunteerism in Uzbekistan” and the National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi already started a successful cooperation in the National Information Library Week organized in the National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi.

The UNDP room has already welcomed more than two hundred participants in five days of the National Information Library Week. Now, the UNDP room is serving as a meeting point for the Discussion Club “MDGs and Volunteerism” and the resource center of publications and information related to the UNDP and other UN agencies’ activities in Uzbekistan.

In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding, the Project and the National Library plan to cooperate in the following areas: organizing trainings for the library staff on the use of ICT tools while working with wide range of audience, including people with disabilities; supporting and stimulating innovation and development of innovative ideas, and their support; exchanging and production of scientific, analytical and methodological literature, publications, information materials; organization of conferences, lectures, workshops and round tables on issues of education and science; implementation of joint projects on issues of mutual interest.