Samarkand has become a dialogue platform uniting Central Asian civil society institutions

Samarkand has become a dialogue platform uniting Central Asian civil society institutions

On September 17, 2026, on the occasion of September 15 — International Day of Democracy, the Central Asian Civil Society Forum was organized in the city of Samarkand on the topic "The role of civil society institutions in democratic development: the experience of Uzbekistan and Central Asian countries."

The event was organized at the initiative of the Center for Analysis of Democratic Processes in cooperation with the UN and UNDP offices in Uzbekistan, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, as well as the Public Fund under the Oliy Majlis, the "Yuksalish" Movement, the Center for Progressive Reforms, the "Development Strategy" Center, NANOUz, and the Association of Women of Uzbekistan.

The forum brought together nearly 200 experts, including international experts from think tanks in the USA, Canada, Belgium, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Spain, France, Sweden, Turkey, Azerbaijan, India, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, as well as representatives of public structures, research institutes, government bodies, and the media in our country.

Every year, within the framework of the International Day of Democracy, special attention is paid to modern development trends and topical issues of democracy. In 2026, this date is being held under the theme "Bringing human rights to the center of attention."

The organization of the forum specifically in the city of Samarkand also holds a special symbolic meaning. For centuries, Samarkand has been a crossroads of civilizations connecting East and West, different peoples, cultures, religions, and ideas, where development on this land has evolved in harmony with dialogue, mutual respect, science, enlightenment, and cooperation.

According to international experts, the geopolitical and economic changes observed in the world today, issues related to food and energy security, climate change, migration processes, and ensuring reliable information in the information space require further improvement of dialogue and cooperation mechanisms between the state and society.

In such a situation, ensuring democratic development, strengthening social stability and solidarity, enhancing openness and accountability, and expanding public participation in decision-making processes are of urgent importance.

In these processes, civil society institutions play an important role in ensuring public control, promoting human interests, and conveying public opinion to state bodies.

In this sense, modern democratic development is closely linked to the open and accountable activities of government bodies, as well as the initiative and active participation of civil society institutions.

In recent years, a certain experience has been formed in the countries of Central Asia in modernizing public administration, strengthening dialogue with the public, supporting civil society institutions, ensuring human interests, and expanding the participation of women and youth in socio-political life.

Within the framework of the forum, the importance of the initiatives put forward by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to strengthen the atmosphere of peace, stability, good neighborliness, and mutually beneficial cooperation in Central Asia was particularly emphasized.

In particular, developing regional cooperation in the field of "green" energy, rational use of transboundary water resources, and strengthening joint efforts to address environmental problems in the Aral Sea region and the consequences of climate change were noted as important priorities of Uzbekistan's regional policy.

At the same time, the implementation of these directions in each country has its own historical, national, and institutional characteristics. This creates an important foundation for mutual exchange of experience, discussion of common approaches, and wide implementation of best practices in the region.

In this regard, the comparative study of the experience of Uzbekistan and Central Asian countries, the identification of general trends of democratic development, the analysis of existing issues, and the definition of future tasks became one of the main directions of the forum's discussions.

After the opening ceremony, the forum continued its work in three parallel events dedicated to the topics "People-oriented governance and social partnership: modern mechanisms of implementing reforms", "The role of civil society institutions in ensuring human interests and well-being", and "New Uzbekistan — driver of common development and good neighborliness in Central Asia".

During the sessions, special attention was paid to expanding cooperation relations of civil society institutions in Uzbekistan and Central Asian countries, implementing joint projects, and forming networks of experts and NGOs.

Also, a number of proposals and initiatives were put forward to develop permanent dialogue platforms for civil society institutions in the region, and to popularize social innovations and effective NGO practices.

In particular, Lyudmila Sengirbayeva, head of the "Yermensay" public association of Kazakhstan, stated that a three-tier model of "state — civil society — local self-government" has been formed in her country to solve local social problems.

She stated that the main approach is focused on transitioning from traditional administrative management to participatory management that involves citizens and NGOs in the decision-making process. It was noted that this cooperation is carried out through the Civil Forum, public councils under ministries and khokimiyats, and the institution of public control. The fact that at least 70 percent of the composition of public councils consists of public representatives serves to bring the voice of citizens into decisions.

Nodira Rakhmonberdiyeva, a board member of the "Iqtidor" public organization of Tajikistan, recognized public monitoring as an effective feedback mechanism between the state and the population. In particular, she put forward the opinion that public monitoring, as an effective feedback mechanism between the state and the population, should cover the entire process from identifying a problem to data collection, fact-checking, analysis, recommendation, dialogue with the state, and follow-up on the implementation of recommendations.

Foreign experts participating in the event particularly noted the reforms being implemented in our country to support civil society institutions, improve dialogue mechanisms between the state and society, and expand public participation.

The forum once again demonstrated that at a time when new challenges are emerging for democratic institutions on a global scale, reforms aimed at developing civil society and strengthening open dialogue between the state and society are consistently continuing in New Uzbekistan.

Following the results of the forum, a resolution was adopted aimed at supporting the activities of civil society institutions in Uzbekistan and Central Asian countries, strengthening cooperation with state bodies, expanding the exchange of experience, and developing regional dialogue.