Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 13 May 2020, the first meeting of the Parliamentary Commission to monitor the implementation of the National Goals and Tasks in the Field of Sustainable Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the period until 2030 was held.

The meeting was attended by members of the Parliamentary Commission - chairmen of committees of the Senate and the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, permanent representatives of UN agencies in Uzbekistan, heads of relevant ministries and departments.

The main topic of discussion was the draft Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the implementation of national goals and objectives in the field of sustainable development.

Opening the meeting with introductory remarks, the Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva noted that Uzbekistan has joined the international agenda for sustainable development and has committed itself to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals until 2030 at the national level. Extensive work is being carried out in this direction, which has received a new impetus over the past three years.

Uzbekistan is on the list of 49 countries planning to submit a Voluntary National Review at the 2020 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. It was noted that the adoption of the National Goals and Sustainable Development Goals of Uzbekistan for the period until 2030 created the basis for a new global partnership in order to increase well-being through the development of national standards for sustainable development and harmonization of its economic, social and environmental aspects.

Uzbekistan, as a developing region of the world, over the past three years has achieved tremendous success in liberalizing the economy and moving to a market. An important step towards achieving the goals was the formation of the Parliamentary Commission to monitor the implementation of the National goals and objectives in the field of sustainable development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the period up to 2030.

The Chairman of the Senate Oliy Majlis dwelt in detail on the goals and tasks of the newly created Parliamentary Commission. It was emphasized that, according to the regulations, the Parliamentary Commission will hear periodic reports of the relevant Coordination Council established under the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the responsible structures. The work of the Parliamentary Commission will cover constant monitoring of the implementation of the National Sustainable Development Goals both at the national and regional levels, by regions and districts. At the same time, the potential of more than 6,600 deputies of local Kengashes will be used. In working with them, special attention will be paid to raising the awareness of the people's representatives in the field of achieving the National Goals, increasing their activity in this direction.

The general public, civil society institutions, and the media will be involved in the work of the Parliamentary Commission in order to ensure maximum transparency and publicity. Based on the results of studies conducted by the Parliamentary Commission, relevant recommendations and suggestions will be developed to further improve legislation and solve pressing socio-economic problems.

During the discussion of the first issue on the agenda of the meeting regarding the draft Voluntary National Review on the implementation of national goals and objectives in the field of sustainable development, it was noted that this document primarily expresses the political will of the state to achieve the SDGs. The main theses of VNR, which should be sent to the UN, were presented to the participants. It was emphasized that Uzbekistan is one of 49 countries ready to present such a review to the attention of the world community.

It was noted that the draft VNR report reflects current progress in the implementation and achievement of the SDGs in Uzbekistan, and also confirms Uzbekistan’s commitment to implement the global Sustainable Development Goals throughout the country. The document provides an analysis of the implementation of state, industry and regional programs and strategies aimed at implementing the long-term strategic goals of the development of the republic using statistical data on the SDG indicators.

During the meeting, concrete proposals were voiced to supplement the BOTTOM in the context of the latest achievements of the republic in all the National Sustainable Development Goals. The draft VNR was approved with recommendations for its subsequent refinement, taking into account the comments and suggestions received.

Collaboration with UN agencies during the coronavirus pandemic is another topic of discussion. It was emphasized that during the period of taking strict quarantine measures in our country, the best qualities of our people, such as social unity and cohesion, were most clearly manifested. This to a large extent served to ensure that the situation was taken under control as soon as possible.

Representatives of UN agencies attending the meeting expressed their views on the main aspects of enhancing cooperation during the pandemic. An exchange of views on priorities for cooperation in this direction took place.

The meeting approved the work plan of the Parliamentary Commission, which provides for the study during 2020 of the implementation of eight of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals in Uzbekistan.

The meeting also addressed other issues related to the activities of the Parliamentary Commission.