CIVIL SOCIETY OBSERVER IN UZBEKISTAN The monthly newsletter by the Nationwide movement "Yuksalish" and the Institute for Socio-Economic Initiatives. Newsletter #7 November 5, 2020 This publication is prepared within the frames of the "Partnership for Innovation-P4I" program and is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government |
|
|
---|
Uzbekistan First Elected to the UN Human Rights Council |
|
October 13, UN General Assembly delegates elected 15 new members of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) for a three-year term, starting January 1, 2021. For the first time, Uzbekistan became an HRC member. The HRC comprises 47 states. The group of Eastern European states has six seats in this body. Asia and Africa have 13 each, Latin America – eight, and the group uniting Western European states, the USA, Canada, and Israel has seven seats. Five applicants from Asia competed for four vacant seats in the Council: China, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan. Saudi Arabia did not pass the vote. Uzbekistan received the largest number of votes in the region - 169. “Uzbekistan is committed to continuing large-scale reforms led by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and to contributing to the promotion of human rights around the world,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sherzod Asadov tweeted. He called it a historic day. As a reminder, Uzbekistan first voiced its intention to join the HRC at the 37th session of the Council in Geneva in February 2018. This summer, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved the National Human Rights Strategy. Nearly 150 public organizations supported the nomination of Uzbekistan for membership in the UN Human Rights Council. The Nationwide Movement Yuksalish has prepared a draft open Address in support of the nomination of the Republic of Uzbekistan as a member of the UN Human Rights Council. At a ZOOM meeting on October 5, 2020, 147 non-governmental non-profit organizations supported the initiative. The final version of the Address was prepared based on all opinions and proposals. |
|
President Signs the Law "Оn the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" |
|
October 15, the President signed the Law ‘On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’. The act enshrines the rights and guarantees of people with disabilities to housing, including subsidized housing, education, and employment, as well as accessible infrastructure, information, and public services. The law streamlines the activities of medical and social expert commissions. The examination will be carried out free of charge no later than 10 days from the date of application of medical documents. The law also enshrines a number of issues related to the social protection of persons with disabilities and guarantees their rights. Specifically: - Organizations ensure enabling conditions for persons with disabilities to access sports facilities, recreation, and tourist facilities, including the free entrance.
- The state takes measures to provide qualified medical care to persons with disabilities, as part of the program of state guarantees for the provision of free medical aid to citizens.
- The state guarantees free general secondary, extracurricular, secondary specialized, and vocational education for children with disabilities.
- Persons with disabilities are subject to an additional two percent admission quota for universities based on a state grant, from the total number of enrolled applicants.
- Persons with disabilities are entitled to free sanatorium and resort rehabilitation, as well as to provide medicines, medical supplies for persons with disabilities, and specialized medical food products for children with disabilities.
- Persons with disabilities have the right to receive social housing on preferential terms.
- Hotel owners are required to equip at least one room of the total room stock available for wheelchair users with disabilities, as well as to ensure the installation of displays and sounding devices for announcements that meet the needs of people with hearing and visual disabilities.
- Local authorities are entitled to establish additional social guarantees for persons with disabilities at the expense of the local budget.
The law comes into force three months after the date of its official publication. |
|
President Mirziyoyev: “The Budget Should be Formed From the Point of View of Overseeing the People's Money” |
|
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at a meeting to discuss the parameters of the State Budget 2021 on October 19, asked the Councils of People's Representatives to consider the issues of corruption and transparency of tenders in provinces. “How much attention is paid to budget money in provinces? Are local councils aware of the situation with corruption, with the transparency of tenders? How much money is allocated for water, roads, schools, preschool education? We allocate a lot of money,” the head of state said on the Uzbekistan 24 TV channel. Shavkat Mirziyoyev pointed out the need to expand the powers of local councils in budgeting. “Consideration of budget issues, approval of the budget, should be based on a totally different requirement. We should consider them from the point of view of overseeing the people's money,” the President emphasized. The President said that in order to ensure macroeconomic stability and the anticipated level of budget revenues, it is necessary to achieve economic growth of at least 5.1% in 2021. Uzbekistan will introduce a procedure for publishing the structure and performance of expenditures on the official websites of government agencies, and executives who do not comply with this requirement will be fined. The process will be monitored by the chambers of the Oliy Majlis and local Councils. |
|
Zamin Foundation Participates in the Air Quality Monitoring Project |
|
The Zamin Foundation, whose board of trustees is headed by the spouse of the President of Uzbekistan Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, has been engaged in a project to monitor air quality in the republic. Automatic air pollution monitoring stations will be installed throughout the country. Supported by the Foundation and the UNEP, Uzhydromet has been implementing a project ‘Automation of atmospheric air pollution monitoring’ in three stages. As part of the first stage, 63 observation points were merged into a single analytical center. Monitoring results are posted on the monitoring.meteo.uz public online platform and in the AirUz mobile application. In the second stage, it is planned to install automatic air monitoring stations throughout the republic and adopt international standards in air monitoring. The third stage envisions the integration of the monitoring results into the Unified Geo-information Database of the republic and international information systems. “The stations will be installed through grant funds. As a result of the full commissioning, air quality monitoring will be carried out hourly in accordance with international standards. Citizens will be able to find out exactly the level of air pollution at their place of residence and its causes,” the Foundation reports. |
|
Sayyora Khodjaeva: "Saying That We Have No Gender Discrimination Is Actually Self-Deception" |
|
“From a legal point of view, there is no gender discrimination in Uzbekistan,” says the Director of the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights Sayyora Khodjaeva in an interview with Gazeta.uz. “Everything is perfect in our country, ranging from the basic law, the Constitution, to other legislative acts. Over a hundred laws protect women's rights. However, saying that we have no gender discrimination would actually be self-deception. The very fact and necessity of adopting the Law "On Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men" suggest that, to put it mildly, not everything is good. Women are best represented in traditional areas like education. At the executive level, the representation of women in the system of the Ministry of Public Education is as follows: at the primary school level, the percentage of female teachers is 89.5%, and at the secondary school level, this indicator is 64.4%. The percentage of female leaders in district (city) departments of methodological support and organization of activities of public education institutions is 14.4%, and 34.4% of women are engaged as secondary school principals. The number of women in local authorities, elected and appointed, is 17.1%. There are almost no women in the government. There is only one woman among the ministers, there are a couple of deputy ministers, only one woman is the rector of the university, the representation of women in the international arena reaches only 3% of the total number of ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of Uzbekistan in foreign countries. "I am glad though that for the first time in the history of Uzbekistan, the chair of the Senate was entrusted to a woman, and after the adoption of the Law ‘On Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men’ in August 2019 women started heading local administrations. All this suggests that the prospect is not cloudless, but owing to the political will of the President, the proportion of women at the decision-making level will increase,” says Sayyora Khodjaeva. |
|
Public Hearing in Karshi Spotlights the Provision of Urban Population with Potable Water |
|
Issues of potable water provision are relevant for all regions of Uzbekistan, including the Kashkadarya region. According to the Karshi Department of Qashqadaryo Suv Ta'minot LLC, 90 percent of the city's population is centrally provided with potable water. It is supplied from water treatment plants in Yakkabag, Shakhrisabz, and Kitab districts through 198 km of main pipes. By the level of potable water supply, the city of Karshi is subdivided into three territories: “red”, “yellow” and “green”. Thus, the “red” territory includes five communities with no water communications, the “yellow” territory includes 17 communities partially provided with water. There are 41 communities in the “green territory”. The population of those communities is provided with water. The issues of providing the population of Karshi with potable water, its quality, as well as the timeliness of the implementation of water supply projects within the framework of the State and Investment Programs were in the spotlight of the public hearing organized by the Nationwide Movement Yuksalish in Karshi on October 6, 2020. |
|
Support for the Population Amid the Pandemic: Experience of Uzbekistan and Germany |
|
October 12, 2020, the Nationwide Movement Yuksalish and its partners organized a second meeting within the framework of the International Discussion Club on ‘Financial Support for Socially Vulnerable Groups During the Pandemic: Experience of Uzbekistan and Germany’. Leading foreign experts from Europe, independent experts, representatives of Parliament, ministries and departments, international organizations, and civil society, specializing in the socio-economic well-being of the population, in an open dialogue format discussed aspects of financial support for socially vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic. The participants knew about the experience of Germany and a number of other countries in providing financial support to socially vulnerable groups of the population during the pandemic. |
|
The Head of the Ecological party Boriy Alikhanov and the leader of the Adolat Party Nariman Umarov were appointed as members of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis by the Presidential Decree of October 20. On this occasion, at the next meeting of the Central Election Commission, they were excluded from the list of members of the Legislative Chamber and registered as members of the Senate. On October 21, at the eighth plenary session of the Senate, Boriy Alikhanov was unanimously elected as the Head of the newly established Committee for Development of the Aral Sea Region. Since August 2009, he was chairing the Ecology Movement of Uzbekistan, and then the Ecological Party, established in January 2019. Since January 2010, he was one of the five deputy speakers of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis. Nariman Umarov was elected the new Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judicial-Legal Issues and Combating Corruption (1952). Since 2015, he was a Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and Chairman of the Political Council of the Adolat Social Democratic Party. Senator, Chairman of the Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan Murat Kamalov was elected as Deputy Chairman of the Senate. |
|
Microloans for Youth and Women |
|
In pursuance of the Presidential Decree of October 13, 2020, starting from November 15, 2020, 70 percent of expenses of private educational organizations for vocational and business training courses will be reimbursed by the state, in an amount not exceeding 1 million soums for each graduate (youth and women). Successful certified individuals will receive microloans: ▪️ up to 33 million soums (about $ 3,000) without collateral to individuals with business ideas, including youth and women, to launch their business; ▪️ up to 225 million soums (about $ 22,000) to persons who have established micro-firms and small enterprises, based on guarantees from third parties, insurance policies, pledge of loan-based property, guarantees of the State Fund for Support of Entrepreneurship. Micro credits are allocated for up to 3 years, including a grace period of up to six months at the basic rate of the Central Bank. |
|
| Samarkand to Host Biennial International Human Rights Forum A Government Decree of October 9 has approved the Concept of the Samarkand Human Rights Forum, and the related regulations. The key objective of the Samarkand Human Rights Forum (Samarkand Forum) is to identify and address current problems through the exchange of international experience in the field of human rights, to further enhance the positive international image of Uzbekistan in this area. The Samarkand Forum will be held every two years in October-November or in other months at the proposal of its Organizing Committee. It will bring together UN structural units, international and regional human rights organizations, national institutions, parliaments, judicial and law enforcement agencies, representatives of civil society institutions, international and local experts, scholars, industry experts, journalists and other community leaders. The National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan is the working body of the Samarkand Forum. |
|
Shakhlo Utkurovna Turdikulova was appointed First Deputy Minister of Innovative Development by the Presidential Decree of October 8. Prior to the promotion, she worked as Director of the Advanced Technologies Center under the Ministry of Innovative Development. During her scientific career, she published more than 160 scientific works, including two textbooks and two monographs. She has the highest overall impact factor in Uzbekistan - 149.5. Khilola Uktamovna Umarova has headed the Agency for Development of Presidential, Creative and Specialized Schools at the Cabinet of Ministers. Previously, she was a Director of the Muhammad al-Khorezmi Specialized School of Information and Communication Technologies. |
|
International consulting company Henley & Partners has published an updated Passport Index. By the fourth quarter of 2020, it ranked Uzbekistan as 83rd among 106 countries (88th position in 2019). What is the rating of Central Asian and other countries in the Henley Passport Index? The rankings are depicted in our next #infographics |
|
Internet Freedom in Uzbekistan |
|
Uzbekistan is rated 57th in the Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net report. The republic improved its position by one point. It ranked Uzbekistan with 27 points out of 100 (last year - 26 points) among the countries with a "non-free Internet". “Uzbekistan has recorded a slight increase in Internet freedom - the country has been improving its position in the Freedom on the Net report for the fourth year in a row. The level of access to the Internet in the republic continues to grow, although the country's authorities have not loosened their control over the infrastructure of information and communication technologies (ICT), despite the promise to do so,” the report says. The Freedom House notes that the level of Internet penetration in Uzbekistan continues to grow, while the connection speed remains at a relatively low level, but is improving. Subscribers experience poor call quality and frequent disconnections. In general, access to the Internet remains expensive compared to household income in Uzbekistan. |
|
Bloomberg: Uzbekistan Used Equipment to Filter Internet Traffic |
|
Bloomberg reported that Uzbekistan, along with other countries, used equipment to filter Internet traffic by the American Sandvine company. “Sandvine equipment has been used to censor the Internet in over a dozen of countries in recent years. The list includes Algeria, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Sudan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan, as reported by Sandvine on its sales to government agencies and network operators, both private and government-controlled,” Bloomberg writes. In Egypt and Uzbekistan, Sandvine equipment prevented users from reading independent news websites, two current and three former employees told the agency. |
|
Journalist Bobomurod Abdullayev was Presented with an Apartment |
|
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev presented journalist Bobomurod Abdullayev with a three-room apartment in a residential complex in Tashkent. The journalist posted about this on Facebook on October 18. He wrote that the apartment is fully equipped, including household appliances. He moved to new appartment on October 5. His mother from Khorezm also visited him. Bobomurod Abdullayev expressed gratitude to the head of state. “On September 8, the distinguished President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev presented me with a three-room apartment with household appliances, carpets, furniture,” Bobomurod Abdullaev said in a video |
|
United States Donate Equipment to Curb COVID-19 |
|
The United States, through the Agency for International Development (USAID) in Uzbekistan, delivered $ 2.23 million worth medical supplies to support the country's efforts to combat COVID-19. The delivery included laboratory equipment for expanded testing for coronavirus and consumables for 100,000 tests. “The supplies are expected to significantly strengthen the country's capacity to safely and quickly test for COVID-19,” the US Embassy said in a statement. The delivery is part of the ongoing US government assistance to Uzbekistan in the fight against COVID-19. To date, the United States has allocated $ 8.8 million to the country. In September, USAID donated over 200 lung ventilation devices to Uzbekistan. |
|
October 24 - United Nations Day |
|
An online dialogue on the 75th anniversary of the UN, and the presentation of the results of the global campaign took place on October 23. The Nationwide Movement Yuksalish contributed to promoting the UN75 global dialogue in order to reach as many residents of the republic as possible, both in person and in the digital space. Uzbekistan ranks among the Top 10 countries in the number of people who filled out the questionnaire on the https://un75.online platform (over 34,000). Over the past period, jointly with the UN, the Nationwide Movement Yuksalish organized a discussion of the draft national SDG survey in Uzbekistan, nearly 50 online dialogues and motivational meetings within the framework of the series of events ‘UN 75: A Look Into the Future’, as well as a flash mob ‘Thank You Doctors’ to express gratitude to representatives of the country's health care system for dedication in the fight against COVID-19. They covered about two million people of different ages and occupations. |
|
Results of NGO Institutional Assessment In Three Regions |
|
As reported in the last issue, the Nationwide Movement Yuksalish and the branch of the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) in Uzbekistan (France), with the financial support of the European Union delegation in our country, are implementing the project ‘Transparent and Inclusive Governance Through Innovation and Cooperation between Civil Society and Local Authorities’. The expert consultants assessed the capacity of 15 pilot civil society organizations from Khorezm, Kashkadarya and Fergana regions, selected through a competitive selection. Generalized results of the institutional assessment are presented in our infographics |
|
Ecology Classes in Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya Regions |
|
October 7-10, 2020, in compliance with quarantine requirements, ecology classes took place in Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions within the framework of UzWaterAware project. The classes highlighted water issues and water-saving technologies. The events became part of the project under the fall field events program by the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC) with the financial support of the European Union. Eco-classes for children and teachers, as well as meetings were organized jointly with the Nationwide Movement Yuksalish. Water-saving eco-classes covered about a dozen of schools and more than a hundred teachers in Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions. The organizers bet on user-friendly and colorful presentation of water resources, demonstration of educational animation videos for children and adults at each event. Each of the five videos, presented in the format of a full-fledged eco-class, showcases water resources and the importance of their rational use. |
|
|
---|
Success Stories of NGOs in Uzbekistan |
|
Uzbekistan Creates an International Expert System for Experience Exchange of Russian Language Teachers |
|
October 22, 2020, representatives of Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University, Sharq Ayoli International Women's Public Foundation, and the Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Sports of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis discussed ways of cooperation within the framework of the Klass Program funded by the philanthropist Alisher Usmanov. The parties agreed to build cooperation as part of the joint project of the Foundation and Electron Ta'lim Taminot LLC, the ICT Department of the Uzbek State University of World Languages to create an expert system based on the platform ‘Virtual Class of the Russian Language Teacher Classcom’, which is popular among teachers of Russian in secondary schools of Uzbekistan. The international expert system aims at creating opportunities for Russian language teachers around the world to exchange existing resources, experience, teaching methods, organize international thematic seminars, conferences, certified refresher courses, and publish them in the authoritative world and regional online editions. The cooperation with the Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University is one of such steps. For reference: Over the past six years, the Sharq Ayoli International Women's Public Foundation, together with Russian universities, the Russian Humanitarian Mission ANO and national partners organized advanced training for more than 220 teachers of the Russian language from different regions of the republic, the competition ‘Uzbekistan’s Best Teacher of Russian Language’, covering more than 400 teachers, facilitated free education and connection to the Classcom.uz platform for more than 18,700 Russian language specialists. 11 smart-classrooms of the Russian language have been opened for primary and senior classes in rural schools. |
|
Resource Center as a Platform for Networking |
|
One of the pilot projects of the Partnership for Innovation program in Uzbekistan - Taraqqiyot NGO, has established a resource center (Fergana region). It made it possible to introduce a system of data collection and exchange between the organizations concerned. Participants can exchange information, discuss problems, and find solutions through networking. “The resource center promotes better engagement of members in project and research activities, expanding opportunities for the development of individual abilities, as well as training in various areas of the organizations' activities,” says the Head of the Taraqqiyot NGO Feruza Madalieva. “The center generates ideas for the development of infrastructure projects, which are later on implemented in the social environment. The platform allows participants to independently monitor activities, calculate risks, and choose the best tools for solving problems.” The resource center is also a platform for conducting workshops, round tables between the beneficiaries to discuss ways of coordinating joint actions on the proper performance in the process of organizations' work. Since the establishment of the resource center, several NGOs have been able to submit documents and receive grants allocated by the state for the implementation of infrastructural service-related projects. The resource center specialists also provide paid services, including technical and social consultations, field monitoring and financial audit of NGO activities. Today, the resource center is: - Over 32 drinking water supply organizations in Fergana region;
- Developed partner network with ministries, local authorities, enterprises, government agencies and scientific and technical organizations;
- Educational practices based on the integration of skills and experience with achievements in the field of infrastructure projects;
- Infrastructure and social security development projects;
- Information and logistical base to improve the living conditions of the population, and provide employment trainings.
For reference: The ‘Partnership for Innovation’ Program in Uzbekistan is implemented by the Nationwide Movement Yuksalish in cooperation with the Civil Society Development Association ARGO (Kazakhstan), and funded by USAID. |
|
Ninety-Five Unemployed Women Underwent Free Training in the Village of Jeynov |
|
Free training courses for unemployed women and girls have been organized at the pilot local development center in the village of Jeynov, Mirishkor district, Kashkadarya region. The participants underwent vocational training in wool processing and carpet weaving, embroidery, sewing, and haberdashery production, as well as increased their social activity. In the first decade of October, 35 women received certificates of relevant qualifications. Located in the building of the Jeynov Industrial Vocational College, the center was established by the information and consulting resource center Yuksalish. “Free advanced training courses for unemployed women have been opened within the framework of the project ‘Engaging Youth in Entrepreneurship As Important Factor in Youth Employment’,” says Zulfiya Khaydarova, Director of the Yuksalish Information and Consulting Resource Center. “The project is being implemented based on the state social order of the Kashkadarya Regional Administration, and funded by the Public Fund for Support of Non-Governmental Non-Profit Organizations and Other Civil Society Institutions under the Oliy Majlis.” As part of the project, classrooms were repaired with the support of regional and district administrations. The Public Fund helped furnish the center and equip it with educational tools and aids, and purchase raw materials and supplies. Practical and theoretical classes based on the "mentor-student" model are conducted by skilled and highly qualified members of the Hunarmand Association. The center regularly organizes workshops, involving qualified instructors to train students to open and run their own business. Since its opening, 95 unemployed women have been trained. |
|
|
---|
© Copyright 2020 • info@yumh.uz • 16 Sh. Rashidov street, Tashkent, Uzbekistan |
|
|
---|
|
|