10-07-202648
The "Civil Society Week" to be held in Uzbekistan from 1 to 5 December 2025 may be regarded as a significant step aimed at deepening democratic processes in the country and enhancing the capacity of public institutions. The programme of events brings together on a single platform representatives of parliament, state bodies, domestic and international NGOs, mass media, and the diplomatic corps. This process serves to strengthen the role of civil society in state policy.
Within the framework of the five-day events, on 4 December in Tashkent, the SCO Centre for People's Diplomacy in Uzbekistan and the Sustainable Development Centre are set to hold an international conference on the theme "Ensuring Sustainable Development through People's Diplomacy at the National, Regional, and Global Levels." The conference is planned to involve members of parliament, representatives of state bodies, diplomatic missions and international organisations, experts from civil society organisations and think tanks, researchers, and students. This conference will serve as a platform for discussing pressing issues not only for Uzbekistan but for the entire Central Asian region and beyond.
In the course of the conference, participants' presentations will focus on the theme "The Role of People's and Cultural Diplomacy at the National and Global Levels on the Path to Sustainable Development," and an exchange of views on existing challenges and new proposals in this field is anticipated.
The international conference will broadly discuss such issues as civil society–state cooperation at the national level, cultural integration, and the significance of journalism and literature in strengthening trust among peoples. Ideas in this direction will serve as practical guidance for the internal sustainable development of countries. At the regional and global levels, the prospects of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Organisation of Turkic States, and international cultural diplomacy will be examined. Through these processes, new opportunities are expected to emerge for intensifying dialogue between states, deepening cultural and political integration, and advancing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
The global significance of the international conference planned in Tashkent manifests for its participants as follows:
For Uzbekistan — enhancing the country's international standing and strengthening civil society–state cooperation in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.
For Central Asian states — reinforcing regional stability and integration processes, and ensuring trust and cohesion through cultural dialogue.
For the world community — defining the role of people's diplomacy in achieving global sustainable development, and attaining common objectives through the harmonisation of diverse cultural and political models.
At the conclusion of the event, participants are expected to adopt an international conference resolution that will serve as a roadmap for practical action in the fields of sustainable development and people's diplomacy. Today's global challenges — climate change, migration, cultural conflicts, and economic stability — can be addressed not only through official state policies, but through trust and dialogue among peoples.
In this sense, the events within the framework of "Civil Society Week" are of strategic significance for participants and serve to strengthen people's diplomacy on the path to sustainable development. The processes of strengthening democratic institutions in Uzbekistan, expanding public oversight, and elevating state–public partnership to a new level demonstrate that these efforts are being carried out not solely within the framework of national reforms, but in alignment with international cooperation and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Chief Specialist, Sustainable Development Centre Shukhrat Khojimurodov