By Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future, Communication University of China (CUC), Beijing, China
“Our main goal is to ensure stability in society and the progressive development of our unique country”
(President of Uzbekistan, His Excellency Shavkat Mirziyoyev)
“Man - Society - State”, this principle remains integral in current legislative and constitutional reforms in Uzbekistan. Under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has witnessed a great transformation with robust development in every sector. It can be said that human dignity, honor, and pride are the important parameters of Uzbekistan’s domestic policy. In this regard, on 26th May 2022, the Kengashes of the Chambers of the Oliy Majlis created the Constitutional Commission. Over the past month, the Commission received 48,492 proposals from citizens. Uzbekistan’s constitution is a solid legal basis for all the successes achieved in the years of independence. The citizens have also expressed many opinions about improving the Constitution for national development. The approved amendments to the constitution have provided an impetus for future sustainable development, democratic unity, human rights protection, and institutional cooperation in the state. It is clear that the robust reforms will establish an optimal balance between different sectors of government and enhance people’s participation in the democratic process.
It is not surprising that the new Uzbekistan's strategically important development program Action Strategy identifies ensuring the rule of law and further reforming the judicial and legal system. Indeed, for a modernized state, it is essential to ensure reliable protection of citizens' rights and freedoms, ensure the judiciary's independence, achieve justice, strengthen the rule of law, and effectively combat corruption. Since President Mirziyoyev came into power, Uzbekistan carried out large-scale work in these direction. Presently, he has focused on four priority areas and made proposals for each of them. The following are the key dimensions:
a. Protecting People’s Wellbeing, Freedom, and Civil Rights:
The role of the robust civil society became the corner stone of growth for a new period in Uzbekistan. It was highlighted by the government that human dignity must be prioritized by the public authorities. This depicts the constitutional obligation and fundamental principles vis-à-vis freedom, national progress, and unity. The right to life is important for every person. Thus, a provision was introduced in the constitution that the death penalty is prohibited in Uzbekistan. These amendments were taken into consideration because a person's criminal record and the legal consequences arising from it cannot be a basis for restricting the rights of his relatives. Moreover, strengthening the constitutional foundations for the humane treatment of persons deprived of their liberty was also highlighted.
b. Uzbekistan as a Social State:
Uzbekistan has emerged as a strong regional player under President Mirziyoyev. Due to his prudent strategies and robust development plans, the country is towards a positive stride for becoming social/welfare state. In this aspect, it was proposed to reflect such obligations of the state to provide the population with housing, strengthen the economic and spiritual foundations of the family, and create all conditions for ensuring the interests/ development of the people. According to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev:
“In a word, the care of the state for men and women, families and children, youth and the elderly, persons with disabilities, all people, whether in the country or abroad, should be enshrined in the Constitution’’.
c. The Constitutional Status of the Mahalla & Duties of State Bodies in the Process of Interaction:
The third major direction was to define the constitutional status of the mahalla and state duties bodies in the communication process. At the same time, it was proposed that the mahalla is not part of the system of state authorities and can independently resolve issues of local importance on the ground, and receive support from the state for these purposes.
d. Improving Public Administration and Strengthening Democracy:
Uzbekistan aims to build a democratic state that prioritizes its people. People’s participation in national development has been considered an integral part of the recent constitutional amendments. President Mirziyoyev proposed that the Constitutional norms must ensure openness, transparency, and accountability in the activities of state bodies, as well as the efficiency of these bodies. Thereby, it was emphasized to expand the powers of the Oliy Majlis to form a government and ensure its effective functioning, transferring of the powers of the President to the Majlis.
Future Prospects for Development under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev:
Keeping in view the latest proposals in legislation, it is clear that His Excellency President Mirziyoyev has introduced a historic transformation in Uzbekistan’s political system. His successful conduct of statecraft and effective policies manifest that he has been in favor of enhancing citizen participation in state governance and ensuring substantial democratization of political processes. Public participation is integral to national development. Thus, it is significant to implement all laws and policies in order to pave the way for social, cultural, and political norms. ’Man - Society – State’ is the guiding principle for a robust civil society built on the principles of justice, honesty, emancipation, unity, and diligence for achieving future aspirations, sustainable progress, and regional cooperation. The efforts to improve the conceptual and legal framework of Uzbekistan's foreign policy were done while taking into account the fundamental transformation in the world. Uzbekistan’s dynamic leadership has left no stone unturned to begin a great voyage for robust economic development and pursue the goal of a welfare state.
The article was originally published by Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF)
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