GENEVA, October 28. /Dunyo IA/. “UN News”, the United Nations’ official news portal, has published an article on the World Summit in Samarkand and Uzbekistan’s reforms to protect children, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

World Summit on Investing in Children’s Wellbeing was held on October 21–22^nd at Uzbekistan’s initiative, with the participation of UN entities, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank. The event brought together more than 600 participants from over 100 countries.

In his message to the summit, UN Secretary-General stressed that investing in children means investing in the future. President of the UN General Assembly called for political commitments to be backed by funding for healthcare, education and social protection programs.

Article highlights Uzbekistan’s social reforms, including an increase in preschool enrolment from 27 percent in 2017 to 78 percent in 2026, more than 10,000 children with disabilities attending mainstream schools, and social assistance reaching around 1.5 million families. It also notes the decline in child poverty, the law on protecting children from all forms of violence adopted in 2025 and the Action Strategy for 2026–2030.

First Lady of Uzbekistan Ziroat Mirziyoyeva drew attention to threats to children’s wellbeing associated with declining humanitarian assistance and climate change. According to the figures cited, around one billion children live in countries that are most vulnerable to climate change.

Special attention was also given to the Second International Congress on Childhood Cancer and Haematology, held as part of the summit under the theme “From Cure to Wellbeing”. The portal also highlighted the “Mehrli Maktab” program, which enables children aged 2 to 18 to continue their education during prolonged treatment at a specialized medical centre in Tashkent.

Article concludes by emphasizing the importance of Uzbekistan’s reforms and international cooperation in protecting children’s rights, safeguarding their health and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.