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Millennium Development Goals

Uzbekistan is one of the three poorest countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), with 28% of the population unable to meet their basic needs and 46% living on less than the equivalent of 2 dollars a day. The majority of the poor live in rural areas and rely on a struggling welfare system. 23% of under five-year-olds were estimated to be malnourished in 2006, and women of reproductive age have the highest anemia rates in the region.

The Uzbekistan government has officially recognized that poverty is widespread and has committed itself to reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Its Welfare Improvement Strategy for 2005-2010 integrates the MDGs and envisages a reduction in poverty to 20% by the end of that period.

The sharp fall in living standards that followed independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 greatly adds to the challenge of achieving the MDGs in Uzbekistan, given that the baseline year for the Goals is 1990. Nevertheless, the MDG Progress Report published in 2006 concludes that Uzbekistan can “potentially” or “probably” meet all the Goals except that for combating HIV/AIDS. Capacity for monitoring and reporting MDG indicators has however been assessed as either fair or weak; uneven economic policy, high income inequality, widespread injustice and corruption also continue to hamper progress.

One legacy of the Soviet period is more positive; Uzbekistan's children benefit from near universal access to primary and secondary education, boasting almost 100% literacy.

Politics

The Communist Party leader since 1989, Islam Karimov, was installed as president on independence in 1991. His term of office was extended through a referendum followed by ‘mock’ presidential elections in 2000, featuring an opponent who publicly voted for Karimov. The most recent December 2004 parliamentary elections were denounced by the European Union as falling below "international standards for democratic elections”. The political processes in Uzbekistan are discussed with deep cynicism by ordinary citizens who will not be surprised if Karimov finds a way of evading the rule which limits the presidency to 2 terms of office, due in his case to expire at the next election due in December 2007.

Internews has been expelled from Uzbekistan © Internews Network, Inc.

Uzbekistan’s efforts for civil society development are consistently undermined by the government’s authoritarian grip. Since early 2004, local and international NGOs have been pressured to use only two banks as dictated by the government. The authorities introduced new registration laws for all local and international NGOs, requiring them to re-register with the Justice Ministry instead of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as before. By early 2006 relationships deteriorated still further and local offices for a number of international NGOs, mainly US-based, have been closed.

All political parties are banned from receiving foreign support. The only two national political opposition movements in Uzbekistan that have enjoyed popular support – Erk and Birlik – have been unsuccessful at registering as their leaders have either been arrested or fled into exile.
Human Rights

Uzbek man in Adijan © United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network

Uzbekistan is one of the most authoritarian regimes that emerged from the Soviet bloc. The government’s atrocious record on human rights had been widely documented and condemned even before the Andijan ‘massacre’ in May 2005 in which over 500 demonstrators are thought to have been killed by government troops. The tragedy proved to be an extreme example of the government’s record of attributing social unrest to religious activists, often labelling them as Islamic extremists under the banner of ‘the war on terror’ in the wake of the September 11th events in the United States.

No independent investigation of the 2005 events in Andijan has been allowed by the Uzbek government which continues to target political activists and human rights defenders, while highly restricting independent media reporting, in the wake of the Andijan unrest. Refugees who fled into Kyrgyzstan have been pursued by means which have been condemned by the international community - the UNHCR office in Tashkent has been closed. Over 300 convictions have been secured in controversial trials, with the fifteen so-called leaders sentenced to terms of up to 20 years on charges of plotting to establish an Islamic Caliphate.

Prior to 2005 Uzbekistan was a key territorial partner for United States and United Kingdom in their battle against the Taliban, which absolved the Uzbek government of foreign pressure and scrutiny of its dismal domestic human rights record. The Special Rapporteur on Torture of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has recently repeated his appeal to the Uzbek government to ensure strict observance of its international human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Bread for Uzbek refugees © Eurasianet (Open Society Institute)

Reaction to Andijan changed the relationship with the West and, in July 2005, Uzbekistan placed a formal notice to evict the US military base in Karshi-Khanabad as a result of tense US-Uzbek relations and after more than 400 refugees were flown out of Kyrgyzstan by UNHCR. NATO has also been banned from using Uzbek airspace whilst the EU has imposed an arms embargo and visa restrictions. As relations with the West deteriorate, Uzbekistan has signed a defence pact with Russia.
Conflict

The government uses the real but rather exaggerated threat of religious extremism to justify its repressive actions against Islamic religious practices and domestic religious groups. The Tashkent bombings and incursions into Kyrgyzstan in 1999 by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) were used by the Uzbek government to justify laying minefields around the Tajik enclave of Sokh in the southern Batken region of Kyrgyzstan, around the Shakhi-Mardan enclave, and along the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border areas in the Ferghana Valley. The minefields lie within disputed border territories often used for shepherding and collecting wood and can claim the lives of innocent civilians.

Uzbekistan is located in the Ferghana Valley – a densely populated region sharing borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, often described as a ‘matchbox’ to the threat of conflict in Central Asia. The region is complex, with a myriad of enclaves and disputed territories. Continuing socio-economic crisis exacerbates local border disputes over natural resources, which are all destabilizing to regional security and development. Mercy Corps identifies corrupt government practices and poor resource allocation due to the borders as the root causes of conflict potential in the region. Declining socio-economic living conditions for the majority of the population together with competition for water are the potential catalysts for violent social unrest in the country.
Health

Uzbekistan’s healthcare system remains a challenge and inadequate detection and unreliable reporting are pervasive. According to UNICEF, the mortality rates of infants and children are still high. Iodine and iron deficiency affect more than 50% of the population. Improvements have been made in vaccination coverage against measles, diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis. However, tuberculosis cases nearly doubled between 1995 and 2003 with the added concern of signs of resistance to drugs. A return of malaria is also judged to be a risk. The high number of hepatitis cases in Uzbekistan, which is three times higher than the CIS average, has been linked to poor access and low quality of potable water, even in urban areas.

Uzbekistan has experienced a higher spread of HIV than its neighbours in Central Asia. Officially, there were 7,810 HIV-positive cases by the end of 2005 of which about 50% were youths but unofficial figures double these estimates. Whilst there is a Strategic Program on Counteracting the HIV/AIDS Epidemic (2003-2006), UNDP states that "comprehensive services are not widely available and cover no more than 1% of the most vulnerable groups".
Information and Media

The Uzbek government has an appalling record for its suppression of free expression. Press freedom is severely restricted. The government continues to unofficially censor local media outlets and violates the rights of independent journalists. No independent media groups exist.

ICT training for Uzbeks

Information technology is available but off limits to the general population. The government strictly controls all media, including the internet, through the information law which states that freedom to inform the public can be restricted to "protect the moral values of society, national security and the country's spiritual, cultural and scientific potential."
Economy

Amongst the former Soviet block countries, Uzbekistan has made the least progress in converting from a centrally-managed, planned economy to a market-based one. The government has demonstrated little commitment to much needed structural reforms and is faced with a stagnating economy. The trade regime remains restrictive and only a few large-scale enterprises have been privatized. The agricultural sector is still under full state control. Over 10% of Ubeks are believed to be working in neighbouring Kazakhstan.

The economy rests on two main export commodities – gold and cotton fiber, boosted in recent years thanks to increases in world market prices. However this lack of diversification makes the economy extremely susceptible to external shocks.
Environment

Ship stranded in the Aral sea © United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network

As a result of three decades of rapidly expanding cotton production, Uzbekistan is now severely affected by environmental degradation. Due to the diversion of two rivers that feed the region, Amy Darya and Syr Darya, the volume of what was formerly the fourth largest lake of the world, the Aral Sea, has reduced to one quarter of its original size. The ecological and health consequences have been severe particularly in the poorest western provinces.

Poor farming practices, particularly the over utilization of fertilizers and pesticides, has led to higher salinity, soil degradation and water pollution, all of which are associated with the increase in respiratory system diseases, birth defects and high infant mortality. Salinisation has affected 35% of irrigated land and water erosion is rampant. Excessive emphasis on production sectors and prevalent desertification has decreased woodland areas by half of 1965 levels.

Competition for water is often cited as one of the most destabilizing factors in Central Asia. Uzbekistan’s heavy consumption of water due to its rising population and cotton production places high demands on the up-stream countries, particularly neighboring Kyrgyzstan. Climate change injects a further uncertainty for water management which is a high priority for Uzbekistan, and the region as a whole, to minimize the risks for violent conflict and environmental degradation. The danger signs are reflected in the figures which show that access to clean drinking water in both urban and rural Uzbekistan has dropped in the period relevant to the MDGs.



The OneWorld Uzbekistan Guide was first published in December 2004 with a text written by Volunteer Editor Angelina Karavaeva

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