UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2021-2025)
UNECE is a signatory of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and contributes in particular to the following strategic priorities:
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Outcome 1: By 2025 all people and groups in Uzbekistan, especially the most vulnerable, demand and benefit from enhanced accountable, transparent, inclusive and gender responsive governance systems and rule of law institutions for a life free from discrimination, violence and threats.
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Outcome 3: By 2025, youth, women and vulnerable groups benefit from improved access to livelihoods, decent work and enabling opportunities generated by inclusive and equitable economic growth.
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Outcome 4: By 2025, the most vulnerable benefit from enhanced access to gender-sensitive quality health, education and social services.
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Outcome 5: By 2025, the most at risk regions and communities of Uzbekistan are more resilient to climate change and disasters, and benefit from increasingly sustainable and gender-sensitive efficient management of natural resources and infrastructure, robust climate action, inclusive environmental governance and protection (national SDGs: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13,15).
UNECE works in close cooperation with the Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Country Team.
Key highlights
Energy
UNECE is working closely with Uzbekistan in the areas of hydrogen economy and energy connectivity. UNECE also supports Uzbekistan to improve the energy efficiency of the global building supply chain industry and its products to deliver high performance buildings and to produce a national SDG 7 roadmap and identify mechanisms to attract private investment for its implementation.
Environment
Uzbekistan is a Party to the Water Convention and acceded to the Protocol on Water and Health in December 2023.
The country is encouraged to ratify other UNECE environment conventions and protocols.
The third Environmental Performance Review of Uzbekistan covered a broad range of themes and provided Uzbekistan with close to 100 recommendations addressing pressing environmental concerns in the country.
UNECE conducted an analysis of existing national and joint measures to prevent and respond to pollution in the Syr Darya river basin in emergency situations, and supports
Uzbekistan in improving water and health governance and the safe management of its industrial and tailing facilities.
Together with UNEP and FAO Uzbekistan, UNECE supported the country in preparing its National State of the Environment Report released in February 2024 (SDG3, SDG6, SDG13 and SDG15).
Forests
UNECE published an overview of the State of Forests and Forest Management and supports the country in strengthening monitoring systems and in its forest landscape restoration work (SDG13 and SDG 15).
Uzbek cities are invited to participate in the UNECE Trees in Cities Challenge.
Gender equality
The standards body of Uzbekistan is invited to sign the Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development (SDG5, SDG9 and SDG12).
Innovation
Uzbekistan hosted the annual session of the SPECA Working Group on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development in 2023.
UNECE supports the countries of Central Asia in harnessing the benefits of innovation and the creative economy for sustainable development.
Following the publication of the Innovation for Sustainable Development Review of Uzbekistan (I4SDR) in 2022, UNECE is preparing follow-up capacity building activities for innovation-led growth in the country (SDG8 and SDG9).
Population
UNECE, UNFPA and WHO are developing a National Strategy and Action Plan on Active and Healthy Longevity.
Statistics
In partnership with the UN Country Team and UNFPA, UNECE has been working to help the State Committee on Statistics to prepare for the first census of housing and population since the Soviet times.
The country has requested UNECE to conduct a Global Assessment of its National Statistical System.
Transport
Uzbekistan has so far acceded to 16 UN legal instruments on inland transport. The country is encouraged to continue participation in the cross-border transport project EATL corridor management (SDG8 and SDG9).
The recommendations of the United Nations Road Safety Performance Review published in May 2024 will help the country address the main causes of road crashes, and their impact (associated economic costs are estimated at 2.8% of GDP annually). In this regard, Uzbekistan is invited to accede to the UN Agreements on vehicle regulations and Periodical Technical Inspections.
Trade
UNECE has been supporting Uzbekistan towards accession to the WTO, notably in the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and in drafting a national trade facilitation strategy.
Uzbekistan is encouraged to further enhance its trade regime and remove regulatory and procedural barriers to trade, especially in the areas of quality infrastructure and trade facilitation.
UNECE partnered with key industry actors in Uzbekistan to conduct a blockchain pilot to demonstrate compliance with sustainability standards in the cotton sector under "The Sustainability Pledge".
UNECE supports Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in diversifying export markets for fresh and dried fruit and vegetables by applying UN agricultural quality standards. This supports a key sector of the economy as well as gender since women represent an important part of the agricultural workforce in these countries (SDG5, SDG8).
Urban development
Uzbekistan has made a considerable progress in its urban development and housing policies following the development of the UNECE Country Profile on Housing and Urban Development in 2015.
There is a potential to formulate recommendations for policies and practices to support access to decent, adequate, affordable and heathy housing and implementation of The Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing (SDG11).