Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 31 March 2023, an international round table was held in Bukhara on the topic: "Priorities of constitutional reform: Uzbekistan is a social state", dedicated to the social aspects of constitutional reform.

The event was organized by the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) in order to explain to the population the changing role of our state in the socio-economic life of society, its functions and responsibilities in managing the social sphere, as well as to discuss the Uzbek model of the social state, the features of its formation and further development.

It was attended by the leadership and representatives of the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, the Ministry of Youth Policy and Sports, the Ministry of Health, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Uzbekistan, foreign scientists, deputies of the local Kengash, experts from government agencies, institutions civil society, mass media, scientific and educational institutions of the republic. The moderator of this event was CERR director Obid Khakimov.

According to the updated Constitution, "Uzbekistan is a sovereign, democratic, legal, social and secular state with a republican form of government." For the first time in the history of our country, it will be established at the level of the Constitution that Uzbekistan is a social state.

“The consolidation of the principle “New Uzbekistan is a social state” as a constitutional norm, in fact, is a reflection of the fact that today Uzbekistan is confidently moving along the path of building a social state and a just society,” it was emphasized in the speech

The speakers indicated that the amendments to the Constitution are primarily aimed at building a New Uzbekistan, where guarantees for the protection of human rights and dignity, social protection and economic well-being will be enshrined at the level of the main law.

Thus, in recent years, in connection with the large-scale reforms launched, the economy of Uzbekistan has been growing dynamically, which made it possible to allocate more funds for solving social problems. If in 2018 the country’s spending on social policy amounted to 35 trillion. soums, in 2019 - 61.3 trillion. soums, in 2020 - 74.2 trillion. soums, in 2021 - 85.3 trillion. soums, and in 2022 - over 105.5 trillion. soums. And this has made it possible to consistently strengthen the social sphere in the last five years.

During the international round table, the participants discussed the issues of poverty reduction, the stages of development of health care as the most important direction of the welfare state policy, the constitutional foundations for reforming and developing the system of preschool and school education, securing the status of a teacher in the Constitution, as well as the expectations from constitutional reforms and long-term tasks facing before the state in the social sphere as a whole.

During the discussion, scientists-experts, teachers of local universities, students, representatives of civil society, the media asked questions to the speakers. the moderator noted the most important political significance of the referendum in the life of the people of our country.

  In conclusion, the participants expressed their gratitude to the organizers for creating a platform that allows them to exchange views on topical issues.