Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Nationwide Festival of Civic Activism has started in Tashkent. During five days, it will bring together more than two thousand participants - representatives of NGO, civil society institutions, ministries, government departments, local authorities, mass-media and experts.

The festival is organized at the initiative of the Nationwide Movement “Yuksalish” in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Union delegation in Uzbekistan, the Civil Society Development Association ARGO (Kazakhstan) and a number of other partners.

The program of the Nationwide Festival of Civic Activism includes almost 20 different-format events with online broadcast in social networks: forums, conferences, discussions, presentations, master classes. In particular, there will be an international conference “Address of the President - a new stage in the development of civil society in Uzbekistan”, Forum of public councils, presentation of the School of NGOs and the Anti-Corruption Laboratory, award ceremony within the framework of the “Heroes among us” project.

What is the reason for holding the festival? Today, Uzbekistan is undergoing a fundamental reform of all spheres of State and society. At times, time and resources are scarce. Broad public involvement ensures that decisions are inclusive. That is why the principle of dialogue with people is being promoted at all levels of government.

Aware of the role of civil society institutions, mechanisms are being deliberately introduced in Uzbekistan to support and stimulate them. They are being empowered. A substantial liberalization of NGO legislation has been initiated. More than 70 State bodies and institutions have set up public councils. De facto barriers restricting the activities of social organizations are being removed. More than 70 State bodies and institutions have set up public councils. Grants and subsidies to civil society institutions have doubled over the past three years. Obstacles to the receipt and use of foreign grants by NGOs have been removed.

The legislation “On Public Control”, “On Counteracting Corruption”, the Presidential Resolution “On Measures on Organization of Activities of Public Councils under State Bodies” have promoted the mechanisms of public control. Thus, only in 2019 alone, more than 1,000 events were held, which is several times more than three or four years ago.

At the same time, Uzbekistan’s position in international ratings shows that much remains to be done. For example, Uzbekistan ranked 155th in the Democracy Index (2020), compiled annually by the British research organization “The Economist Intelligence Unit”. Uzbekistan scored 2.12 points, improving its position compared to 2019 (2.01 points), but remained in the group of states with an “authoritarian regime”. The highest rating of political participation was 2.78 points, but in the category “Civil Liberties” the figures are still low - 0.88 points.

In the President’s Address to Parliament of 29 December 2020, citizens' activists, the media and the public were given carte blanche from a high rostrum. They will be one of the main actors in the reform process, from the identification of problems on the ground and the implementation of public oversight to active cooperation with State structures and the implementation of projects to solve socially significant problems.

In particular, NGOs on the basis of social orders, will be involved in determining the real picture in the regions, in-depth analysis of problems at different levels, elaboration of proposals for solutions and ensuring public control over their realization. Emphasis will be placed primarily on education, culture, medicine, ecology, construction, cadastre, transport, utilities, employment and social services. It is planned to allocate 60 billion soum from the State budget in 2021, which is twice as much as in 2019.

The Nationwide Festival of Civic Activism is intended to be a platform for constructive dialogue among all participants in transformational processes, the consolidation of their efforts, and the formulation of recommendations and proposals for the further development of civil society in Uzbekistan.

For information: The Nationwide festival of civic activism is held within the framework of the programme “Partnership for Innovation” in Uzbekistan, which is implemented by the Nationwide Movement “Yuksalish” and the Civil Society Development Association “ARGO” (Kazakhstan) with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The programme aims to enhance the role of civil society in Uzbekistan by supporting and developing sustained and inclusive interaction between civil society institutions, State administration bodies and the business community. Also, two-year programme aimed to introduce effective mechanisms for the development of civil society and to involve citizens in the country’s public administration.