Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 31 March 2022, an international conference "Promoting decent work in Uzbekistan: a people-centered approach" was held.

It has become a tradition to hold such international events together with the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Forced Labor and the International Labor Organization.

The event made a significant contribution to the development of new proposals and ideas for improving labor relations, first of all, the principles of decent work and combining the efforts of the international community in these processes.

The international event, held at a high level, was attended by the Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, the Chairman of the National Commission for Combating Human Trafficking and Forced Labor Tanzila Narbayeva, the Director General of the International Labor Organization G. Raider, his deputy H. Koller, about 100 guests and experts UN, EBRD, European Union and a number of international organizations, heads of diplomatic missions of foreign states in Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis, relevant ministries and departments.

The current issues of the UN Global Agenda for Sustainable Development until 2030, namely the issues of employment, decent work and employment, strengthening the country’s potential in this area, ensuring human rights and interests testify the importance of the international conference.

The Tashkent forum has become, first of all, the practical implementation of the proposals and initiatives put forward by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

In particular, from the high rostrum of the UN, the head of our state stressed that the Sustainable Development Goals until 2030 will be implemented in our country on the principle of "no one will be left behind", which provides for the observance of the rights and legitimate interests of each person.

At the conference, the Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis Tanzila Narbayeva spoke, who noted that, along with the reforms carried out in recent years in all areas led by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, there have been significant changes in labor relations, systematic large-scale work is being carried out on the introduction of institutional, organizational, legal, legislative, rule-making and international standards into the sphere.

It was noted that the relevance of the event is determined by the results achieved in recent years in our country in the system of labor relations. Thus, the large-scale work carried out in the field of agriculture, the widespread introduction of market principles, the implementation of effective control and independent monitoring of labor legislation contributed to the complete eradication of cases of systemic forced labor in the field of cotton growing.

It was emphasized that the key factor in achieving these results was the historic reforms implemented under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to eliminate forced labor and reform the cotton industry.

In addition, it was noted that the National and Territorial Commissions for Combating Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, established in 2019, are effectively working to put into practice the principles of decent work in our country.

In order to develop international cooperation in this area, the relevant Roadmaps have been developed and implemented for the implementation of proposals from the International Labor Organization, the International Organization for Migration, the World Bank, the US Department of State and the Ministry of Labor, and the international coalition Cotton Campaign.

It was noted that the establishment of the institution of the National Rapporteur on these issues contributes to the implementation of a number of proposals for an in-depth analysis of the ongoing work in the field, as well as existing problems and their elimination.

It was noted that Uzbekistan has established effective cooperation with the International Labor Organization to implement the principles of decent work, and in recent years Uzbekistan and the International Labor Organization have been carrying out systematic work to counter forced labor, monitor compliance with labor rights and introduce international standards into the labor sphere.

It was emphasized that Uzbekistan ensured the full implementation of the priorities set out in the Decent Work Agenda in Uzbekistan for 2014-2016, which has been extended until 2020. In order to further improve Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the ILO, in September 2021, a new Decent Work Country Program for 2021-2025 was signed, which will serve to raise the cooperation of the parties to a new level.

It was noted that the program focuses on such issues as creating decent working conditions, reducing informal employment and strengthening social protection, and improving the legal framework governing labor relations.

The new country program on decent work in Uzbekistan for 2021-2025 is fully consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Program for Uzbekistan, and Uzbekistan is the first country in the world to adopt such a program, said Director General of the International Labor Organization G. Ryder.

“The adoption of the new country program is the result of our mutually beneficial relationship and has brought cooperation to a new level,” said H. Koller, ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.

At the same time, the International Labor Organization and other international participants highly appreciated the achievements of Uzbekistan in recent years in creating decent working conditions, especially the reforms carried out within the framework of the New Uzbekistan Strategy, and also noted that the labor relations system meets world standards.

During the event, representatives of the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations, the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, the Confederation of Employers, the Ministry of Finance and a number of international organizations and the diplomatic corps.

At the end of the event, the participants agreed to develop new projects for the further development of decent work in Uzbekistan.