“We need a UN where the voice of every nation is heard” — Saida Mirziyoyeva

“We need a UN where the voice of every state is heard” — Saida Mirziyoyeva

On behalf of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, the head of the Presidential Administration, delivered a speech from the high rostrum at the annual session of the UN General Assembly. In her address, she focused particularly on the pressing challenges facing humanity in today's globalized and complex environment, international security, regional cooperation, and the human-centered priority aspects of the fundamental reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan.

Saida Mirziyoyeva, in particular, noted that humanity is not living in an easy era today, as wars continue in the world, geopolitical conflicts are intensifying, the atmosphere of trust is weakening, and inequality is growing.

“In this regard, Uzbekistan, under the leadership of its leader, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has made its choice. This is a choice of openness, a choice of good relations with neighbors, a choice of dialogue with the world. Openness is not weakness; on the contrary, it is striving for peace and taking responsibility for the future.”

Recalling that countries in the world are being asked whose side they are on, she emphasized that Uzbekistan's answer is clear: the country is on the side of humanity and the youth who want to determine their own future. Noting that the power of a state is measured not only by its economic or military potential, but primarily by how well it can protect human dignity, Saida Mirziyoyeva stated that they view peace, development, and human dignity as a single, unified task.

She also pointed out that today even the most powerful states cannot solve global problems alone, and threats do not stop at borders, highlighting that the importance of the UN has increased more than ever:

“We need a UN that is not just capable of making decisions, but capable of implementing them. We need a UN where the voice of every state is heard.”

It was stated that Uzbekistan supports the “UN-80” initiative and stands for expanding the composition of the Security Council. It was also announced that the country will assume the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement next year and has put forward its candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for 2035–2036. Asking the participants for their support, she firmly emphasized that international law is not a tool that changes according to interests, and if the rules are not universal, there will be no justice.

Touching upon regional issues, she stated that until recently, Central Asia was mentioned in the context of conflicts, but thanks to the President's initiative and political will, the situation has fundamentally changed, and states have begun to view each other as partners rather than rivals. Paying special attention to the issue of Afghanistan, she said that viewing it only as a source of threat or leaving its people alone with their problems is not a solution, and they must be given confidence to achieve a peaceful life.

Saida Mirziyoyeva emphasized that the core of Uzbekistan's reforms is the criterion of whether people's lives are improving.

“Over the past 10 years, the purchasing power of our population has doubled. The size of our economy has grown from 50 billion dollars to 147 billion dollars. More than 150 billion dollars of foreign investment has been attracted. Exports have grown nearly threefold. The poverty rate has dropped to 4%, lifting nearly 10 million people out of poverty. Preschool education coverage has increased from 27% to 78%. Higher education coverage has reached 45% from 9%. Average life expectancy has increased from 66 years to over 75 years. Maternal and infant mortality has decreased fourfold,” said the head of the presidential administration.

The speech placed special emphasis on the fact that children are the state's greatest responsibility, announcing that a dialogue on demographic resilience will be held with the UN Population Fund, and that in October, the international community will be brought together in Samarkand around the issue of children's well-being and health.

Speaking about the Aral Sea tragedy, Saida Mirziyoyeva stated that this was the result of an unjust attitude toward nature, and that New Uzbekistan is establishing green zones on the dried seabed, introducing water-saving technologies, and aiming to increase the share of renewable energy to 54 percent by 2030. It was also recalled that, on Uzbekistan's initiative, the UN General Assembly declared 2027–2036 as the Decade of Afforestation and Reforestation Actions.

Addressing the issue of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, she emphasized that humans and their destiny must be at the center of technological progress.

Artificial intelligence and digital transformation must be inseparable from human rights, security, equal opportunity, and responsibility. Technological progress should not make humans dependent, but on the contrary, should serve to improve their lives. Uzbekistan stands for strengthening international dialogue in this regard, Saida Mirziyoyeva said.

It was also announced that in order to ensure the rule of law in the country, a separate international commercial court based on the principles of English law is being established at the Tashkent International Financial Centre, child labor and systemic forced labor have been eradicated, liability for domestic violence has been strengthened, a system to support women's entrepreneurship has been created, and today women make up 39 percent of parliament members.

It was noted that the Center of Islamic Civilization, established in Tashkent on the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is not just a place to display the past, but a space of science, thought, and enlightenment, and that Uzbekistan will consistently continue international cooperation aimed at strengthening dialogue and tolerance between cultures and religions.

At the conclusion of her speech, Saida Mirziyoyeva emphasized that everyone's goal is to live in a world where human dignity is a priority and to leave a better future for their children:

“We want to leave our children a better world than the one we have now. A world where human dignity is held high. But the future will judge us not by our capabilities, but by how we used them. The people and the President of Uzbekistan are ready to contribute to building a world where peace, solidarity, trust, and human dignity prevail,” said the head of the Presidential Administration.