Meeting of the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the ILO delegation
On March 29, the Finance Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Timur Ishmetov met with a delegation of the International Labour Organization (ILO), led by the Director General Assistant of the ILO, Mr. Heinz Koller.
The delegation composed of Ms. Olga Kulaeva, the Director of the ILO Bureau for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Ms. Yasmina Papa, a social protection specialist the ILO Bureau for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, accompanied by national representatives of the ILO Azizkhon Khankhodzhayev and Nilufarkhon Kamalova.
Ministry representatives thanked the ILO for the assistance provided in 2020-2022 in the development of the draft National Strategy of Social Protection. Further, significant reforms in the social protection system over the past 5 years, including the deployment of the “Single Registry of Social Protection”, the introduction of minimum consumption expenditures were stressed. Also, it was reiterated that these policy measures are only the beginning reforming the social protection system.
Mr. Heinz Koller welcomed the Government's commitment to strengthening the social protection system and constant support to the ILO involvement in the country over the last years in promoting international standards of social protection. He highlighted that social security measures are important tools in promoting sustainable economic growth and ensuring a decent standards of living. He stressed that Uzbekistan’s efforts to strengthen national social protection system resulted in the invitation for participation in ILO’s Global Flagship Programme Building Social Protection Floors for All until 2030. In addition, the Republic of Uzbekistan has been selected by ILO and International Monetary Fund as one of four countries globally for collaboration between ILO and IMF on social protection.
Further parties discussed further areas of cooperation, including the financing of reforms, the development of social insurance, the analysis of national legislation and policy in line with Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952, No. 102.
By the end of the meeting, the Ministry of Finance and the ILO Delegation reiterated their commitment for mutual cooperation in strengthening social protection in Uzbekistan. The cooperation will include functional and institutional evaluation of the system, capacity building for the Ministry of Finance in analytical and raising public awareness of minimum standards of social protection.
Source: Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan
