In the Address to the Parliament, the Head of our state emphasized that we had set ourselves a great goal – to build a New Uzbekistan together with our people and that the new idea of “Society – the initiator of reforms” is taking root deeper and deeper in our daily life.

The Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026 emphasizes the increase in the public initiative in state administration by ensuring the active participation of citizens in the law-making process.

The fact that the opinion of the general public, every citizen is taken into account in the process of constitutional changes, and our compatriots, our entire society actively participate in it, thousands of proposals are made, clearly demonstrates that the principle of “person – society – state” is firmly established in our life.

Another important aspect is that most of the changes made to our Basic Law until today have been related to public administration, while the norms proposed today are mainly aimed at ensuring human rights and freedoms.

For example, it is proposed to introduce to Article 42 of the Constitution a norm stipulating that everyone is guaranteed the freedom of scientific, technical and artistic creativity, the right to use the achievements of culture, that is, the concept of freedom of artistic creativity is introduced.

As we know, artistic creativity covers literature, music, theater, painting, sculpture, graphics, design, architecture, urban planning, photography and many other arts.

This norm complements the norm on freedom of information, opinion and speech enshrined in the Constitution and is based on the universally recognized principles of international law. In particular, according to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966, the participating countries undertake to respect the freedom that is necessary for scientific research and creative activity. This is enshrined in the constitutions of the CIS countries.

Article 42 is also supplemented by another new norm, which provides that the state creates the necessary conditions for the development of physical culture and sports, spiritual and moral education of children and youth.

The above norm indicates that this issue is always a priority for the state, imposing appropriate duties on state authorities and administration. This issue has been given special attention from the first day of the transformations carried out in New Uzbekistan. The above is also confirmed by the fact that the second of the five important initiatives put forward by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is the involvement of young people in sports.

The 67th goal of the Development Strategy is to bring the share of the population regularly engaged in physical culture and sports to 33 percent in 2026, popularize national sports among the youth of the country, develop national sports and folk games to increase the mass character of sports in Uzbekistan, further development of recreational work in remote areas and villages, creation of running tracks in each green zone, health paths for cycling, as well as badminton, streetball and workout grounds. To date, thousands of kilometers of health paths, workout grounds, and children’s sports grounds have been built in the mahallas of our country. This work is actively ongoing.

The amendments proposed for introduction into Article 64 of the Constitution also deserve attention. In particular, in part two it will be stated that the state and society provide for the maintenance, upbringing and education of orphans and children deprived of parental care, and encourage charitable activities for them.

Thus, the state is responsible for ensuring the healthy and harmonious development of orphans and children deprived of parental care.

In this regard, it is worth noting that on August 9, 2021, one decree and three resolutions of the Head of the state were announced aimed at protecting the interests of orphans and children deprived of parental care. As a result of ensuring the fulfillment of the tasks outlined in these documents, about 1.5 thousand children from “Mehribonlik” houses were adopted into families, more than 120 family-type orphanages were formed, and conditions were created for raising over 700 children in parental love and care.

Thanks to these efforts, 10 “Mehribonlik” houses, 4 children’s towns and 2 orphanages were closed. The “Mehr Daftari” (“Notebook of kindness”) system has been introduced, and a fund of the same name has been created. A draft government decree is being prepared together with the Senate, the National Guard and the Cabinet of Ministers to improve the activities of family-type orphanages.

In 2021, 757 orphans and children deprived of parental care were provided with housing, and it is planned to allocate another 350 houses by the end of this year. The reforms carried out in New Uzbekistan in this direction are now proposed to be enshrined in the Constitution.

Summing up, we can say that the basis of all amendments and additions proposed for introduction to our Basic Law is to protect the interests, rights and freedoms of every person.

Bakhtiyor SAYFULLAYEV,

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth, Culture and Sports.

UzA