The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan has launched the “Consular Services” mobile application
09.06.2026The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan has launched the “Consular Services” mobile application.
The Constitution of Uzbekistan: a foundation for modern statehood and human dignity
28.11.2025The 33rd anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan is a momentous occasion for the nation. For the first time in our independent statehood, a Constitution adopted through the will of the people stands as a cornerstone of modern governance. It embodies the rich experience of national state-building, addresses pressing societal and administrative challenges, and presents a carefully considered strategy for the relationship between the individual, society, and the state amidst complex global geopolitical developments. In essence, the renewed Constitution reflects our irreversible commitment to democratic reforms in both state governance and human rights.
Our Basic Law defines the path of national development, ensures that reforms remain irreversible, and serves as the guiding framework for the country’s statehood model.
The anniversary is not only a celebration but also an opportunity to reflect on the Constitution’s role in daily life and its unmatched significance in safeguarding human dignity and justice. The President’s directive on celebrating Constitution Day at a high level reinforces this, highlighting the deep legal, moral, and strategic importance of the Constitution in modern society.
In today’s rapidly changing world, a country’s competitiveness, the effectiveness of governance, and the protection of human rights depend on constitutional norms and institutional mechanisms that meet contemporary needs. The revised Constitution embodies such modern legal approaches. It articulates principles such as human dignity, liberty, equality, social justice, popular sovereignty, and the rule of law, and establishes practical mechanisms for implementing these principles.
The Constitution’s impact extends to all sectors, uniting them under a single socio-legal system aimed at the overarching goal of ensuring human well-being. It serves as the foundation for consistent and sustainable reforms, from strengthening democracy and civil society to protecting entrepreneurship and expanding social protection. Positive changes in healthcare, education, science, culture, and sports all reflect the practical outcomes of these constitutional principles.
The core of these tasks is to convey the philosophy of the renewed Constitution, endorsed by the people, to every layer of society. It recognizes human dignity as the highest value, strengthens social solidarity, elevates legal culture, and unites the efforts of citizens to consciously and responsibly shape their future as a modern state founded on the rule of law – all under the noble ideal: “For the Motherland, for the Nation, for the People!”
The scholarly community and mentors in constitutional law play a crucial role in this process. Every academic study, legal insight, and educational initiative deepens public understanding of the spirit and essence of constitutional norms.
Practical mechanisms are also advancing these goals. For instance, “Law School” (“Huquq maktabi”) mobile application, developed under the President’s 24 May 2024 decree, enables citizens to acquire legal knowledge independently, conveniently, and in a modern format. With nearly 66,000 registered users, 32 educational courses, and over 33,000 users having completed courses and obtained certificates, the application is a clear sign of growing public interest in legal literacy. It is an effective, modern tool for strengthening legal culture, ensuring the rule of law, and enhancing citizens’ legal knowledge.
Tashkent State University of Law plays a vital role in educating the younger generation. Its faculty have developed “Foundations of State and Law” textbooks for students in grades 8–11, based on the revised Constitution, which help students understand its spirit and essence and develop practical skills to apply it in everyday life.
Ultimately, understanding the Constitution’s place in our lives and ensuring that its provisions are applied in all areas requires active civic engagement, a high level of legal culture, and steadfast commitment to the rule of law. The Constitution is more than a legal document; it is the moral benchmark of national development and the foundation that strengthens citizens’ trust in the state and society’s confidence in the future. Respecting it is not only a constitutional duty but also a civic responsibility in building the New Uzbekistan.
Ikhtiyor Bekov
Head of Constitutional Law Department,
Tashkent State University of Law
Professor of Law, DSc.
Uzbekistan’s Role in the SCO: Economy, Security and Regional Cooperation
29.08.2026This year, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Over the past quarter-century, it has undergone a profound institutional transformation – from a mechanism for building cross-border trust within the “Shanghai Five” format to one of the most influential platforms for multilateral cooperation in Eurasia.
Over these years, the SCO has significantly expanded its membership. While in 2001 it was founded by six states (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan), today the Organization brings together 10 member states, 15 dialogue partners, and 2 observer states.
At the same time, interest in the Organization’s activities continues to grow steadily. According to SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, approximately 20 countries have expressed interest in joining the structure in one capacity or another.
Uzbekistan, as one of the founding members of the SCO, makes a significant practical contribution to its activities. The country has held the SCO chairmanship four times and successfully hosted the SCO Heads of State Summits in Tashkent (2004, 2010, and 2016) and Samarkand (2022).
At the present stage, Uzbekistan actively participates in shaping the Organization’s current agenda, focusing on security issues, trade and economic cooperation, industrial and technological partnership, cultural and humanitarian ties, and regional connectivity.
Economy and Transport Connectivity
Economic cooperation is one of the key areas of Uzbekistan’s participation in the SCO. For Tashkent, the Organization is of practical interest primarily as an effective platform for expanding trade, attracting investment, developing industrial cooperation, and establishing reliable transport and logistics links.
Uzbekistan’s trade ties with SCO member states have already reached a significant scale. In 2025, the country’s foreign trade turnover amounted to $81.2 billion, an increase of 20.7% over the previous year. China, Russia, and Kazakhstan remain Uzbekistan’s largest trading partners, accounting for around 43% of the country’s total foreign trade turnover.
The SCO’s economic potential is constrained by differences in customs procedures, technical standards, and market-access rules. To remove these barriers, Uzbekistan is calling for the signing of a Trade Facilitation Agreement, the harmonization of customs and technical standards to launch “green corridors,” the development of cross-border e-commerce, the wider use of national currencies in settlements, and the creation of investment mechanisms to provide independent financing for joint projects.
Uzbekistan’s strategic goal is to transition from simple trade to deep industrial cooperation, the production of high-value-added goods, and the integration of national enterprises into global value chains. Significant opportunities in this regard are opened up by cooperation in the energy sector, digitalization, green technologies, and the processing of critical minerals.
A practical continuation of this approach was the initiatives put forward by Uzbekistan at the SCO Summit in Tianjin. These include the establishment of a Regional Centre for Critical Materials and the SCO Energy Consortium, the development of venture mechanisms to support innovative projects, and the formation of a unified electronic portal for direct business contacts and investment attraction.
The deepening of trade and industrial cooperation is directly linked to the development of transport infrastructure. For Uzbekistan, as a landlocked country, expanding the geography of routes is a key condition for sustainable economic growth. The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, currently under construction, is of particular importance. In the future, its alignment with the Trans-Afghan Corridor (Termez–Mazar-i-Sharif–Kabul–Peshawar) could create a new transport route connecting China, Central Asia, and South Asia.
Tashkent also supports the concept of establishing a “Single SCO Transport Space” based on the development of new multimodal networks, the digitalization of transport, and the creation of seamless “green corridors.” Expanding access to the markets of China, Russia, the Caspian region countries, Iran, and South Asia creates additional opportunities to diversify foreign trade and strengthen regional connectivity.
Security: From Traditional Threats to a Comprehensive Approach
Alongside economic partnership, cooperation in the field of security remains a top priority for Uzbekistan within the SCO. Over the years of operation within the Organization, an effective system has been established to combat the "three evils" (terrorism, separatism, and extremism), organized crime, and drug trafficking, with the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent serving as its key link.
At the same time, the expanding spectrum of challenges and threats brings new tasks to the forefront: ensuring cybersecurity, protecting critical infrastructure, countering the use of information technologies for unlawful purposes, and enhancing preparedness for environmental and technological risks.
In light of these new realities, Uzbekistan actively supports the profound modernization of SCO mechanisms. As part of the institutional reform, the Executive Committee of the RATS is being transformed into the Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats. The architecture of the updated system will be complemented by the SCO Center for Combating Organized Crime in Bishkek and the SCO Anti-Drug Center in Dushanbe, which will ensure a comprehensive and targeted response to cross-border threats.
Alongside institutional improvement, Uzbekistan promotes substantive initiatives in three main areas.
First, strengthening trust and strategic dialogue. In 2022, the Samarkand Solidarity Initiative for Common Security and Prosperity was put forward; in 2023, a proposal was made to develop the SCO Code of Good-Neighborliness, Trust, and Cross-Border Partnership; and in 2025, Tashkent initiated the adoption of the SCO Declaration on Nuclear Security.
Second, ensuring the security and resilience of the digital space. Uzbekistan advocates for deepening cooperation in cybersecurity and shaping common approaches to new technologies. The implementation of this course is reflected in a consistent chain of initiatives by Tashkent within the SCO framework.
In particular, at the Dushanbe Summit (2021), Uzbekistan put forward an initiative to establish the Expert Forum on Information Security to develop mechanisms for responding to cyber threats and exchanging experience. In 2023, the Uzbek side called for accelerating the adoption of the Agreement on Combating IT Crime and the Program for Countering Internet Extremism, and at the Tianjin Summit (2025), it proposed the creation of the International Expert Council on AI to develop unified standards for ethics, cybersecurity, and protection against deepfakes.
Third, promoting the stability and development of Afghanistan. Tashkent views this country as an integral part of Central Asia and proceeds from the need to combine security issues with the objectives of economic recovery, infrastructure development, and the integration of Kabul into regional ties.
In this regard, Uzbekistan advocates for the resumption of the work of the “SCO–Afghanistan” Contact Group, which could serve as a mechanism for coordinating efforts toward the country’s socio-economic development and its inclusion in major infrastructure projects.
Regional Cooperation: Climate, Food Security, and the Humanitarian Vector
The expanding understanding of security naturally brings to the forefront issues of climate and food resilience. For Central Asia, this agenda is of particular importance: over the past 30 years, the average temperature in the region has risen by 1.5 °C, which is twice the global average rate. According to World Bank estimates, land degradation, melting glaciers, and increasing water scarcity threaten to cause a 30% drop in agricultural yields.
In response to these challenges, Tashkent has built a consistent chain of systemic initiatives within the Organization: from the adoption of the SCO “Green Belt” Program (2019) and the creation of the Climate Council (2022) to the opening of the Center for Innovative Climate Solutions in Tashkent (2024) and the launch of the Regional Platform for Adaptation, Decarbonization, and the Use of Artificial Intelligence for Predicting Environmental Risks (2025).
The climate agenda is directly linked to food security. Here, the common task is the formation of sustainable agri-food systems. In this vein, Tashkent proposes to develop “smart” agriculture, introduce resource- and water-saving technologies, and establish agro-logistics centers and “green corridors” for the cross-border movement of agricultural products. Uzbekistan also proposes to launch the “SCO Food Security Atlas” platform to monitor agricultural potential and promote supply chain resilience.
Practical cooperation within the SCO is not limited to issues of economy, security, and climate; its long-term viability directly depends on the development of direct contacts between the societies of the member states. Uzbekistan consistently advocates for expanding humanitarian dialogue through festivals, forums, and exhibitions that popularize the rich heritage of the SCO “multinational family” and strengthen the foundation of mutual understanding and good-neighborliness.
Tourism serves as one of the practical tools for fostering closer humanitarian ties. In this field, Uzbekistan has proposed a comprehensive set of practical measures, including the launch of the “SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital” program, the creation of “SCO Silk Road” routes, and the establishment of the SCO Medical Tourism Alliance. The implementation of these initiatives helps to form a unified tourist space, attract investment in infrastructure, and stimulate job creation.
Overall, over a quarter-century of participation in the SCO, Uzbekistan has solidified its status as one of the key architects of the regional agenda, helping to transform the Organization from a platform for dialogue into an effective mechanism for practical partnership. The initiatives put forward by Tashkent are practical in nature and invariably align with the core interests of all member states.
Tashkent’s principled position is that the SCO must maintain its openness, avoid political confrontation, and remain guided by the principles of the “Shanghai Spirit.” It is precisely this course that enables the consistent transformation of the Eurasian space into a zone of long-term stability, trust, and sustainable development.
Madina Aripova, Chief Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
In recent years, Uzbekistan has adopted more than 3 thousand normative acts aimed at comprehensive support for business
22.06.2024Business rights are a priority of the New Uzbekistan
Since 2017, Uzbekistan has put forward cardinal, unexpected and favorable changes for entrepreneurs. The peculiarity of these changes is that they were aimed at reducing the control functions of the state and opening the way to the free conduct of business. All barriers that hindered entrepreneurs at that time were gradually eliminated.
Liberalization of punishment against entrepreneurs, elimination of possibilities of unjustified interference in their activities, strengthening of close diplomatic ties with foreign countries, simplification of export-import procedures - all this gave a powerful impetus to the development of business environment and motivated entrepreneurs to develop and actively expand their business without obstacles.
In particular, all types of unscheduled inspections and counter-inspections of the activities of business entities, including criminal cases, were canceled. A mechanism of putting forward a moratorium on inspections conducted in the activities of entrepreneurs was introduced, which is actively used to this day.
The measure of criminal punishment in the form of deprivation of the right to carry out entrepreneurial activities was abolished.
Since 2017, the Business Ombudsman, created on the initiative of the head of state himself, has been functioning effectively. Reporting to the President, it makes proposals to improve the business environment in the country and remove various obstacles to the development of entrepreneurship.
Uzbekistan is not resting on its laurels. The country has set itself big goals - to bring the share of the private sector in GDP to 80% and the share of the private sector in exports to 60% by 2027.
The president's dialog with entrepreneurs is the key to solving many problems
It is important for every entrepreneur to be listened to in case of difficulties or obstacles in his/her activity. This is especially important if the problem requires the intervention of government officials.
Obviously, in the conditions of economic development of the state there are problems that create difficulties for business. They require prompt intervention from the highest authorities in order to prevent stagnation in the development of this or that industry, as well as to give an impetus for further development.
Such a peculiar impetus was the dialog of entrepreneurs with the President, which is held annually, and entrepreneurs have the opportunity to communicate directly with the head of state.
The opportunity to be heard is given to every entrepreneur in every region of the country through meetings. After analysis and generalization, the most relevant and justified proposals are submitted to the head of state for appropriate decisions. In addition, the proposals and complaints of hundreds of entrepreneurs are listened to on a day of open dialog.
Over the past three years, more than 33 thousand appeals and proposals were received from entrepreneurs during the open dialogs. As a result of the dialogs, more than 150 initiatives were put forward to remove obstacles in the development of entrepreneurship, as well as its further development.
In particular, if we analyze the initiatives put forward after the 2021 Dialogue, the reforms were aimed at mitigating the effects of the pandemic, extending tax and customs exemptions and granting deferral of taxes and mandatory payments.
The 2022 Dialogue stood out for the support of business representatives on various fronts, starting with tax reforms such as reducing VAT percentages to 12 percent, shortening the VAT refund period to 7 days, and introducing a flat tax rate of 4 percent instead of the current sales tax ranging from 4 percent to 25 percent.
In addition, the mechanisms for ensuring the rights of entrepreneurs have been expanded by introducing a procedure for canceling the decision to allocate land plots or property only in court.
As a result of the dialog, another problem that worried entrepreneurs was eliminated, concerning the application of higher tax rates due to the non-use of an empty building or land plot. This mechanism was not only canceled, but also debts of entrepreneurs in the amount of 2 trillion soums formed as a result of payment of taxes at the increased rate were written off.
Last year, as a result of the dialog, the mechanisms of financing entrepreneurship were radically revised, the Business Development Bank was established, and tax reforms aimed at protecting the rights of entrepreneurs were introduced.
It has become a tradition for entrepreneurs to look forward to the date "August 20 - Entrepreneurs' Day" every year. It is on the eve of this day that new initiatives to support business are announced in the course of dialog.
Digitalization of business protection as a guarantee to ensure unjustified interference in the activities of entrepreneurs
One of the topics of most concern to entrepreneurs is the topic of inspections. In this area, it is important to ensure the protection of entrepreneurs.
Digital monitoring of inspections conducted in the activities of entrepreneurs by state bodies is carried out by the Business Ombudsman.
The information system "Unified State Control" allows registering inspections carried out in the activities of entrepreneurs, their results, as well as filing complaints in case of violations by the inspecting authorities.
State bodies are prohibited from conducting inspections without registering them in this system. Otherwise, this will serve as grounds for administrative liability.
In order to ensure the transparency of inspections and the rights of business entities, the new system "Unified State Control" provides full access for business entities as well.
Thus, in the new system "Unified State Control" a number of functions have been added, such as the Electronic Book of Registration of Inspections, which provides full oversight of inspections by the Authorized Body.
In order to combat corruption and illegal inspections in the system "Unified State Control" was made an electronic database of all officials with the right to conduct inspections This in turn eliminates the possibility of falsification of data of the certificate with the right to conduct inspections. Entrepreneurs can check the data of the special license of inspectors and in case of non-compliance with the system have the right not to allow them on their territory.
Moreover, registers of state control functions and mandatory requirements have been compiled for business entities, which provides an opportunity to familiarize with the control functions of state inspections and mandatory requirements in relation to them.
As a result of the introduction of the "Unified State Control" system, it has become much easier for the Authorized Body to identify facts of offenses in the state control.
Strategy "Uzbekistan - 2030" - prospects for business development in the future
Uzbekistan does not stop at what has been achieved. Rapid steps to further support the business sphere are also enshrined in the Strategy "Uzbekistan - 2030".
Efficient use of local raw material base and development of industry based on advanced technologies, consistent transfer of monopolistic spheres to market principles, increasing the share of private sector in the economy, creating the most favorable conditions for free activity of entrepreneurs are still a hot topic.
In addition, full digitalization and simplification of the tax system is planned, as well as the creation of equal opportunities for all entrepreneurs to make the official sector preferable and more profitable than illegal activities.
For this purpose, a simplified and compact legislative system will be created, convenient for the population and business entities.
Dilmurod Kasimov,
authorized to protect the rights and legitimate interests
business entities








































