Uzbekistan Approves Strategy to Protect Children from All Forms of Violence

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan has approved a Strategy and Action Plan for the protection of children from all forms of violence for 2026–2030, developed by the National Agency for Social Protection.

The document is designed to ensure the practical and systematic implementation of the Law “On the Protection of Children from All Forms of Violence” and to establish a sustainable mechanism for child safety and support.

The adoption of the Strategy is part of the country’s fulfillment of its international obligations. Following the enactment of the law, Uzbekistan joined the Bogotá Commitment and became a member of the international Pathfinding alliance, reaffirming its commitment to the principle of zero tolerance for violence against children.

The Strategy covers all forms of violence and is built on the international INSPIRE framework, incorporating global best practices. It addresses the full cycle of intervention: identification of violence cases, response, prevention, and monitoring. Special attention is given to family support, the organization of social services for children removed from their families, and the improvement of systems providing assistance to both children and families.

A key element of the Strategy is inter-agency cooperation. Child protection is considered a shared responsibility of education, healthcare, social protection, law enforcement, and other authorities, coordinated by the National Agency for Social Protection.

“Today is a special day for me and my team. The President has signed a decree approving the Strategy for the protection of children from all forms of violence for 2026–2030. We invested a great deal of time, effort, and heart into this work, studying international experience and best practices to create a system that truly protects children.

Starting in 2026, we will work with professional foster families, where children will receive psychological and legal support, and families will have access to assistance and family therapy.

We have made a principled decision to completely close the national educational and care institutions and replace them with social integration centers for children with antisocial behavior, focusing not on punishment but on reintegration into normal life.

One of the most important changes will be the improvement of legislation to ensure that investigations and courts do not become a new source of fear or pain for the affected child. This is only part of the broader reforms. I thank the team of the Social Protection Agency and all our partners for this important work,” said Shakhnoza Mirziyoeva.

The document also provides for the introduction of new social and rehabilitation services for affected children and their families, strengthening family support measures, and promoting positive parenting. The professional foster family system, the “Mehrli Oila” service, and small-scale social support centers will be established.

The Strategy involves comprehensive legal reforms, including amendments to criminal, criminal-procedural, penal, and administrative law, to ensure child protection at all stages of investigation and judicial proceedings. Free legal assistance will be guaranteed to children who are victims or witnesses of violence from the initial investigative steps. The participation of a representative of the guardianship authority will be mandatory in family cases, and a social worker will accompany the child throughout the stages of inquiry, investigation, and trial. Confrontations between the child and the perpetrator will occur only by decision of the investigator, prosecutor, or court, and all child testimony will be video-recorded to prevent re-victimization.

Special attention is given to children in socially dangerous situations. National educational and care institutions will be fully phased out and replaced with social integration and support centers, as well as small-scale social assistance centers focused on the rehabilitation and support of children and their families. The number of educational institutions available to such children will increase to 258 to ensure access to quality education.

To improve response times and information exchange, the information systems of the National Agency for Social Protection, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and other authorities will be integrated. All educational institutions—from preschools to colleges—will implement the “Safe School” concept, along with measures to combat bullying and digital violence.

Additionally, administrative liability will be introduced for employees in education, healthcare, and social protection sectors who fail to report incidents of violence.

The adopted Strategy is based on the analysis of real cases, research, and practical experience, forming part of a consistent and systemic reform effort aimed at protecting the rights and well-being of every child.