Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Around 5 million people in Uzbekistan were employed in the informal sector in 2025. For such workers, this may limit access to pensions, paid sick leave, maternity benefits and other social protection measures provided by law, UNDP Uzbekistan reported.
Against this backdrop, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction of the Republic of Uzbekistan, has launched a specialized training program for state labor inspectors. The initiative is being implemented with financial support from the UN Joint SDG Fund.
The training is aimed at strengthening the professional capacity of labor inspectors, introducing international labor standards and enhancing the protection of labor rights. Inspectors will develop skills in identifying informal employment, conducting risk-based inspections, working with data and digital tools, conducting investigative interviews, resolving conflicts and documenting evidence.
According to UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Akiko Fujii, labor inspection is one of the direct tools for turning government policy into practical protection for workers. She also noted that the transition to formal employment expands people’s access to social protection, while effective inspection helps create more equal conditions for businesses that comply with the rules.
The program is being conducted as Uzbekistan strengthens the powers of its labor inspection system under the new Labor Code and expands the functions of the State Labor Inspectorate. The training is expected to help inspectors carry out their new responsibilities consistently and in line with international labor standards.
Two groups of state labor inspectors representing all regions of the country are undergoing training in Tashkent on 23–25 and 28–30 September 2026. The sessions are being conducted by Javier Barbero, UNDP international expert on labor inspection.
UNDP will continue working with the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction to professionalize the State Labor Inspectorate and strengthen institutions responsible for putting labor relations reforms into practice.
The training is being conducted as part of the UN joint program “Accelerating Decent Job Creation and Expanding Social Protection for a Just Transition to Formal Employment in Uzbekistan,” funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund. UNDP also expressed its gratitude to the European Union and the governments of countries that have contributed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
