Tashkent hosted an international roundtable discussion on “Uzbekistan’s progress in poverty reduction: Analysis and Findings”. It was organized by the Center for Economic Research and Reforms jointly with the World Bank, the UN Development Programme, and the Representative Office of the UN Children’s Fund in Uzbekistan.

Measures to eradicate poverty and reforms to strengthen the social safety system were discussed. The participants exchanged experiences and assessed the work carried out by Uzbekistan in poverty reduction.

The key issues discussed at the event were reforms to strengthen the social protection system and ensure economic and financial conditions for equal access to resources.

The active actions of Uzbekistan in the fight against poverty and inequality were emphasized. Today, more than 2 million 300 thousand needy families, women, single older people, and persons with disabilities are fully covered by the social protection system.

Speaking about reforms aimed at fighting poverty in Uzbekistan, experts focused on creating social programs, increasing the targeting of support to needy population segments, and developing entrepreneurship.

Director of the Center for Economic Research and Reforms Obid Hakimov, in his address, outlined six key areas in the fight against poverty – the development of the private sector and entrepreneurship, job creation, strengthening the social protection system, improving the quality and accessibility of education, expanding access to healthcare and medical services and ensuring environmental safety.

Foreign experts and partners were informed about the ongoing work based on the “mahallabay” system. Following the discussions, experts noted the need to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the impact of strategies and government programs in Uzbekistan and a deeper study of the Uzbek model of poverty reduction.

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Shakhnoza Mamaturopova, photos by Nosir Khaydarov, UzA