CIVIL SOCIETY WEEK

From December 1 to 5, 2025, “Civil Society Week” was held in Tashkent. The opening ceremony of Civil Society Week took place at the Palace of Youth Creativity. The Week was organized to ensure the implementation of Presidential directives aimed at supporting civil society institutions, strengthening effective dialogue between government bodies and the public, and further promoting cooperation and openness.

The event was opened by Adham Shadmanov, Member of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the country’s Parliament, government bodies, international and foreign organizations, civil society institutions, the diplomatic corps, embassies, and the mass media.

During the opening ceremony, a number of distinguished speakers delivered welcoming remarks. Nuriddin Ismoilov, Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis; Sodiq Safoev, Deputy Chairperson of the Senate; Akiko Fujii, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Uzbekistan; Akbar Tashkulov, Minister of Justice; representatives of the leadership of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan; Aygun Aliyeva, Executive Director of the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Kahramon Kuranbaev, Chairman of the Association of Mahallas of Uzbekistan; and Feruza Eshmatova, Ombudsperson, highlighted in their speeches the priority tasks related to ongoing reforms aimed at developing civil society, strengthening cooperation between the state and society, ensuring the rule of law, and expanding openness.

Following the opening ceremony, the “Public Councils Forum” was held. A video about Civil Society Week was screened as part of the event. In addition, Nu’mon Mukhammadiev, Deputy Minister of Justice; Bobur Bekmurodov, Chairman of the “Yuksalish” Nationwide Movement; a representative of UNDP in Uzbekistan; and Toivo Klaar, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan, shared important views on the legal framework governing public councils, improving the effectiveness of their activities, and strengthening public oversight of government bodies.

During the main sessions, chairpersons of public councils and specialists from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Digital Technologies, UNDP projects, and the “Yuksalish” Movement presented practical experience in the work of public councils, lessons learned, and monitoring results. An awards ceremony was also held to recognize the “Most Active Public Councils.”

In the second half of the day, a roundtable discussion was held with the aim of strengthening the capacity of civil society institutions in the regions. Representatives of the leadership of the “Yuksalish” Movement, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and local NGOs took part in the discussion. The participants reviewed the results of public consultations, the potential for cooperation with donor organizations, and the needs of the regions.

The large-scale event was also attended by Sherzod Norkuzievich Boboev, Specialist of the Operational Research Department of the Republican Center for the Study of Public Opinion “Ijtimoiy Fikr,” and Sirojiddin Sanjarovich Imamov, Editor of the Press Service. The representatives of the Center participated in the scientific and practical activities of the event and in discussions of initiatives aimed at expanding public participation.