The 'New Uzbekistan' concept has become one of the most discussed topics in recent years, closely linked to the country's development. This terminology goes beyond a mere political slogan or reform program; according to analyses, it aims to form a completely new interaction between the state, society, and citizens. The main goal of this concept is to put human interests at the forefront of state activity.
According to political scientist Saifiddin Juraev, the first part of the analysis dedicated to the 35th anniversary of Independence focuses on forming the sovereignty, statehood, and economic foundations of the country, while the second part examines changes in the very structure of the state. Special attention is paid to transformations in state institutions, personnel policy, the legal system, information policy, civil society, ecology, and religion. The author interprets this process not as a set of separate reforms, but as an update to the method of public administration itself.
The main idea is embodied in the principle put forward by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev: 'The people should serve state institutions, not the other way around.' This approach has given new meaning to the relationship between the state and society. The citizen ceases to be an object of management and becomes the key criterion for assessing the effectiveness of state policy through their opinion. This principle has been implemented in practice through public receptions, the openness of state institutions, and the accountability of leaders, rather than remaining just an idea.
The analysis notes that the 'New Uzbekistan' concept is built on four fundamental pillars. The first is the priority of human value, enshrined in the Constitution adopted in 2023, transforming the idea of 'for the sake of human value' into the legal basis of state policy. The second is the policy of openness, where the external world is viewed not as a source of threats, but as a new opportunity for development. The third is the rule of law and legal stability, ensuring equal and predictable rules for citizens and investors. The fourth is the principle of a social state, strengthening the state's responsibility for the well-being of the population.
The practical implementation of the document is reflected in strategic programs. Following the previously adopted Strategy of Actions for 2017–2021, the 'New Uzbekistan' Development Strategy for 2022–2026 was developed and subsequently approved the 'Uzbekistan-2030' strategy, which defines the long-term goals of the country's development. These documents form a unified system that continuously continues reforms without duplicating each other.
An important aspect is the broad involvement of the public in the process of developing strategic documents. According to the analysis, over 22,000 proposals were submitted for the State Program for 2026, which was reviewed by more than 5 million citizens. Thousands of students, teachers, and civil servants participated in discussions at higher educational institutions. This indicates that the state program is becoming not just an institutional document, but a social agreement formed with the participation of society.
This document encompasses 337 specific measures. It is planned that the completion of each task defined by performance indicators will be evaluated at the end of the year. Priority tasks include modernizing local infrastructure, transitioning the economy to an innovative model, forming a new labor market, ensuring environmental sustainability, and improving the state governance and judicial systems.
Juraev also points out existing risks: the main problem lies in the discrepancy between the speed of decision-making and the capacity for its implementation locally. Therefore, the next stage emphasizes the importance of creating systems based on sustainably functioning institutions, rather than on the initiative of individual leaders.
Key provisions of the 'New Uzbekistan' concept are related to the system of public administration. State bodies, which previously mainly coordinated administrative management, are now responsible for promptly responding to the needs of the population, ensuring transparency, and increasing the efficiency of service provision. This process is assessed as a fundamental change in the activities of state institutions.
The dialogue between the state and the citizen has reached a new level. Millions of appeals have been considered through the Presidential Virtual and Public Receptions. The tradition of leaders holding public receptions in mahallas has been introduced. A rating system for the openness of state institutions has been introduced, and leaders have begun to publicly report to the public. Thus, the activities of state bodies are shifting from a closed system to the principle of open governance.
Digitalization has also become an important direction of reforms. Today, hundreds of services are provided electronically through the Unified Interactive Portal of Public Services. Systems for e-government, document flow, digital identification, and electronic public procurement have been implemented. Furthermore, areas requiring licenses and permits have been significantly reduced, and many services have been moved from a permit-obtaining regime to a notification regime. In other words, excessive paperwork and bureaucratic obstacles are decreasing.
Significant institutional innovations have occurred in the field of legal protection. An Administrative Judicial System has been created, and an effective mechanism for filing complaints against the decisions of state bodies has been established. A very important change is that the obligation to prove the legality of a decision is placed not on the citizen, but on the state body. This is considered an important step towards ensuring legal balance in the relationship between the state and the citizen.
The fight against corruption is defined as a separate direction of state policy. The Anti-Corruption Agency has been established, an industry law has been adopted, income tracking for civil servants has been introduced, a mechanism for expert review of normative acts for corruption has been implemented, and a digitalization system for public services has been introduced. Through the 'Open Budget' platform, citizens have been given the opportunity to participate in the distribution of part of the budget funds, and the volume of electronic auctions for the sale of state property has expanded.
The system for organizing public services has also been radically updated. The Law 'On Civil Service' has been adopted, introducing modern mechanisms such as a unified qualification standard, recruitment based on open competition, performance evaluation, and conflict of interest limitation. A special Department of Civil Service has also been created to coordinate personnel policy.
According to Saifiddin Juraev, the next stage requires moving from the digitalization of public services to an active state model. That is, public service should be provided automatically upon the occurrence of certain life circumstances, without waiting for an application from the citizen. Consequently, this process is associated with the complete harmonization of interdepartmental information systems, the formation of a unified data register, and further strengthening of personal data security.
The analysis also highlights another important problem: in modern public administration, the main deficiency is not the number of employees, but the analytical potential. Ministries and agencies need to improve their ability to conduct deep information analysis when making decisions, assess potential consequences, and develop alternative solutions. Furthermore, it is proposed to prioritize eliminating the causes of negative situations in the fight against corruption, rather than just punishing them.
