Expertise

UNESCO leads SDG4 (Quality Education) in global arena and respectively in Uzbekistan. UNESCO Office in Tashkent with its national partners implements a number of programmes and projects in areas of quality of education, Technical and Vocational Education, improving curricula and supporting teacher training and the development of teaching materials, inclusive life-learning for all etc. UNESCO actively cooperates with the Ministries of Education (ministry of public education, ministry of Higher and Secondary Education, ministry of pre-school education). There are also 45 associated schools in Uzbekistan that belong to the UNESCO global network of 10,000 schools. Here work is carried out in support of international understanding, peace, intercultural dialogue, sustainable development and quality education in practice. Eight UNESCO Chairs operate at 7 universities in your country, which promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking that enhances capacity through the exchange of knowledge and joint aspirations for a common goal. The illustration of this is therecent launch of the European Union-UNESCO programme "Skills Development in Rural Areas of Uzbekistan", funded generously by the European Union in a total amount of €9.6 million. The aim of this four-year project (2020-2024) is to enhance living standards in rural areas through better employability and to prepare women and men with relevant skills for the needs of sustainable, diversified and modernized agriculture.  

UNESCO is supporting the country on its TVET sector reform, by developing the national TVET strategy of the country in line with UNESCO’s global TVET strategy.

With the support of UNESCO, a new teacher professional development model was introduced based on intensive research. The new model is highly responsive to the learning needs of teachers, and enables them to constantly develop professional capacities through various learning paths.

In addition, UNESCO introduced the ICT competency framework for teacher for in-service teacher education system. In addition, over 5000 teachers’ capacities were enhanced only in 2022 on various thematic areas, such as Media and Information Literacy, Preventing Violence in Education, Global Citizenship Education, Education for Sustainable Development.

In past few years, the Education Sector of the UNESCO Tashkent Office has developed a number of resources, guides, and tools on various subjects, such as teachers “Information and communications technology competency development and assessment”, “Teacher guide for Preventing violence and bullying in schools”, guide on gendered review of textbooks, guide on teacher's capacity development on gender-sensitive classroom teaching.

Two Biosphere Reserves are inscribed in the UNESCO “Man and Biosphere” Programme. Moreover, a significant action has been undertaking to create the Kitab Geopark for further inscription to the UNESCO Geopark network

 UNESCO works to assist its Member States to invest in science, technology and innovation (STI), to develop national science policies and to reform their science systems.

Promoting Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) has become a key policy objective in developed and developing countries. STI is a driving force for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and particular, SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), which aims at building resilient infrastructure and promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

Under a UNESCO-Islamic Development Bank project, UNESCO worked with the government to  support the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy for 2021-2030. ). As a result of the implementation of the UNESCO- IsBD project, GO-SPIN (Global Observatory of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Instruments) Country Profile of Uzbekistan in Science, Technology and Innovation has prepared.Achievements include the publication of a report on “Mapping Research and Innovation in the Republic of Uzbekistan”, in English, Russian and Uzbek, in October 2020.

UNESCO implemented, with funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, a project to strengthen the governance of groundwater in transboundary aquifers” for 3 pilot regions in 2019-2022. The Pretashkent Transboundary Aquifer System, shared by Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, is one of the pilots.

In September 2021, an Integrated Water Resources Management Assessment was completed in Tashkent and Samarqand, with the KWR Water Research Institute (Netherlands) and the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers.

UNESCO is the only UN specialized agency with a specific mandate in the field of culture. The Organization is convinced that no sustainable development can be built without a strong culture component.. In the field of culture UNESCO's activities are based on normative documents, in particular, the Conventions for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which were ratified by Uzbekistan. They serve as a basis in the promotion, preservation, protection and support of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO and the World Heritage List.

Since 2018, UNESCO in cooperation with European Union has been implementing a joint project «Silk Roads Heritage Corridors in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Iran - International Dimension of the European Year of Cultural Heritage».

The project aims to strengthen capacities for safeguarding tangible and intangible cultural heritage, raise awareness and promote the common cultural heritage on the Silk Roads, and use the heritage as a foundation for sustainable development.

UNESCO is leading the following projects, with keen Uzbekistan interest: “Preservation and safeguarding of the cultural heritage in Bukhara” (US$ 300,00, Saudi Arabia Funds-in-Trust), with a focus on the Rashid Madrassah in Bukhara for Shashmaqom centre. The project has been finalised.  

Within the Silk Roads Heritage Corridors in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Iran – International Dimension of the European Year of Cultural Heritage” funded by the European Union: 2019-2022 Conservation works of Bogbonli Mosque in Khiva;  2019-2020 Development of the Destination Management Plan and Sustainable Tourism Strategy. 2021-2022 Establishment of a Destination Management and Marketing Organization; development the Tourism brand for Khiva; development of a Website to Promote Khiva and to support WH conservation;

DG’s visit to Uzbekistan in August 2019 led to the establishment of an International Advisory Committee for World Cultural Heritage properties in Uzbekistan, designed to address the challenges brought about by rapid economic and tourism in the four World Heritage cities. The inaugural meeting took place in September 2021, and the first technical meeting took place in July 2022. The aim of the IAC is to provide advice and support to the concerned local, regional, and national authorities of Uzbekistan, in line with and furthering the implementation of the relevant Decisions of the World Heritage Committee, and recommendations of past technical and advisory missions to the World Heritage properties in Uzbekistan, and in accordance with the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, in particular, the Paragraph 172. The IAC convenes a group of international/ national and interdisciplinary experts suggested by the World Heritage Centre with the Advisory Bodies (ICOMOS, ICCROM), endorsed by the State Party of Uzbekistan.

One of the most recent cultural highlights is the ratification of the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions by Uzbekistan in November 2019. It is a great achievement of the country as well as institutions and organizations involved in the process of the ratification, such as the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Culture as well as our Office that worked for many years towards the promotion of the ratification of the 2005 Convention.

Moreover, the UNESCO Tashkent Office promote further the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage through capacity-building activities, awareness-raising campaigns and greater involvement of communities and NGOs in the safeguarding of the intangible heritage of Uzbekistan.

Office raises awareness about rich movable heritage of Uzbekistan at national and international levels as well as strengthens national capacities in exhibition design and management, storage, inventorying, data collection and analysis, preservation and restoration of museum collections and promotes the role of the museum in formal and informal education and lifelong learning.

In July 2022, Uzbekistan was elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2022-2026).

In addition, UNESCO supports the Government of Uzbekistan to implement the 2015 Recommendation concerning the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society.

At the moment the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO includes eleven  elements from Uzbekistan:  Shashmaqom music (2008); Cultural space of Boysun District (2008); Katta Ashula (2009); Askiya, the art of wit (2014); Navruz (2016); Palov culture and tradition (2016); Khorazm dance, Lazgi (2019); Art of ministure (2020); Bakhshi art (2021); Sericulture and traditional production of silk for weaving (2022); Telling tradition of Nasreddin Hodja Anecdotes (2022).

In 2017 Margilan Crafts Development Centre, safeguarding of the atlas and adras making traditional technologies was included into the UNESCO Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Unique historical cultural and natural  sites of Uzbekistan  included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. They are    Itchan Kala (1990); Historic Centre of Bukhara (1993);  Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (200);  Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures (2001)  and Western Tien-Shan (2026 have been considered to be of Outstanding Universal Value and inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List

Memory of the World Registry includes 3 elements from Uzbekistan . They are Collection of the AI-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies (1997); Holy Koran Mushaf of Othman (1997) and Archives of the Chancellery of Khiva Khans (2017). Mount Chatkal (1978) and Lower Amudarya State Biosphere Reserve (2021) are in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves list

UNESCO implements activities in  promoting media development, journalism, media and information literacy , investigative journalistic, building the capacity of media professionals so that the media can play a key role in promoting dialogue, democracy and development.

One of the latest achievements in the communication and information field is the development of a new training platform (in three languages: Uzbek, Russian and Karakalpak)  – Mass Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Our Office in cooperation with the Tashkent University of Information Technologies has developed MOOCs on Media and Information Literacy, Safety of Journalists, Hate Speech in Media, Gender in Journalism, as well as courses on Data journalism and Fake news.

Over 200 journalists from eight regions of Uzbekistan (Bukhara, Fergana, Jizzak, Karakalpak, Kashkadarya, Khorezm, Samarkand and Surkhandarya) were trained in such new area of journalism – data journalism and started using data journalism skills in their practice.

In 2019, UNESCO Tashkent developed and published a global handbook in three languages (Uzbek, Russian and English) “Media and information literacy in journalism: a handbook for journalists and journalism educators”. The publication has been translated to Korean too

UNESCO together with the Government of Uzbekistan, and in particular the Agency of Information and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan (AIMC), organized successfully the 2022 edition of the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) in Uzbekistan. The objective of the conference was to provide a platform for all the stakeholders to participate in international discussions on Artificial Intelligence, e-Governance and Access to Information.

The Tashkent Declaration was adapted and it opened new prospects of e-government services and AI to inform and empower citizens in an inclusive way.  Followed by the Tashkent declaration, UNESCO agreed with the AIMC and other National Media partners to continue supporting the implementation of the National Digital Strategy 2030, foster Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, build the National Media and Information Literacy competency capacities, guiding civil servants in Artificial Intelligence competencies, developing the Artificial Intelligence Ethics, providing expertise on the drafting of the Unified Information Code, promoting new inscriptions on the Memory of the World and improving the human rights to privacy and data protection.

UNESCO with the support of the General Prosecutor’s Office, organized 3 days training entitled “Dialogue with prosecutors on cases of crimes against journalists and the protection of freedom of expression”, in August 2022 in Tashkent. As a follow-up action, translated into Uzbek UNESCO Guidelines for prosecutors on cases of crimes against journalists, Guidelines for Judicial Actors on Privacy and Data Protection and the Global toolkit for judicial actors: international legal standards on freedom of expression, access to information and safety of journalists.