Currently, the UN agencies working in Uzbekistan are the World Bank, UN Women, UNV, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNODC, UNFPA and UNAIDS. Each of these agencies have established close collaboration ties with national partners and work together to help improve people’s welfare, support reforms in such areas as healthcare, education and the preservation of cultural heritage of the nation. The UN in the country also works closely with the government in fighting against the illicit drug trafficking, the spread of HIV/AIDS and the protection of environment.

Karl Kulessa, the Acting UN Resident Coordinator noted the progress achieved in Uzbekistan in attaining the Millennium Development Goals. He said it’s largely due to the steady economic growth and the successful implementation of social programmes in the country that good outcomes have been achieved particularly in education and healthcare. «In order to advance further with the Millennium Development Goals, it is important that such national programmes continue being effective, along with a thorough monitoring and accountability for the growth and development beyond 2015 which is the key priority.”

The rest of the UN family representatives also joined the press conference and spoke about their agencies’ mandate and operations in Uzbekistan. Jaco Cilliers, UNDP RR ai, Jean-Michel Delmotte, UNICEF Representative, Denis Haveaux, UNAIDS Country Coordinator, Steven Monaco, the UNODC Officer in Charge, Matlyuba Mukhamedoba, the World Bank Communications Officer, Aleksandr Osipov, the UNESCO Programme Officer and Farzona Khashimova, the Programme Specialist and the Gender Advisor to the UN Women then took questions from the press and briefed them on the latest achievements and the plans made for the future.

On October 24th, the UN Team was cordially welcomed at the Karakalpak State University named after Berdakh in Nukus. Both the students and the representatives of the UN Family came together in a big hall where Professor Azat Matchanov, the Rector of the University warmly greeted the guests and said he was pleased to host the UN Day celebrations this year. In their turn, Jaco Cilliers, the Acting UNDP Resident Representative and Jean-Michel Delmotte thanked the Rector and those gathered for the welcome and expressed hope for a continued cooperation with the University and Karakalpak youth in the future.

Then followed interactive learning hours in three thematic directions. Representatives of World Bank, UN Women, UN Volunteers, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNODC and UNAIDS delivered informative presentations and facilitated discussions among the participants on such areas as healthcare and environment, education, and strong and healthy family. The youth were given detailed information on the work of UN agencies in these areas, the results achieved and the plans made for the future. The extended question-and-answer sessions following the presentations clearly indicated the deep interest of the local youth in the activities of the UN Family in Uzbekistan and their partnership with youth within various projects.

Later in the day, the UN Information Office presented its brand new TV project “Open House Show” at the National Museum named after Berdakh in Nukus. The project was inspired by the “UN Fridays” – popular biweekly roundtables and interactive meetings with youth and the UN held by the UN Information Office since the autumn of 2011. The office hopes that the Talk Show will go beyond the limits of the “UN Fridays” and reach out to a wider public and will serve to bring UN closer to them.

The next day, on October 25th, the UN Family was welcomed by the Urgench State University, whose students, too, had a similar opportunity to benefit from interactive learning hours and take part in the smaller “Open House Show” with the UN Team.