In recent years, Uzbekistan’s engagement with the UN system has gone beyond protocol visits and declarations. It has become a conveyor of concrete solutions – from digital public services and tourism to ecological innovation and preventive diplomacy in Central Asia.
It can be said with confidence that 2025 has given this trajectory special momentum: the country is simultaneously hosting key formats of the UN Family, strengthening its representation in its bodies, and turning its own initiatives into functioning mechanisms.
In the autumn of 2025, Samarkand will host the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference – the organization’s main governing body. From October 30 to November 13, delegations from 194 member states will gather at Silk Road Samarkand. This will be the first time in decades that the session is held outside Paris. For Uzbekistan, this is not only an honor but also recognition of institutional maturity: the venue, logistics, security, and protocol are all at a level that UNESCO considers a benchmark for an event of this scale.
The symbolism is further reinforced by the fact that, on the sidelines of the conference, the General Assembly of State Parties to the World Heritage Convention will also take place – with part of its agenda brought directly to Samarkand. For Uzbekistan, this presents an opportunity to demonstrate how cultural diplomacy is becoming a driver of regional development, rather than merely a commemorative showcase.
Just a few months earlier, Samarkand had already hosted another UN flagship – the UN Public Service Forum (UNPSF), held on June 23-25, 2025. The forum brought together ministers, heads of public administrations, experts, and representatives from the private sector around the theme “Five Years to 2030: Accelerating Public Services”. For Tashkent, this was a strategic stage: the country demonstrated its shift from “on-paper” reforms to a service-oriented model of governance, measured by performance indicators and user experience.
Digital State: UN Metrics Record a Breakthrough
The positive momentum of the forum did not remain abstract: in the 2024 UN E-Government Survey, Uzbekistan rose to 63rd place and, for the first time, entered the Very High EGDI group – the club of countries with the most advanced digital public services. This is a significant marker: the ranking assesses not statements but the actual availability of online services, the telecom environment, and human capital – essentially, the “skeleton” of a modern state.
The point is that international events in Samarkand are not merely creating an image, but consolidating institutional transformation. When UN DESA ranks a country in the Very High EGDI class, it means that digital platforms and feedback mechanisms are becoming embedded in the daily lives of businesses and citizens – from enterprise registration to the delivery of social services.
Aral Sea 2.0: From Compassion to Technology and Employment
Another example of mature, non-declarative cooperation is the “reset” of the Aral Sea region. In 2021, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 75/278, declaring the region a “zone of ecological innovations and technologies”. The formula is significant: the agenda is shifting from viewing it as a “disaster zone” to positioning it as a testing ground for green solutions, job creation, and sustainable infrastructure.
Under the umbrella of this resolution, the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund (MPHSTF) operates, channeling donor funding into projects in Karakalpakstan – ranging from water and healthcare to entrepreneurship and environmental initiatives. For an article about UN “working” mechanisms, this is an ideal case: there is a legal mandate, a fund, tenders, reporting, and, most importantly, tangible impact on the ground.
Representation in UN Bodies: From Participation to Agenda-Setting
A qualitative shift has been the strengthening of Uzbekistan’s presence in bodies where rules and standards are shaped. In June 2024, the country was elected for the first time to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the 2025-2027 term – the “distribution center” of the global sustainable development agenda and the platform that sets the framework for the HLPF and coordinates the work of dozens of commissions and agencies.
At the same time, Uzbekistan’s representative, academician Akmal Saidov, was elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Committee (ICCPR) for 2025-2028. For Central Asia, this is a precedent: it is a collegial body that interprets the Covenant, shapes the practice of reviewing communications and general comments for years ahead. Presence here marks a shift from passive reporting to participation in shaping substantive approaches.
Preventive Diplomacy: The “Quiet” Security of Central Asia
Fewer headlines, more substance – this is how Uzbekistan’s contribution to the work of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) can be described. Established in 2007, the Centre supports dialogue among regional countries on water, borders, migration, and the risks of conflict spillover, conducting expert meetings and youth academies on “preventive diplomacy”. This is the “invisible infrastructure of peace” that allows the region to address sensitive issues before they turn into crises.
Tourism and “Soft Power”: Samarkand as a Window to the World
The role of tourism in the “architecture of cooperation” with the UN should not be underestimated. In October 2023, Samarkand hosted the 25th General Assembly of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), where ministers and delegates from more than 100 countries discussed education, investment, and regional offices. For Uzbekistan, this became a test of its ability to host significant multilateral events and expand its network of sectoral partnerships.
The combination of UNWTO-2023, UNPSF-2025, and UNESCO-2025 is no longer a set of “one-off” events but the building of the country’s reputation as a reliable venue where international formats feel at home – from protocol and logistics to a rich cultural program.
“One Team” in the Country: How the UN Works in Uzbekistan
For international solutions to take root, they must be linked to the daily work of UN agencies within the country. This role is fulfilled by the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2021-2025. The document sets priorities, including employment and inclusion, sustainable development, public services, and human rights, and translates them into a series of projects with defined indicators, beneficiaries, and sources of funding. The final independent evaluation (2025) will determine where the programs have achieved their goals and where adjustments are required. This is “data-driven governance” as demanded by the UN system.
Why This Matters Now
International organizations are cautious about “showcase” reforms; what interests them is how solutions reach the end user. Uzbekistan is acquiring perhaps the most valuable quality – consistency. Samarkand provides the stage and symbolic capital; ECOSOC, the Human Rights Committee, and specialized agencies provide institutional leverage; the Aral Sea region serves as a testing ground where initiatives turn into projects; EGDI acts as a strict barometer of the quality of public services. When all these elements come together into a system, cooperation with the UN becomes a multiplier of domestic reforms.
Storylines That “Resonate”
– “Samarkand 2025: The World Meets in a City That Has Always Connected Civilizations”. A narrative about how UN platforms are rebooting urban and regional economies – from the events industry to the creative sector.
– “Aral Sea 2.0: Investing in Resilience Instead of Aid for Survival”. Unpack the chain of “resolution – trust fund – project – impact” through the example of households.
– “Data as the New Language of Trust: What Very High EGDI Means for Citizens and Business”. Case studies on public services, feedback mechanisms, and regulatory sandboxes.
– “From Audience to Rule-Maker: What ECOSOC and Membership in Treaty Bodies Bring”. Explain how “sitting at the table” enables advancing the regional agenda.
– “The Quiet Architecture of Peace: UNRCCA and the Culture of Preventive Diplomacy”. Show how regular consultations minimize conflicts.
Instead of an Epilogue
The UN is a system of slow but reliable action. Uzbekistan has learned how to work with this “mechanism”: to invite the world in, but also to step out into the world as a co-author of solutions – in bodies, committees, and projects. As a result, the formulas of sustainable development are transformed into everyday services, new jobs, heritage protection, and green projects. And when a UNESCO session opens in Samarkand, and UN statistics show rising indices, this is not a ceremonial chronicle, but confirmation that international instruments can be calibrated to work for everyone.
Abduaziz Khidirov, UzA