Uzbekistan, UNDP Deepen Digital and Consular Reform Ties

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan and the United Nations Development Programme are pushing deeper into digital territory, with consular modernisation now explicitly on the agenda as the two sides align on priorities for a new five-year cooperation cycle.

Foreign Ministry adviser Munira Aminova met with UNDP Resident Representative Akiko Fujii in Tashkent on June 8, with talks centering on digital solutions, innovative technology cooperation, and improvements to consular service delivery — a combination that signals Uzbekistan is looking to extend its e-government momentum into the diplomatic infrastructure that serves its citizens abroad.

The meeting comes as the UNDP–Uzbekistan partnership enters its 2026–2030 programme cycle on strong footing. In 2025 alone, 12.8 million people accessed digital public services, accelerating Uzbekistan's transition toward a more efficient, transparent, and citizen-centered digital state. 

"Together with the Government and our partners, we are moving from policy to people — delivering tangible results that strengthen resilience, expand opportunity and accelerate green transformation across Uzbekistan," Fujii said in remarks accompanying UNDP's 2025 annual report, published in March.

The digital agenda has been a consistent thread in Uzbekistan's reform programme. The Digital Uzbekistan–2030 Strategy is serving as a catalyst for substantial investments in digital infrastructure and e-government services, though challenges remain, including limited digital literacy in rural areas and an underdeveloped ICT regulatory framework. 

UNDP's engagement spans multiple ministries and reform tracks. Its dedicated digitalisation project aims to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Uzbekistan to promote inclusive digital transformation, with objectives covering digital solutions in healthcare, linguistics, and diplomacy. The inclusion of consular services in June 8 talks suggests diplomacy-sector digitalisation — identified in earlier UNDP project frameworks — is now moving from scoping to active partnership. 

In 2025, UNDP secured 14 new financing agreements in Uzbekistan and expanded collaboration with 25 civil society organizations, reflecting what the organisation describes as growing international confidence in the country's reform trajectory. 

Both sides confirmed mutual interest in deepening the partnership and advancing joint initiatives across key cooperation tracks. No specific project announcements were made public following the meeting.