Uzbekistan has launched a national program to prevent harassment, violence and discrimination in the workplace, aiming to protect employees’ rights and dignity and establish effective mechanisms for handling complaints about violations.
The program’s implementation was discussed at a meeting in Tashkent attended by about 70 representatives of government agencies, the diplomatic corps, international organizations and development partners.
The event brought together Supreme Court Chairperson Robakhon Makhmudova, Presidential Administration Advisor and Chief Coordinator of the Human Capital Development Projects Office Nozimakhon Davletova, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Uzbekistan Nigina Abasazade, Deputy Prosecutor General Svetlana Artikova and UN Resident Coordinator Sabine Machl.
Makhmudova emphasized the need to translate legal guarantees into effective workplace protections.
“Our task today is to turn the guarantees established in the legislation into mechanisms that really work effectively in practice,” she said, describing the adoption of presidential and Cabinet of Ministers resolutions on ensuring a safe and respectful working environment as an important step.
Davletova highlighted the importance of fostering respect across institutions, regardless of employees’ gender.
“Thanks to the reform adopted by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, we are creating a mechanism for building inter-institutional respect for every person, regardless of whether they are men or women. This should become the norm in every organization,” she said.
She added that a culture of mutual respect would contribute to a healthier society and help develop the country’s future workforce.
Abasazade noted that UNFPA had provided technical support and expertise in developing reforms to promote safe and respectful working environments in Uzbekistan.
“We are moving to the stage of implementing the decisions made at the legislative level. Our goal is to firmly establish these changes in the activities of organizations and contribute to creating a safer and more respectful work environment for everyone,” she said.
Machl stressed that preventing workplace harassment, violence and discrimination required coordinated efforts across government institutions and support from international partners.
“Creating a safe and respectful work environment cannot be the responsibility of a single agency or sector. It requires coordinated efforts from all government agencies, as well as expert support from the international community,” Machl said.
The national program is being implemented under the presidential resolution of September 21, 2026, On Measures to Ensure a Safe and Respectful Working Environment in the Labor Sector, and Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 518, dated September 28, 2026.