January 25, 2021

Development of new Codes in the Republic of Uzbekistan

Five new codes are being elaborated in line with the adopted National Human Rights Strategy. According to this document, it is stipulated the adoption of:

  1. Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan on non-governmental non-profit organizations. The purpose of the adoption of this Code is to further improve the legal framework for the activities and the procedure for registration of NGOs, to strengthen the mechanism for monitoring the activities of government bodies. It is envisaged that the document will regulate the right of citizens to associate in non-governmental and non-profit organizations, as well as ways of exercising this right, the legal basis for organizing, registering, conducting business, and abolishing non-governmental and non-profit organizations;
  2. Entrepreneurial Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. According to the National Human Rights Strategy it is envisaged complete codification of legislation in the field of entrepreneurial activity, revision of antimonopoly regulation of entrepreneurial activity, taking into account the transition of the national economy to market relations; strengthening the legal, economic and social conditions and guarantees that ensure free enterprise; increasing the social responsibility of entrepreneurs, improving the business environment, taking into account international standards in the field of economic rights and freedoms; strengthening the responsibility of officials for illegal and unjustified actions aimed at interfering, limiting or terminating the activities of business entities, causing damage to them; expansion of mechanisms of public control over the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of entrepreneurs;
  3. Healthcare Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The purpose of the adoption of this Code is to strengthen the legal framework for the provision of health and social services in the country on the basis of modern international mechanisms. At the same time, state regulation of the health sector, the implementation of interdepartmental interaction, health system financing, organization of sanitary and epidemiological surveillance, determination of the norms of educational and scientific activities in the field of healthcare are provided;
  4. Environmental Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The purpose of the adoption of this Code is the unification of legislation in the field of ecology, the implementation of a set of measures to ensure the environmental safety of the population, taking into account foreign experience. It is envisaged that the document stipulates systematization of the environmental legislation; implementation of parliamentary and public control over the activities of the authorized state body for environmental protection; rights and obligations of citizens and public associations for environmental protection; types of environmental control and monitoring and the procedure for their implementation; the procedure for conducting environmental expertise; requirements for the use of flora and fauna;
  5. Information Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Adoption of Information Code is necessary in order to systematize access to information as one of the most important factors in the development of civil and information society, to ensure the protection of human rights freedom in the information space, cyber security, media culture and online hygiene.

It is expected that on the adoption of these codes, as well as the implementation of other points of the National Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Human Rights the following will be achieved:

  • increasing the efficiency of the implementation of international human rights standards in legislation and law enforcement practice, as well as improving national legislation;
  • elimination of shortcomings in legislative acts in terms of fulfilling international obligations on human rights, increasing the efficiency of implementation of recommendations of international organizations in the field of human rights;
  • creation of a system of organizational, legal and other comprehensive measures aimed at ensuring reliable protection of human rights and freedoms, ensuring effective parliamentary control, as well as control of territorial representative bodies and the public over the proper implementation of international obligations;
  • increasing the legal literacy of the population in the field of human rights, including further improving the dissemination of information and educational activities in this area, as well as further enhancing the culture of respect for human rights in society;
  • improving the position of our country in international rankings and indices in the field of human rights and freedoms by raising to a new stage of cooperation with international and regional structures in the field of human rights.