Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — An international roundtable dedicated to social protection and poverty reduction took place in Tashkent, where participants discussed new goals and tasks facing the government. The event focused on ensuring that no citizen is left without attention, which became the foundation for developing recommendations to improve social policy in Uzbekistan.

As part of the “Week of International Cooperation Initiatives in Uzbekistan,” the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR), together with the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction and the National Agency for Social Protection, held an international roundtable on the topic of "The Role of Social Protection and Poverty Reduction on the Path to Sustainable Development."

The event highlighted the core principle of Uzbekistan’s anti-poverty policy, led by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, ensuring that no citizen is overlooked. Participants discussed new goals and challenges for the government, as well as recommendations from international financial institutions, based on global best practices in social protection.

Key topics discussed included the main outlines of poverty reduction in Uzbekistan, the importance of the Multidimensional Poverty Index as a strategic tool for targeted policy, and the transition from poverty to prosperity, with particular attention to reducing child poverty. Effective targeting of the poor and vulnerable groups was a crucial subject for developing recommendations to improve social policies.

Moreover, the event focused on integrated case management in poverty reduction and insights from scientific data on social protection policies.

This platform facilitated an exchange of views and development of recommendations aimed at creating a sustainable social protection system capable of effectively responding to modern challenges.

The event was moderated by Chris Rennard, a peer in the UK House of Lords, and Obid Khakimov, Director of CERR. Prominent participants included Batir Zahidov, Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction of Uzbekistan; Prof. Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI); Akiko Fujii, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan; and other notable experts.

During his speech, the Director of CERR presented key initiatives aimed at improving the population’s living standards. These included expanding access to quality education, developing rural infrastructure, supporting entrepreneurship, and creating new jobs.

The meeting highlighted key reforms implemented since 2017, including a 47% real wage increase and a significant reduction in poverty from 17% to 11%.