Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 25 September 2015, at the UN headquarters in New York, world leaders approved the “Plan for Achieving a Better and More Sustainable Future for All” developed by the UN General Assembly and promised to lift humanity out of poverty and “heal” planet.

The final document of the General Assembly, called “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” contains 17 global goals and 169 related targets and has been adopted by all countries of the world as a benchmark in building a just society.

At the same time, all global goals and objectives are comprehensive and indivisible, ensuring a balance of economic, social and environmental growth - the three main components of sustainable development.

In 2015, Uzbekistan has also committed itself to the implementation of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development for the period up to 2030. According to the Government resolution, the implementation of goals and objectives in the field of sustainable development has been taken under targeted control. The monitoring system includes 190 indicators, 128 of which are published on the Statistics Agency portal.

The Parliamentary Commission for Monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), civil society, youth and leading national NGOs are actively involved in promoting the SDGs.

On the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on 14 December 2022, the UN General Assembly unanimously approved the resolution “On strengthening the role of parliaments in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

From 2022, the implementation of the SDGs in Uzbekistan is accompanied by large-scale reforms within the framework of the “Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026”, the directions of which are fully consistent with national goals and objectives in the field of sustainable development. The main goal of the Strategy is to make Uzbekistan an upper-middle income country by 2030.

The strategy is more results-oriented with specific, proposed measurable goals to be achieved by 2026 (halving poverty, increasing enrollment in pre-school education and higher education to 80% and 50% respectively). The strategy focuses on improving governance and democratic institutions, fighting corruption, promoting civil society and freedom of speech, decentralization, supporting rural development and sustainable development of vulnerable regions.

Since 2020, the economy of Uzbekistan has demonstrated high growth rates, despite global and regional crises (COVID-19, geopolitical risks). Even during the height of the pandemic, the economy grew by 2%. In 2021 and 2022, the economy grew at 7.4% and 5.7%, respectively.

Thanks to policies aimed at improving the standard of living of the population, since 2017 the poverty level in the country has halved.

Guided by the principle of “leaving no one behind,” Uzbekistan is implementing a number of programs aimed at increasing human capital and social inclusion. In particular, the coverage of preschool education has increased from 21% in 2015 to 70% in 2022, in higher education - from 8% to 38%, respectively. At the same time, as a result of measures to encourage women’s access to higher education, including through the provision of targeted free and preferential loans and the creation of additional quotas, the number of women in higher education institutions has doubled. As a result, 49% of students who entered universities last year were girls. The share of women in public administration reached 35% for the first time.

It should be noted that in recent years, Uzbekistan has given priority attention to the issues of protecting women and ensuring gender equality. State policy is aimed at implementing the principle of equal rights and freedoms, creating equal opportunities for women and men in accordance with the Constitution of Uzbekistan.

In order to improve the system of reliable protection of the rights, freedoms and interests of women and children, a new Law was adopted in April 2023, which for the first time provides for criminal liability for harassment and stalking of women.

A unique system has been created to ensure the social and cultural rights of citizens. Over 20 state social programs and concepts are being implemented, such as “Obod Kishlok”, “Obod Mahalla”, “Yoshlar-kelajagimiz”, “Five Initiatives”. As part of the reforms of the social protection system, a Unified Social Register of socially vulnerable families, youth and women in need of state support was created.

In addition, by defining a new procedure for calculating minimum consumer spending in 2021, the Government of Uzbekistan has increased its ambitions regarding poverty reduction goals. As a result of these reforms, the size and coverage of social benefits have increased by more than 3 times, as well as increased transparency and accessibility of this service.

Within the framework of the UN SDGs, measures are being taken to implement national goals, achieve the level of states with a high human development index (intellectual potential, literacy, life expectancy), and ensure the widespread introduction of innovations in the social sphere.

To stimulate employment, create sustainable jobs and increase the incomes of citizens, a self-employment institute has been established, and in the regions of the republic - Ishga Markhamat Mono-Centers, engaged in vocational education, training and advanced training of the population.

In order to actively involve the younger generation, a Concept for the development of state youth policy has been developed, which is based on the principle of “working with young people and in their interests”, set out in the UN Youth 2030 Strategy.

Throughout the republic, in order to ensure universal access to comfortable and affordable housing, large-scale construction work and preferential mortgage loan programs are being implemented.

Under the Paris Climate Agreement, Uzbekistan has more than tripled its commitments, planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP from 10% to 35% by 2030. In this regard, the Strategy for the transition to a green economy until 2030 was adopted, which implies increasing the share of renewable energy sources to 25% in total electricity generation until 2026, doubling energy efficiency and halving the energy intensity of GDP.

At the same time, demographic growth in the country will require the continuation of important structural reforms in the economy, as well as deepening transformations in governance, social and environmental dimensions to achieve the SDGs. At the same time, cooperation with relevant UN agencies is considered as a key condition for the success of Uzbekistan on this path.

The achievement of sustainable development goals by the international community was initially expected by 31 December 2030. The progressive development of countries in the first five years of implementation of the Agenda gave hope for the successful solution of the entire complex of tasks.

However, the currently observed deep transformation and acute polarization of the system of international relations are leading to a break in traditional supply chains, destabilizing trade and investment flows, aggravating the problems of ensuring food and energy security, disrupting the educational and working life of people, provoking social upheaval and instability in different parts of the world. peace.

As a result, today, halfway towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, their implementation, as recognized by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is “under threat.” “Today, only 15% of goals are achieved. Many go in the opposite direction. Instead of leaving no one behind, we risk leaving behind the SDGs,” said the UN chief at the SDG Summit held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on 18-19 September 2023.

Based on current trends, 575 million people (almost 7% of the world’s population) will still live in extreme poverty in 2030, up from 800 million in 2015 (10.8%). While 589 million people went hungry in 2015, that number has risen to 768 million by 2021. The UN health agency reported that more than 4.5 billion people worldwide lack access to basic health services. According to UNESCO, the number of children out of school has increased by 6 million, bringing the total to 250 million.

According to an assessment of the 140 SDG targets, only about 12% are on track, half are behind schedule, and about 30%, including food security, climate change and biodiversity protection, have fallen below the 2015 baseline or have stalled.

According to the SDG report, Times of Crisis, Times of Change: Science to Accelerate Change for Sustainable Development (2023), prepared for the SDG Summit, “without urgent course correction and acceleration, humanity will face prolonged periods of crisis and uncertainty, causing and exacerbating poverty, inequality, hunger, disease, conflict and natural disasters.”

The outcome of the 2023 SDG Summit was a Political Declaration by leaders, in which they emphasized their collective commitment to building a sustainable, inclusive and prosperous world by 2030. The Declaration calls for immediate action to implement the UN Secretary-General’s proposed significant increase in funding to achieve the SDGs by amount of 500 billion dollars every year.

As the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly on September 19 of this year: “We will resolutely continue the policy of building a New Uzbekistan as a legal, secular, democratic and social state.” The Development Strategy “Uzbekistan – 2030” that we adopted “is in tune with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and we strictly fulfill all our obligations,” said the head of our state.

Uzbekistan will continue to cooperate with the UN on issues of improving human well-being, ensuring the sustainability of the economy, the food system and healthy nutrition, universal access to energy and its decarbonization, improving living conditions and preserving environmental heritage.

At the same time, improving human well-being is the main vector of state activity. As noted by the President of our country Sh. Mirziyoyev, the supply of drinking water to the population will be increased several times, as well as the coverage of healthcare, education and other social services. “By 2030, opportunities will be created for every child to attend kindergarten, and every second school graduate to study at a university.”

It was especially emphasized that Uzbekistan will continue systematic work to achieve gender equality. In this regard, as part of further expansion of cooperation with UN Women, the Head of our state, as a joint initiative with the UN, proposed holding an Asian Women’s Forum in Uzbekistan next year to discuss the implementation of their creative potential and exchange of experience in this area.

Considering the difficult situation with climate warming and the particularly negative consequences of this for our region in achieving the SDGs, Sh. Mirziyoyev proposed establishing a “Central Asian Climate Dialogue” and took the initiative to adopt a resolution of the UN General Assembly “Central Asia in the face of global climate threats: solidarity in the name of common prosperity."

In general, Uzbekistan strives to play an active role in finding ways for economic development, putting forward initiatives at the international level, as well as taking measures to ensure stability and security in the region and country. However, in the context of worsening global crises, it is obvious that no country can hope that it will be able to avoid these global risks and challenges or cope with them alone. UN Secretary-General A. Guterres, in his video message to the participants of the Astana International Forum “Solving problems through dialogue: towards cooperation, development and progress,” held on 8 June 2023, stated that: “We can solve all global problems only by joining forces and working hand in hand."

In this regard, summing up his speech at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan appealed to all countries to “think about what kind of planet we will leave to future generations.” “Only through common aspirations and joint efforts can lasting peace and prosperity be achieved,” said the leader of our state, confirming Uzbekistan’s readiness to deepen a broad and long-term partnership with United Nations institutions and all states.

Sharif Akhmedov

Chief Researcher, 

ISMI under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan