Democracy in Uzbekistan

The monthly newsletter by the Nationwide movement "Yuksalish" and the Institute for Socio-Economic Initiatives

      Newsletter #11                                                                                                           March 6, 2021 

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

State support to NGOs of Uzbekistan to be maintained starting from
March 2021

The President adopted a resolution “On additional measures for state support of non-governmental non-profit organizations, ensuring the freedom of their activities, protecting their rights and legitimate interests” (No. PP-5012, 03.03.2021).

According to the decree, from March 1, 2021:
- the total amount of funds and property received in one calendar year by non-governmental non-profit organizations from foreign sources, with the notification (for information) of the registering authority, is increased from 20 to 100 base units of account;

- the term for re-registration of a non-governmental non-profit organization, as well as state registration of its symbols, is reduced from 1 month to 15 days;

- for state registration (re-registration) of symbols of public associations of persons with disabilities, veterans, senior citizens, women, children, the state duty is not charged;

- a separate subdivision of a non-governmental non-profit organization is a legal entity, while the procedure for registering a separate subdivision is canceled.

- The public fund for the support of non-governmental non-profit organizations of Uzbekistan will receive a state subsidy to finance programs and projects aimed at the development of local NGOs.

- In 2021–2022, 15 coworking centers will be created in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional centers, and the city of Tashkent.

According to the decree, NGOs operating in the territory of the region, district, city, village, and aul are territorial non-governmental non-profit organizations, and for their state registration, a state duty is levied in the amount of 50 percent of the base units of account.

In 2021, for the maintenance of public funds to support non-governmental non-profit organizations and other institutions of civil society under the Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Kengashes of people's deputies of regions and the city of Tashkent, as well as the implementation of their main activities, funds will be allocated in the amount of at least 1.1 billion UZS.

This February 22, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made a speech at the 46^th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The head of state identified the priorities for further deepening democratic transformations in Uzbekistan and work within the Council:

First. Ensuring fundamental human rights and freedoms shall remain central in reforming Uzbekistan.

Second. In the issues of gender policy we intend to radically increase the role of women in the public, political and business life of the country.

Third. Special priority shall be given to ensure the rights of people with special needs.

In the near future the Parliament of Uzbekistan shall ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Fourth. The protection of rights of the youth, who make up more than half of the population of Uzbekistan, is constantly in the focus of our attention.

This year, Uzbekistan plans to present the draft Convention on Youth Rights at the tenth Forum of the UN Economic and Social Council, as well as to submit for consideration the issue of establishing the institution of a Special Rapporteur on Youth Rights.

Fifth. Jointly with the International Labor Organization and the World Bank, Uzbekistan has accomplished profound work in terms of the eradication of forced and child labor. In 2021, Uzbekistanwill adopt the Law on the Children’s Ombudsman.

Sixth. It is proposed to hold together with the UN High Commissioner Office a Global Forum dedicated to the 10^th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training.

Seventh. Uzbekistan supports the proposal by the UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres for taking decisive steps to reduce the number of stateless persons.

In 2020 alone, 50 thousand of people have acquired citizenship of Uzbekistan, and in 2021, more than 20 thousand people shall obtain it, as well.

The President also announced plans to promote the creation of a mechanism for ensuring human rights in the Asian region on the basis of a permanent platform - the Samarkand Forum for Human Rights.

Key tasks include:

• Further development of civil society institutions, comprehensive support for freedom of speech in Uzbekistan;
• Preparation of codes on nongovernmental nonprofit organizations and mass media.
• Strict suppression of all forms of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment within the framework of the implementation of the national preventive mechanism. Such crimes shall not have a statute of limitations. Uzbekistan intends to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. For joint work on these issues, it is planned to invite a Special Rapporteur on torture to Uzbekistan.

The President stressed that Uzbekistan as a member of the Human Rights Council shall protect and actively promote the universal principles and norms of the International human rights law.

Five Co-Working Spaces for NGOs Get Created in the Regions of Uzbekistan

Within the framework of the "Partnership for Innovations" Program, initiatives of public organizations were supported to create and develop modern models of resource centers - NGO co-working spaces.

Accessible, fitted up with the necessary equipment, workspaces and zones for increasing the potential of civic activists have been created on the base of five pilot NGOs:

• Nihol Initiative Support and Development Center, Tashkent Region;
• Hamdard Center for Social, Medical, Legal Support of Vulnerable Population, Khorezm Region;
• NGO Ezgu Niyat, Ferghana Region;
• Tumaris Women’s and Youth Center, Navoi Region;
• Taraqqiyot Center for Support and Development of Population, Ferghana Region.

USAID Donated Equipment to 12 Medical Institutions in Sirdarya Region

On February 23, the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, donated medical equipment to 12 medical institutions in Sirdarya Region to help combat tuberculosis.

The equipment, including electronic thermometers, stethoscopes, blood pressure meters and otoscopes, was provided as humanitarian aid by the US manufacturer Welch Allyn under the USAID ‘Eliminating Tuberculosis in Central Asia’ Project.

The donated medical tools will be delivered to the chest outpatient units in Oqoltin, Bayaut, Gulistan, Khavast, Mirzaobod, Sardoba, Saykhunobod and Sirdarya districts of  Sirdarya Region, phthisiatric dispensaries and hospitals in the cities of Guliston, Shirin and Sirdarya, as well as the Sirdarya Regional Center of Phthisiatry and Pulmonology.

In 2020, Oliy Majlis Commissioners for Human and Children’s Rights Received About 15 Thousand Appeals

At a meeting of the Committee on Judicial and Legal Issues and Anti-Corruption of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, Feruza Eshmatova, Oliy Majlis Commissioner for Human Rights and Aliya Yunusova, Oliy Majlis Commissioner for Children’s Rights, made reports.

According to the reports, in 2020 the Ombudsman received a total of 14,975 appeals from citizens of Uzbekistan, citizens, and ombudsmen of foreign states, stateless persons, public organizations, and other legal entities.

During the year, the Ombudsman took control of the consideration of 4,486 appeals, sent 4,987 inquiries to state and public organizations on them. Ministries and departments did not provide timely responses to 274 appeals of the Ombudsman.

The monitoring revealed a number of shortcomings in detention centers. For example, employees of some penitentiary institutions are not sufficiently aware of the law ‘On the Commissioner of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman)’. There are no medical centers in the production shops of the institutions. Convicts involved in work in production are not fully provided with special clothing, hats, footwear, and other personal protective equipment and hygiene.

In 2020, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights received 85 appeals from individuals and legal entities, children and their legal representatives, of which 28 appeals were satisfied by departments and organizations. 12 appeals on the provision of housing for the graduates of Mehribonlik (Mercy) Houses were left unanswered by local government agencies.

Aliya Yunusova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights, participated eight times personally and through her representatives in court proceedings to protect and restore violated rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of children. In five cases, the court decision was overturned.

Due to the pandemic, many institutions continued their work behind closed doors. To ensure the children’s rights in closed institutions, 53 monitoring visits were organized to institutions located in Kashkadarya, Tashkent, Andijan, Jizzakh, Sirdarya, Ferghana, Bukhara, Namangan regions, and Tashkent city.

The shortcomings identified during the monitoring were analyzed, three submissions and 47 requests were sent to the management of government agencies and organizations, as well as proposals on 12 draft laws were made.

Five-Day Festival of Civic Activists Wraps up in Uzbekistan

On February 8-12, the Nationwide Festival of Civic Activists brought together more than two thousand participants - representatives of nongovernmental nonprofit organizations, civil society institutions, ministries and departments, local authorities, the media, and experts.

The program included more than 20 events in 8 cities of the country, including three conferences, three round table discussions, four public dialogues, four trainings, 6 presentations, and other events in the field of ecology, inclusive management, public control, state social order, volunteering, public councils, social protection, and inclusive education.

Ezgu Amal Charity Foundation Appeals to the President to Improve the Quality of Cancer Care

On World Cancer Day, February 4, Ezgu Amal Public Charity Foundation appealed to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev with a request to take measures to improve the level of medicine in the areas of pediatric oncology and hematology.

According to Ezgu Amal Foundation, the survival rate of cancer patients in the developed countries of the world is 70-80%, while in Uzbekistan - 20-30%. Some items of the State Program on reforming the provision of assistance to the population with oncological and hematological diseases remain unfulfilled, the Foundation notes.

“It is required to radically improve the level of our medicine, in particular cancer care and hematology, and grant children with cancer the right to life, since cancer is not a death sentence,” the appeal states.

The Foundation identified a number of problems that exist in pediatric oncology and hematology and proposed solutions. Thus, the departments of pediatric oncology and hematology are located in the centers of oncology and hematology for adults. Only Tajikistan and Turkmenistan practice this kind of system, while in the rest of the CIS countries and in developed countries, these two areas are combined and are located in multidisciplinary children’s centers.

“The convenience of multidisciplinary children’s centers is that children’s specialists including a pediatrician, cardiologist, surgeon, traumatologist, neurosurgeon and others are concentrated in one place, as well as they have intensive care units. Today, there are no intensive care units in our centers for hematology and oncology,” the appeal says.

According to Ezgu Amal Foundation, due to the insufficient development of the medical system in remote areas of the country, many types of cancer are diagnosed with a delay. Diagnosis of the third and fourth stages of cancer reduces the rate of return of patients to a healthy life. Modern diagnostics are carried out in private clinics on a paid basis, and biological material is sent to foreign laboratories. For a full examination, the patient must spend USD 800-1000.

In addition, in order to exclude errors, it is necessary to recheck and confirm the test results in another leading laboratory, however, the laws of Uzbekistan prohibit the transportation of biological materials.

The Foundation proposes to provide children with oncological and hematological diseases with modern methods of early diagnosis and treatment, as well as palliative care by attracting budgetary or credit funds or by introducing medical insurance.

“We also need a legal framework and official permission for the courier service for the transportation of biological materials,” the appeal specifies.

Ezgu Amal Foundation calls for the introduction of modern methods and treatment protocols in the oncology and hematology departments of the Multidisciplinary Children’s Center and to provide these departments with the latest medical equipment. The Foundation also proposes to introduce bone marrow transplantation from donors to patients who have no positive dynamic after chemotherapy and radiation therapy and to create unified electronic medical records.

In addition, the Foundation proposes to create a group of experts to monitor and control the implementation of the abovementioned recommendations, which will include representatives of the public, the media, experts and others.

The 2^nd National Forum of Public Councils Held in Tashkent

On February 11, the 2^nd National Forum of Public Councils was held in Tashkent within the framework of the National Festival of Civic Activists. The speeches and discussions this year were united by the theme “Public councils - a new institutional stage of dialogue with the people”.

The Forum became a platform for analyzing and summarizing best practices, discussing new initiatives, and sharing experience, most importantly, developing proposals and recommendations for the further development of public councils, so that the level of their interaction and joint work with government agencies rises to a qualitatively new level.

Proposals on Criminalization and Decriminalization of Certain Types of Offenses Put Forward

In the new edition of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, it is planned to establish criminal liability for a number of offenses, as well as to decriminalize some articles. The draft law on the new edition of the Code was developed by the General Prosecutor’s Office in conjunction with other departments and published for discussion, which will last until March 9.

In particular, it is proposed to abolish criminal liability for such acts as:

• discrediting a competitor;
• violation of the legislation on competition and legislation on natural monopolies;
• violation of the rules of trade or provision of services;
• false business;
• disobedience to the legal requirements of the administration of the penal institution;
• illegal production, storage, import or distribution of religious materials;
• evasion of military or alternative service;
• violation of the order of teaching religious beliefs.

At the same time, it is proposed to introduce criminal liability for such acts as:

• illegal human experiments;
• illegal placement in a psychiatric hospital;
• unauthorized punishment (kangaroo court);
• illegal obstruction of the organization, holding of meetings, rallies, demonstrations or participation in them;
• blackmail;
• illegal actions in relation to insider information;
• forgery by an official of a nongovernmental commercial organization or other nongovernmental organization;
• sale of a child by a father or mother;
• obstruction of professional activities of journalists.

The new edition of the Criminal Code will increase liability for corruption offenses. In particular, an article will appear on the illegal enrichment of civil servants and norms on intangible benefits.

Minister of Justice: Minimizing Divorce Should Not Infringe the Constitutional Rights of Citizens to Private Life

The government is interested in reducing the number of divorces, but this should never infringe the constitutional rights of citizens to privacy. Ruslanbek Davletov, Minister of Justice of Uzbekistan, said about it at a press conference.

“There is a bureaucracy on divorces, definitely. It is in the government’s interest to minimize divorce, but this should never infringe the citizens’ constitutional privacy rights. This is unambiguous,”he stressed.

The Minister noted that the conciliation commissions were liquidated due to numerous complaints:

“We had a lot of problems with these commissions. They no longer interfere with people’s lives. But six months should be given for thinking. I believe that there are some moments when it is not necessary to give six months. For example, infidelity. Even after six months, this will not change. Or some serious health problems, for example, AIDS. If one of the spouses has AIDS, it will not change. Other states have similar legislative norms.”

UNDP Donated 100 Laptops and Routers for Communities

The United Nations Development Program, UNDP, with the financial support of the Government of Japan, provided technical assistance to the Ministry for Support of Mahalla and Family of the Republic of Uzbekistan in creating digital infrastructure and services needed to support socially vulnerable groups of the population.

The Ministry received 100 laptops and routers, which will allow local government employees to interact with the new electronic document management system. It is expected that this will reduce the processing time and thereby speed up the provision of public services to residents of mahallas (communities).

Currently, a unified database is being developed to expand the technical capabilities of the Ministry for Support of Mahalla and Family to provide social support to citizens, including women who have suffered from violence, the unemployed, who need advanced training and assistance in finding suitable jobs, and socially vulnerable families. The system will accumulate and analyze information for decision-making, helping to prioritize the provision of social support to those most in need.

Hot topics in blogs

Presidential Elections in Uzbekistan to Be Held in October

The President signed a law to amend the Constitution concerning the date of elections, as well as amendments to the Electoral Code and the Law ‘On Financing of Political Parties’.

This February 8, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a Law on amending the Constitution regarding the date of elections, as well as amendments to the Electoral Code and the Law ‘On Financing of Political Parties’.

The law introduces an amendment to the Constitution concerning the postponement of the day of presidential elections, to the Legislative Chamber, to the Jokargy Kenes of Karakalpakstan, as well as to the representative bodies of government agencies in the regions, districts and cities from the first Sunday of the third decade of December to the first Sunday of the third decade of October (this year this day falls on October 24).

In addition, amendments are being introduced into the Electoral Code and to the Law ‘On Financing of Political Parties’.

Tanzila Narbaeva: “Nobody Puts Pressure on the Parliament”

Tanzila Narbaeva, Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, in an interview with Voice of America news organization said that the Parliament of Uzbekistan is now a completely independent body.

The head of the upper house does not agree with the claims that the Parliament is dependent on the President.

“The words that the Parliament listens to the President refer to the past. It is the past worldview. Indeed, the Parliament considered the issues that the President spoke about. Even the decisions were agreed. This is not the case now. Now we are formulating the agenda ourselves. Who used to let Parliament study the energy system or Sardoba? We studied it, went to the place for discussion, summoned the responsible persons for questioning, and gave instructions. All these actions we undertook is the manifestation of independence of the Parliament,” Tanzila Narbaeva said.

The Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis assured that at present no one is putting pressure on the Parliament: “Now we are completely independent. Nobody puts pressure on us. Nobody says to the Parliament what to do, what to consider or not consider. Such words have already left the agenda.”

According to Tanzila Narbaeva, the Senate may not approve a law that has been reviewed by the Administration of the President or even adopted by 150 MPs in the Legislative Chamber if the document does not meet human rights standards, negatively affects the ratings of Uzbekistan or represents the interests of a separate department. For example, in 2020, the upper house rejected six laws.

UNICEF Donated Over 200 Special Vehicles to Uzbekistan for Vaccine Transportation

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has donated 206 minivans and 17 refrigerated trucks to the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan to preserve the quality of vaccines and transport them safely.

The cost of the vehicles is over USD 2 million. The funds were provided by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, GAVI, as part of the Program of Strengthening of Health System for the National Immunization Program.

Over the past three years, UNICEF, together with partner organizations, has invested almost USD 20 million to improve the National Immunization Program of Uzbekistan.

New appointments

Zayniddin Nizamkhodjaev assigned as the New Chairman of the Central Election Commission

On February 5, 2021, the former deputy head of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, Zayniddin Nizamkhodjaev, was elected a chairman of the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan. Bakhrom Kuchkarov, who worked as Deputy Minister of Justice, became his deputy.

Zayniddin Nizamkhodjaev, born in 1954, replaced Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov, who held the position of a chairman of the Constitutional Court.

On February 3, the Legislative Chamber approved the termination of the powers of Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov and six more members of the Central Election Commission, and elected eight new members of the Commission. On February 5, the Senate approved their candidacies at a plenary meeting.

Almost 1,900 Government Decisions Repealed

Within the framework of the "regulatory guillotine" initiated by the Ministry of Justice, almost 1,900 outdated and irrelevant government decisions within the period of 1990 - 2020 were declared invalid. Last year, about 500 documents were also repealed. At the next stage, the legislation by industry will be consolidated.

By the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan dated February 22, 2020, 1887 government decisions adopted within the period of 1990 - 2020 lost their validity. In 2020, a Presidential Decree was adopted, which canceled about 500 documents of the head of state. These measures are being taken within the framework of the systematization of legislation initiated by the Ministry of Justice using the ‘regulatory guillotine’ method.

The main goal of reducing legislation is to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic procedures, reduce the regulatory burden on business, clear off the legal framework of irrelevant and outdated documents and ultimately facilitate the use of legislation by citizens and entrepreneurs, the report said.

Other news

Ministry of Internal Affairs Warned about Liability for Discussing the Case of Blogger Otabek Sattoriy

Shokhrukh Giyasov, Spokesperson of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan, speaks out about the discussions around the criminal case opened against blogger Otabek Sattoriy, resident of Termez of Surkhandarya Region.

The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that despite the provision of official information on this case, “the facts of spreading various rumors by activists of domestic and foreign social networks are repeated, questioning the powers and actions of government agencies, exaggerating messages aimed at discrediting them, misleading the public without understanding the essence of the issue and other facts of violation of the law.”

He pointed out that the Law ‘On Public Control’ does not allow the subjects of public control to unjustifiably interfere in the activities of government agencies, their officials and illegally influence them. In addition, according to the Law ‘On Mass Media’, it is strictly forbidden to publish materials of the investigating authorities, to predict the results of a court decision without passing it on a specific case, or otherwise influence the court.

The representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs stressed that the investigative and judicial authorities carry out their activities within the limits of their powers, in full observance of the presumption of innocence.

Earlier, member of the Parliament Rasul Kusherbayev, British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, head of the Board of Trustees of the Public Fund for Support and Development of National Mass Media Komil Allamjonov reacted to the situation.

The Committee to Protect Journalists issued an appeal and demanded to immediately release Otabek Sattoriy, vacate all charges against him and give him the opportunity to work freely.

Service Get Launched in Tashkent for Submitting Appeals about Infrastructure Problems

The hokimiyat of the city of Tashkent (Tashkent city administration) has launched the Xalq nazorati (People’s Control) service, with the help of which residents can submit appeals about problems in urban infrastructure, housing and communal services and amenities, public transport, trade and services.

Users need to register on the site by entering a phone number and specifying a personal identification number (PIN). The appeal is submitted in three steps: choosing a problem, its description, uploading a photo and specifying the address. Received appeals can also be viewed on the map.

The hokimiyat’s statement says that the appeal is sent directly to the responsible executor. Users can chat with him/her and leave a rating based on the results of the problem solution.

Alisher Usmanov to Procure 500 Thousand Doses of Vaccine for Uzbekistan

Alisher Usmanov, a world-known businessman, has offered to cover half of the costs of the purchase of 1 million doses of coronavirus vaccine as part of the first stage of vaccination of the population. The first 50 thousand will be delivered to Namangan Region

The First Anti-Corruption Laboratories Get Created in Uzbekistan

Within the framework of a joint project of Yuksalish Nationwide Movement, the Anti-Corruption Agency and the Regional Dialogue International Nongovernmental Organization, anonymous studies of corruption situations will be conducted in 114 schools across the country, including regional and district centers, rural areas.

The first anti-corruption laboratories are being created in Uzbekistan, which represent a scientific platform for identifying, analyzing and assessing corruption risks in various areas of the republic’s public life.

Regional School of NGOs for Civil Activists Completes Its Work in Khiva

Yuksalish Nationwide Movement together with ARGO Civil Society Development Association, Kazakhstan, with financial support of USAID, organized a regional School of NGOs for civic activists in Khiva.

This February 22-26, about 20 employees of NGOs from Navoi and Khorezm regions, as well as Karakalpakstan, underwent training. With the assistance of professional mentors, they improved their skills and competencies in the areas of organizational development and increased the potential for receiving state social orders.

It is worth mentioning that the first School graduation took place on December 15 - 19, 2020, within which 15 employees of NGOs from the regions of Uzbekistan underwent training and received certificates.

Orthodox Church to Be Built in Nukus

On February 4, the head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District, Metropolitan Vikentiy of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, consecrated the laying of a stone for the construction of a new church in honor of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon in Nukus. The temple will be located in the 23^rd neighborhood unit of the capital of Karakalpakstan.

“2021 is the Year of Youth Support and Health Promotion. The temple of God is a place for recreation for the soul and body. If we manage to raise the walls this year it would be glad as people will get the opportunity to visit us to heal from various ailments and to be brought up,” the head pastor emphasized.

“We are very grateful to the hokim of the city and the government of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and everyone who contributed to this great cause that we have such an opportunity to start construction,” Metropolitan Vikentiy said, adding that the new temple will be a gift for the 150^th anniversary of the formation of the eparchy. 

Success Stories of NGOs in Uzbekistan

NGO Mehr Ko’zda to Train 60 Sign Language Interpreters and Create Legal Assistance Centers for People with Hearing Impairments

Mehr Ko’zda nongovernmental nonprofit organization is implementing the project ‘Legal services for people with speech and hearing impairments’ funded by USAID. The project is aimed at providing free legal assistance to persons with speech and hearing impairments in Tashkent and developing recommendations for improving legislation on the protection of the speech rights of hearing-impaired persons.

According to the Society of the Deaf, more than 30 thousand people in Uzbekistan experience difficulties in protecting their rights. There are currently no adequate legal services for people with speech and hearing impairments.

The reasons for this are as follows:

• a small number of sign language interpreters in Uzbekistan;
• lack of appropriate infrastructure, equipped with modern technical means, so that people with speech and hearing impairments use the services correctly and efficiently;
• the high cost of legal services.

NGO Mehr Ko’zda will create an effective system of free legal assistance by developing and conducting a two-month training course for sign language interpreters. Two qualified trainers with extensive experience in working with the target group will train 60 sign language interpreters.

Within the framework of the project, it is also planned to create two legal assistance centers in Tashkent, where people with speech and hearing impairments will be able to receive legal assistance during individual consultations, as well as remotely, through video calls in ‘Surdoonline Uzbekistan’ Program.

The user must have access to the Internet and download the program to a tablet or mobile phone. The free program is available on IOS and Android platforms. A database of potential beneficiaries with speech and hearing impairments will be created.

Establishing a State System for Training Sign Language Interpreters in Uzbekistan Is Significant

The Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan was founded in 1929. The Tashkent territorial division of the Society also has its own history. Since 1938, it has been carrying out social services for people with hearing impairments in Tashkent Region.

“Deaf, grow deaf, deaf-dumb, hearing-impaired or cloth-eared, deaf-blind - all of them are united under the term ‘deaf’,” says Lyubov Inogamova, chairperson of the Tashkent regional administration of the Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan. “They are united by the fact that they conduct a conversation in sign language.”

An important international document in this area is the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In January 2021, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" came into force.

According to Lyubov Inogamova, the social and legal situation of persons with hearing impairments in Uzbekistan has problems that require a solution at the government level. Thus, people with hearing and speech impairments face difficulties and barriers in employment, vocational training, access to rehabilitation and technical means and translation services, and the organization of sports and recreational activities. The problems are especially acute in small towns and districts of the region.

“Specialists-sign language interpreters of the Society of the Deaf go on calls to various institutions of the capital and Tashkent Region to carry out sign language interpretation if a deaf-mute person is involved in the case,” Lyubov Inogamova emphasized. “Sign language interpreters are the best way to communicate with a completely deaf person. This is especially relevant when communicating with government officials.” However, there is no state system for training sign language interpreters in Uzbekistan. Gesture language is usually learned by children who have grown up in a family with deaf parents. But they do not have sufficient qualifications and cannot work as sign language interpreters.

At the same time, in recent years, a number of initiatives have been implemented aimed at supporting people with hearing and speech impairments. In particular:

• Since July 1, 2019, a dispatching service for social support has been created and is functioning under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Deaf people can apply for help in emergency situations around the clock.
• The news program of Uzbekiston24 TV channel is accompanied by sign language interpretation.
• Since 2018, the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan has been holding events in mosques for all categories of persons with disabilities. Events are held with sign language interpretation.

“With the introduction of a 2% quota for admission of persons with disabilities to universities, the Society of the Deaf assists deaf and hearing-impaired young people in admission to higher educational institutions,” Lyubov Inogamova stressed. “In Tashkent Region, 24 deaf and hearing-impaired students study at higher educational institutions, but the choice of profession for them is limited. In 2018-2019, due to the active participation of sign language interpreters in the housing commissions of hokimiyats (city and district administrations), social housing was allocated to 25 families of people with hearing disabilities. During the period of strict restrictive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, sign language interpreters of the Society of the Deaf actively worked from home and maintained online communication with those in need using video cameras, contacted the hotline, and assisted in finding volunteers to help people with hearing impairments.

The Society of the Deaf plans to establish close cooperation with local authorities to allocate state subsidies for the remuneration of sign language interpreters engaged in sign language translation when accompanying the deaf in government institutions. The idea of ​​opening ‘Clubs for the Deaf’ in cities and regional centers of the region is being promoted. It is proposed to create a special fund to support the blind deaf-mute. This is a severe form of disability, which requires government support, specialists- tactile interpreters. The Society of the Deaf does not yet have such an opportunity.

Center of Friendship, Interethnic Accord and Tolerance Starts Operating in Ferghana

The Ferghana State University hosted February 9 the opening ceremony of the Center for Friendship, Interethnic Accord, and Tolerance.

The Center will become a methodological and educational base, a platform for various events to develop the cross-border potential of the Fergana Valley and dialogue, promote technologies for creating an environment for discussion and improve the skills of the specialists.

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