Shahnoza Mirziyoyeva, First Deputy Director of the National Agency for Social Protection, has called for a culture of zero tolerance for violence against children and greater cooperation between governments, businesses, civil society and international organizations to protect children's well-being.
Speaking at the international summit “World Summit on Investing in Children’s Well-being: A Path to Sustainable and Equitable Development for Future Generations” and the II International Congress on Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Mirziyoyeva emphasized that protecting children requires addressing their immediate needs for safety, health and emotional support.
“Since becoming a mother myself, I have come to understand them differently. Because for a parent, a child is not the future. A child is the present,” she said.
Mirziyoyeva stressed that efforts to protect children should begin with ensuring that every child has access to an adult who can provide protection and support.
“We want every child to know: When you need help, your country will be there for you,” she said.
She also highlighted emerging challenges facing children and families, including risks associated with the digital world, as well as global instability and rising tensions.
According to Mirziyoyeva, these challenges cannot be addressed by individual countries acting alone, making international cooperation and the exchange of experience essential.
She called for joint efforts to establish a culture that rejects violence and upholds unconditional respect for every child.
“Today, their happiness, their health and their safety are in our hands. And tomorrow, the future of our countries — and of our entire planet — will be in theirs,” she said.
Mirziyoyeva stressed that responsibility for children's well-being must translate into action in the present, rather than remain a commitment to future generations.
Earlier, it was reported that Uzbekistan’s First Lady Ziroat Mirziyoyeva had been appointed chair of a newly established global network supporting children with serious and life-threatening illnesses, including cancer. She will serve a two year term, leading an initiative that brings together first ladies and spouses of heads of state to strengthen international cooperation and improve support for affected children and their families.
The network was announced on October 21 in Samarkand by Carlos Rodriguez Galindo, Vice President of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the United States and Director of St. Jude Global, during the II International Congress on Pediatric Oncology and Hematology. The congress brought together healthcare officials, medical specialists and representatives of international organizations to discuss pediatric cancer care and children’s well-being.