B.Sayfullaeyev
In the context of rapid changes in the country over the past five years, a completely new state policy has been implemented to support young people, their formation as a new force, to become a major source of reform. Intensive work has been done in this regard, and most importantly, this work has quickly shown its results.
Under the main attention and care of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, today’s youth of our country have emerged as a powerful force. They have emerged as real creators, sources of inspiration, important participants and creators of the economic, social, cultural, political and spiritual life of Uzbekistan. This policy aims to ensure young peoples’ dreams, honour and dignity, a decent future, all the opportunities created for them to be the owners of our future. We see that the leader of the country strongly believes in them.
Keeping in mind that five years is a historically short period, we have to recognize that the founder of today’s internationally acclaimed achievements is the zealous reformer Shavkat Mirziyoyev. From the first days of his rule, he has established cooperation with young people. It is no secret that he believes in them and involves young people in everything from government and society to culture, arts, economics, manufacturing and so on.
In particular, the President was able to see the youth as the main link in giving new meaning and momentum to large-scale reforms at the national level. The fact that he recommended so many young people for important government positions, appointed them to important positions — proved that he was pursuing a policy with a completely new conceptual basis in this regard. Also, realizing the need to pursue a specific social policy in Uzbekistan, where more than 70% of the population is young, the head of state decided to completely modernize and effectively reform this sector.
The activity of the youth social movement ‘Kamolot’ was assessed as unsatisfactory, and the Youth Union was established instead. On July 5, 2017, the Presidential Resolution PF-5106 ‘On increasing the effectiveness of state youth policy and supporting the activities of the Youth Union of Uzbekistan’ was issued to support the activities of this organization. On July 18, 2017, Decree No. PQ-3138 ‘On comprehensive measures to improve the activities of the Youth Union of Uzbekistan’ was adopted. The adoption of these measures marked the beginning of effective changes in the country’s youth policy.
Identifying the real problems of young people and finding solutions to them has risen to the level of public policy:
Among the most important works was the adoption of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan ‘On State Youth Policy’ on September 14, 2016;
On June 30, 2020, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan ‘On measures to radically reform the state youth policy in the Republic of Uzbekistan and bring it to a new level’ was adopted;
June 30 has been declared ‘Youth Day’ in Uzbekistan.
In order to encourage our young people to achieve high results and achievements in various fields, the state award ‘Mard o’g’lon’ (Brave boy) and medal of ‘Kelajak Bunyodkori’ (The builder of future) was established.
It is known that Uzbekistan is a country of young people. Due to the fact that the majority of the population is young, the President of Uzbekistan signed the State Program titled ‘On Youth – Our Future’ on June 27, 2018. On the basis of this Decree, which is an important document aimed at increasing the effectiveness of work in this area, the Fund ‘Yoshlar – kelajagimiz’ (‘Youth – our future’) was established. The main funds of ‘Yoshlar – kelajagimiz’ have created opportunities for young people to provide soft loans and property leasing at a rate of 7% per annum through commercial banks to implement advanced ideas, business and entrepreneurship initiatives, new startups, ideas and projects. The decree set tasks for the integrated development of entrepreneurial skills and initiative in young people.
In turn, radical reforms are being carried out in the education system, which is the basis of all changes in Uzbekistan. At present, the amount of expenditures for education, including the social sphere, is more than half of the total cost of the state budget. Of course, no state can afford such a huge expense, but no matter how heavy, it is necessary for it
Five important initiatives are being implemented, including the involvement of young people in culture, arts, physical culture and sports, raising their literacy in information technology, promoting reading among young people, ensuring women’s employment. At the same time, there are still a number of challenges in ensuring the employment of young people through the formation of modern entrepreneurial skills and job creation, effective prevention of juvenile delinquency and crime, prevention of family divorces, the formation of strong patriotism and strong citizenship in the younger generation. .
At present, an important task in Uzbekistan is to bring the state youth policy to a new level, to develop effective solutions to problems in the field of youth, to effectively organize and coordinate the activities of the competent authorities. Also, the meeting of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the youth of the country on December 27, 2019 set the following tasks:
In particular, over the past short period, the provision of youth employment, their care for the meaningful organization of leisure time, employment of unemployed youth has become one of the main and strategic directions of economic and social policy of the country. In particular, the naming of 2021 as the ‘Year of Youth Support and Public Health’ has identified important tasks for us to increase the effectiveness of work in the field of state youth policy and work with young people.
First of all, measures have been taken to support them at the level of public policy so that they can study, play an important role in the social life of the country, have a worthy place in life, and master the secrets of the profession. The Decree of the President of Uzbekistan dated October 13, 2020 ‘On additional measures to improve the system of involvement of the population in entrepreneurship and the development of entrepreneurship’ was adopted. According to it, a system has been developed to provide unemployed young people with practical skills in production or a certain profession, even if they do not have a diploma for any activity, to be trained in certification centers and provide the necessary certificates.
Most importantly, such reforms have begun to bear fruit. Today, one of the main directions of youth employment is their specialization in certain professions. At the same time, the unemployed, especially young people, and vacancies are still being considered in harmony.
For example, the issue of including unemployed youth in all regions of the country, as well as those in need of social protection in the ‘Youth Book’, was created on the personal initiative of the President. It should be noted that the ‘Youth Book’ is a database for identifying, addressing and monitoring the problems of unemployed youth in need and desire for social, economic, legal, psychological support, knowledge and skills. This has become the most important factor in the social policy of Uzbekistan and today provides a solution to the problems in this area. It is planned to include in the register young people who have reached the age of 18 and are not older than 30 years.
Meetings of the President with young people, the study and analysis of their problems, the discussion of the tasks of further improving the state policy to ensure a bright future for young people are also becoming an important process. On January 27 this year, a video conference chaired by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev was held to discuss measures to ensure youth employment and meaningful organization of leisure time. Among the strategic tasks, it was important to allocate subsidies for the purchase of mini-technologies and equipment for young people who want to start their own business, to assist in obtaining loans for insurance payments.
Also, on February 26, 2021, an extended video conference was held under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on addressing the position of women, increasing the responsibility of government agencies in their social support. It includes tasks to identify problems in the life and living conditions of the population, especially youth and women, to address their lifestyle and increase social activity through individual work, as well as a comprehensive and targeted solution to the identified problems. Ensuring implementation, as well as supporting policies on material and social support for young people, has become an important task. On April 28, 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted a decree ‘On additional measures for social support of families, women and youth in need of financial assistance and support’.
Another important issue that needs to be emphasized is that the education system, which is the basis of all changes in the country, is undergoing radical reforms, and billions are being spent on the state budget. At the same time, the amount of expenditures for education, including the social sphere, is more than half of the total cost of the state budget, which requires large expenditures.
It was emphasized that the biggest investment made by the President of Uzbekistan for the future is the investment for knowledge and education. The fact that knowledge and education are seen as a factor that determines the future of the country, the fate of the country, can be assessed as a wise and well-thought-out policy. The ministries, organizations and departments, inspections and centers established in the country for this purpose show that the state is pursuing a very important and effective state policy in this regard. It should be noted that new higher education institutions, scientific and creative centers are being established in all regions of the country, which serve the young generation to become worthy owners of tomorrow. As our President has always said, young people are the mainstay of our people. Young people are emerging as a decisive force in the effective implementation of large-scale reforms in our country. Today, one of our main tasks is to teach young people to think in new ways, to boldly come up with new ideas and implement them, to solve problems on the basis of creative and non-standard approaches.
In order to train personnel with deep knowledge, thinking and modern scientific achievements in our country, the number of universities has exceeded 140 with direct initiatives of the President. About 30 of them are branches of prestigious foreign higher education institutions. In 2016, this figure was only half of the above number in Uzbekistan. It is no secret that this led young people to go to other countries in search of knowledge in that time. It should be mentioned that today’s achievements are an important step towards increasing the intellectual potential of our youth, acquiring modern knowledge and professions. At the same time, the admission quota for higher education has tripled over the past five years. It should be noted that this year 182,000 young people had the opportunity to become students, which is 28% of the total enrollment.
In short, the state youth policy in Uzbekistan is being pursued consistently, with clear goals, based on step-by-step, comprehensive measures, which proves its effectiveness and efficiency. It should be noted that the promotion of five important initiatives by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on a systematic basis in the social, spiritual and educational spheres has launched a new strategy for the education of youth in the history of Uzbekistan. In the future, we believe that the attention we pay to young people today will bring great results.