The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) advocates mainstreaming futures and foresight approaches in policymaking.

UNDP recognizes that relying solely on trends analysis and data may not accurately predict long-term events. In response, UNDP advocates for robust strategies considering alternative scenarios to address global challenges effectively. 

In Uzbekistan, UNDP has embarked on an innovative journey to apply foresight to its program activities, initially focusing on the Green Transition. This approach seeks to envision alternative futures and explore their implications for policy development. UNDP aims to foster collaboration by engaging government agencies, think tanks, NGOs, and the private sector, incorporating diverse perspectives into the decision-making process.

Matilda Dimovska, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan, highlighted, “We are proud to announce the first exercise on Green Transition Foresight in Uzbekistan as a groundbreaking milestone. By uniting various stakeholders, we have fostered a collaborative environment that has yielded thought-provoking outcomes through drivers of change, scenarios, and potential implications. Our objective is not to predict specific outcomes, but rather to stimulate critical thinking, question prevailing assumptions, and uncover influential forces that can shape policies for a sustainable future in the world of uncertainties”.

Through engaging online and in-person interactions from 2022 to 2023, futurologists, UNDP experts, and government partners utilized the University of Houston's Foresight Framework. This collaborative effort involved domain mapping, scanning for change signals, generating drivers of change, modeling alternative future scenarios, and identifying actionable ideas to support ongoing government reforms. Among the identified ideas are developing a national tariff system, prioritizing youth involvement in the green economy, focusing on internal capacity building, and fostering cross-government coordination.

Building on the insights gained, UNDP plans to continue experimentation and prototyping, allowing for the developing of adaptable strategies and policies. Using narrative scenarios, UNDP aims to ensure resilience and responsiveness to unforeseen challenges.

UzA