NEW YORK, September 2. /Dunyo IA/. UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Diene Keita gave an interview to Dunyo IA ahead of 35^th anniversary of independence of Uzbekistan, conveying her sincere congratulations and best wishes to the people of our country:

Uzbekistan is celebrating 35 years of independence this year. Following your visit to the country in May 2026, what progress in its reform agenda stood out to you most, particularly in terms of the tangible difference these reforms are making in people’s lives?

— Thirty-five years after independence, Uzbekistan stands out for the scale and pace of its transformation. Over the past ten years, since 2016, far-reaching reforms have reshaped institutions, expanded opportunities and brought a renewed focus on improving people’s lives.

During my visit to Uzbekistan in May 2026, I saw firsthand how this transformation is taking shape. What impressed me most was how tangible the results of reform have become - visible not only in policies and institutions, but in the services people receive, the opportunities available to them and the support reaching families and communities at the most remote Mahallas.

This human dimension is what makes Uzbekistan’s development journey so compelling today. Progress can be seen in safer maternity care, greater opportunities for women to learn, work and lead, stronger support for families, and new possibilities for young people.

Maternal health offers a powerful example of the progress the country has made over the past decade. Uzbekistan has made maternal and reproductive health a national priority, with sustained investment in stronger health systems and quality of care contributing to a decline in maternal mortality from 21 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 10.9 in 2025. Looking ahead, continued investment in adolescent health and healthy lifestyles education will be essential to ensuring that today’s young generation grows up healthier and contributes to Uzbekistan’s continued progress and prosperity.

At UNFPA, this progress speaks directly to our core belief that every woman should be able to give birth safely, make informed choices about her reproductive health and receive quality care wherever she lives.

Equally encouraging is the momentum around gender equality, women’s empowerment and the protection of women and girls. During my country mission I visited one of 208 “Inson” Social Service Centres that are located in districts and cities and do not only bring social protection and support closer to communities, but also provide dedicated services for women and girls in vulnerable situations. During my visit, I saw first-hand how these centres bring together more than 100 types of social services for multiple categories of people in need. By bringing different forms of support together under one roof, they are helping advance a more integrated, needs- and rights-based approach, making services more accessible, coordinated and responsive to the needs of women, girls, older persons and families overall.

The direction is clear: women’s rights and opportunities are now being recognized not as a separate social issue, but as a multiplier of human capital, family well-being, economic growth and national resilience.

This progress is closely connected to the transformation of the mahalla as a community-level platform for people-centred development and support. Uzbekistan is strengthening the capacity of mahallas as a local semi-governance institution to identify and respond to the needs of individuals and families, improve referrals to health, protection and social services as well as employment and income-generation opportunities.

Looking ahead, how is Uzbekistan using population data, demographic forecasting to invest in human capital and anticipate and respond to demographic change? And what role does UNFPA see for itself in supporting Uzbekistan as it enters this next stage of its development?

— A major step in this direction is the successful completion this year of Uzbekistan’s first Population and Agricultural Census as an independent country. This historic achievement reflects the country’s growing commitment to people-centered, evidence-based development and provides an important foundation for anticipating demographic change and planning for the future.

The census provides a most up-to-date picture of the country’s population and how society is changing - how families live, where young people are growing up, how populations are moving, where inequalities persist and where future needs and opportunities are emerging.

This new evidence base will strengthen policymaking and planning across health, education, employment, housing, infrastructure and social protection. At a time of rapid demographic and economic transformation, it will enable Uzbekistan to plan its next stage of development with greater precision and foresight.

Uzbekistan’s greatest asset is its people. With a young and growing population, the country has a remarkable demographic opportunity and is increasingly translating this potential into action, harnessing a demographic dividend through forecast planning and sustained investments in human capital.

For more than 30 years, UNFPA has been proud to accompany Uzbekistan on this journey. Throughout this partnership, we have worked alongside the country to advance maternal and reproductive health, gender equality and women’s empowerment, support young people, strengthen population data and demographic analysis, and promote evidence-based policymaking. Today, as Uzbekistan looks ahead to the next stage of its development, our partnership continues to focus not only on the quality of health care and social protection services for women and girls, but also placing significant emphasis on helping the country understand and anticipate demographic change through demographic forecasting, population data and analysis, strengthening demographic resilience, and supporting evidence-based policies that enable Uzbekistan to harness the opportunities of its changing population.

As Uzbekistan celebrates 35 years of independence, its people-centred reforms provide a strong foundation for the future — strengthening institutions, expanding opportunities and investing in people to build an inclusive, resilient and prosperous society.

On behalf of the United Nations Population Fund, I extend my sincere congratulations to the people and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the 35th anniversary of independence.

UNFPA remains a committed partner in supporting Uzbekistan’s vision of a sustainable and prosperous future where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, every young person’s potential is fulfilled, and every individual can contribute to and benefit from the country’s continued development.