At the Civil Society Forum held as part of the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC 3) in the ‘Avaza’ National Tourist Zone, a representative of Uzbekistan presented a number of initiatives aimed at achieving the SDGs, developing infrastructure and addressing environmental issues. This was reported by IIC of Turkmenistan.

He noted that due to reforms, the poverty level in the country has decreased from 18% to 7% since 2016. Transport integration was a key focus of the presentation, with the Trans-Afghan Railway Corridor project connecting Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan being presented.

In the environmental section, Uzbekistan presented its National Climate Strategy, which aims to reduce emissions by 35% by 2030. Special mention was made of the work of the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region, supported by the UN, which implements projects in the fields of water supply, medicine and employment.

Emphasising the role of civil society, the representative of Uzbekistan called for the joint implementation of social initiatives and expressed support for the Awaza Programme of Action.