Ensuring the constitutional rights of Uzbek citizens
Since the first days of Uzbekistan's independence, great attention has been paid to the social protection system of the population. Using at first the legal foundations of the former Union state, our republic gradually began to form national sectoral legislation. Initially, there were decrees of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, government resolutions, later sectoral laws and a number of subordinate normative legal acts were adopted, thus, a system of social protection of the population based on national legislation began to be formed.
If we pay attention to the peculiarities of the development of Uzbekistan's social policy over the years of independence, we can note the gradual transition from universal social protection to targeted social assistance and support for needy segments of the population: the elderly, the disabled, families with children, orphans, etc. As part of the policy, legislative and regulatory acts regulating pension payments were gradually defined relationships, as well as types of social assistance and support. The Republic has adopted laws "On State pension provision", "On accumulative pension provision", "On the rights of persons with disabilities", "On social services for the elderly, the disabled and other socially vulnerable categories of the population", an extensive system of various programs for providing social assistance and support to the population has been created. On issues affecting one or another aspect of the sphere of social protection, programs are regularly adopted aimed at further developing the system and improving the well-being of the population in need of social assistance and support. The sphere of social development is still one of the priorities for the development of modern Uzbekistan.
In 2022, Uzbekistan began the active implementation of the New Uzbekistan Development Strategy, which is based on the principles of "For human dignity and value". The goal is to build a New Uzbekistan based on the principle of a "social state", which means creating equal opportunities in society to realize the potential of citizens and the necessary conditions for a decent life and poverty reduction.
The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Article 1 proclaimed the status of Uzbekistan as a social state, thus defining the social orientation of state policy. The implementation of social policy is aimed at ensuring the socio-economic rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The constitutional foundations of social protection of the population are established in articles of the Constitution on the right to decent work, choice of profession and occupation, prohibition of forced and child labor, the right to rest, social security in old age, in case of disability, unemployment, as well as loss of breadwinner, the right to housing, health and education, the right to a favorable environment
.
Special attention is paid to children, so in accordance with article 77 of the Constitution, the state and society ensure the maintenance, upbringing, education, healthy, full-fledged and harmonious development of orphans and children deprived of parental care, and encourage charitable activities for these purposes. Ensuring and protecting the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of the child, creating the best conditions for his full-fledged physical, mental and cultural development are the responsibility of the State.
For the first time, the State is obliged to take measures to improve the quality of life of socially needy categories of the population, which is a vivid expression of the function of the welfare state.
The country's leadership initiated measures to begin reforming the sphere of social security, the introduction of a professional social protection system based on an integrated approach, and therefore the National Agency for Social Protection under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established. International experts appreciated the establishment of the Agency, noting that it would be an important step to promote social protection in Uzbekistan and ensure the implementation of the National Social Protection Strategy, National Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals aimed at reducing and preventing poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion of individuals and families throughout the life cycle.
The Development Strategy of the new Uzbekistan defines the task to increase gross domestic product per capita by 1.6 times by 2030, and per capita income to more than 4 thousand US dollars, to create a foundation for joining the list of countries with above–average income.
The reforms carried out in the social sphere since 2017 have made it possible to increase employment and incomes of the population, improve social protection and health protection of citizens, increase the socio-political activity of women and the development of education and science, and support youth.
Social protection costs in Uzbekistan are increasing from year to year. If in 2018 they amounted to 35 trillion. soums (4.3 billion dollars), then in 2019 – 61.3 trillion. soums (.9 billion), in 2020 – 74.2 trillion. soums (.4 billion), in 2021 – 85.3 trillion. soums ( billion), and in 2022 the costs will amount to 105.5 trillion. soums (.6 billion). In particular, in 2022, expenditures in the education sector will amount to 46.9 trillion. soums (.2 billion), healthcare – 22.8 trillion. soums (.5 billion), culture and sports – 3.4 trillion. soums (307.8 million dollars), and the cost of measures for the further development of science is 1.5 trillion. soums (5.8 million).
Currently, the National Strategy for Social Protection of the Population until 2030 has been adopted. The Strategy aims to halve the number of poor people in the country. To achieve this goal, the Strategy provides for reforms in the field of education, healthcare and pensions, measures to further strengthen the social protection of vulnerable segments of the population; the opening of specialized monocenters in each region for preferential training in working professions; preferential lending and various subsidies for the development of entrepreneurship.
A special place in the social policy of Uzbekistan is occupied by solving the problem of poverty. The active fight against poverty began in 2020, when Uzbekistan openly recognized the problem of poverty and began to fight it. A special state administration body for combating poverty was established, currently it functions in the person of the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The "Iron Notebook", "Women's Notebook", and "Youth Notebook" are organized. Since 2021, a mechanism for accounting for the poor has been introduced by entering them into the information system "Unified Register of Social Protection", which allows low-income families to receive their social assistance automatically without additional bureaucratic procedures. The creation of this system for more complete accounting of those in need of assistance led to the fact that if in 2017 500 thousand low-income families received social assistance, now more than 2 million. The volume of allocated funds increased 7 times and reached 11 trillion soums per year.
Since 2022, the position of assistant to the khokim of the district (city) for the development of entrepreneurship, employment and poverty reduction has been introduced in each village, village, aul, as well as in each mahalla, whose powers include keeping records of socially vulnerable families and assisting them in obtaining a profession, starting their own business, obtaining loans and subsidies. Every year, more than billion in concessional loans are allocated for the implementation of projects in settlements, and 100,000 hectares of irrigated land have been distributed to more than 440,000 families.
By region, programs are being adopted to reduce poverty, develop entrepreneurship, create new jobs, and improve the well-being of the population. Given the importance of the education and health care system, there has been a significant increase in the coverage of preschool and higher education in the country, and the network of private medical institutions is expanding. The transition to a universal health insurance system is gradually underway.
Thus, ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens is the main vector of the country's social policy.
Gulnoza Sattarova,
Chief Researcher
Institute of Legislation and Legal Policy
under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
Candidate of Law Sciences
If we pay attention to the peculiarities of the development of Uzbekistan's social policy over the years of independence, we can note the gradual transition from universal social protection to targeted social assistance and support for needy segments of the population: the elderly, the disabled, families with children, orphans, etc. As part of the policy, legislative and regulatory acts regulating pension payments were gradually defined relationships, as well as types of social assistance and support. The Republic has adopted laws "On State pension provision", "On accumulative pension provision", "On the rights of persons with disabilities", "On social services for the elderly, the disabled and other socially vulnerable categories of the population", an extensive system of various programs for providing social assistance and support to the population has been created. On issues affecting one or another aspect of the sphere of social protection, programs are regularly adopted aimed at further developing the system and improving the well-being of the population in need of social assistance and support. The sphere of social development is still one of the priorities for the development of modern Uzbekistan.
In 2022, Uzbekistan began the active implementation of the New Uzbekistan Development Strategy, which is based on the principles of "For human dignity and value". The goal is to build a New Uzbekistan based on the principle of a "social state", which means creating equal opportunities in society to realize the potential of citizens and the necessary conditions for a decent life and poverty reduction.
The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Article 1 proclaimed the status of Uzbekistan as a social state, thus defining the social orientation of state policy. The implementation of social policy is aimed at ensuring the socio-economic rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The constitutional foundations of social protection of the population are established in articles of the Constitution on the right to decent work, choice of profession and occupation, prohibition of forced and child labor, the right to rest, social security in old age, in case of disability, unemployment, as well as loss of breadwinner, the right to housing, health and education, the right to a favorable environment
.
Special attention is paid to children, so in accordance with article 77 of the Constitution, the state and society ensure the maintenance, upbringing, education, healthy, full-fledged and harmonious development of orphans and children deprived of parental care, and encourage charitable activities for these purposes. Ensuring and protecting the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of the child, creating the best conditions for his full-fledged physical, mental and cultural development are the responsibility of the State.
For the first time, the State is obliged to take measures to improve the quality of life of socially needy categories of the population, which is a vivid expression of the function of the welfare state.
The country's leadership initiated measures to begin reforming the sphere of social security, the introduction of a professional social protection system based on an integrated approach, and therefore the National Agency for Social Protection under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established. International experts appreciated the establishment of the Agency, noting that it would be an important step to promote social protection in Uzbekistan and ensure the implementation of the National Social Protection Strategy, National Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals aimed at reducing and preventing poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion of individuals and families throughout the life cycle.
The Development Strategy of the new Uzbekistan defines the task to increase gross domestic product per capita by 1.6 times by 2030, and per capita income to more than 4 thousand US dollars, to create a foundation for joining the list of countries with above–average income.
The reforms carried out in the social sphere since 2017 have made it possible to increase employment and incomes of the population, improve social protection and health protection of citizens, increase the socio-political activity of women and the development of education and science, and support youth.
Social protection costs in Uzbekistan are increasing from year to year. If in 2018 they amounted to 35 trillion. soums (4.3 billion dollars), then in 2019 – 61.3 trillion. soums (.9 billion), in 2020 – 74.2 trillion. soums (.4 billion), in 2021 – 85.3 trillion. soums ( billion), and in 2022 the costs will amount to 105.5 trillion. soums (.6 billion). In particular, in 2022, expenditures in the education sector will amount to 46.9 trillion. soums (.2 billion), healthcare – 22.8 trillion. soums (.5 billion), culture and sports – 3.4 trillion. soums (307.8 million dollars), and the cost of measures for the further development of science is 1.5 trillion. soums (5.8 million).
Currently, the National Strategy for Social Protection of the Population until 2030 has been adopted. The Strategy aims to halve the number of poor people in the country. To achieve this goal, the Strategy provides for reforms in the field of education, healthcare and pensions, measures to further strengthen the social protection of vulnerable segments of the population; the opening of specialized monocenters in each region for preferential training in working professions; preferential lending and various subsidies for the development of entrepreneurship.
A special place in the social policy of Uzbekistan is occupied by solving the problem of poverty. The active fight against poverty began in 2020, when Uzbekistan openly recognized the problem of poverty and began to fight it. A special state administration body for combating poverty was established, currently it functions in the person of the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The "Iron Notebook", "Women's Notebook", and "Youth Notebook" are organized. Since 2021, a mechanism for accounting for the poor has been introduced by entering them into the information system "Unified Register of Social Protection", which allows low-income families to receive their social assistance automatically without additional bureaucratic procedures. The creation of this system for more complete accounting of those in need of assistance led to the fact that if in 2017 500 thousand low-income families received social assistance, now more than 2 million. The volume of allocated funds increased 7 times and reached 11 trillion soums per year.
Since 2022, the position of assistant to the khokim of the district (city) for the development of entrepreneurship, employment and poverty reduction has been introduced in each village, village, aul, as well as in each mahalla, whose powers include keeping records of socially vulnerable families and assisting them in obtaining a profession, starting their own business, obtaining loans and subsidies. Every year, more than billion in concessional loans are allocated for the implementation of projects in settlements, and 100,000 hectares of irrigated land have been distributed to more than 440,000 families.
By region, programs are being adopted to reduce poverty, develop entrepreneurship, create new jobs, and improve the well-being of the population. Given the importance of the education and health care system, there has been a significant increase in the coverage of preschool and higher education in the country, and the network of private medical institutions is expanding. The transition to a universal health insurance system is gradually underway.
Thus, ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens is the main vector of the country's social policy.
Gulnoza Sattarova,
Chief Researcher
Institute of Legislation and Legal Policy
under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
Candidate of Law Sciences