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In today’s fast-moving world, the ability of citizens to access reliable information, express themselves freely, and critically engage with media is essential for a transparent society. UNESCO’s Media Program, “Empowering the Government and Citizens of Uzbekistan by Strengthening Access to Information, Accountability of Institutions, and Media Competence” (AIM), aims to form an informed public, promote government transparency, and enhance media literacy. The current Program (2022-2026) is implemented jointly with Agency for Information and Mass Communications (AIMC) under the Administration of the President of Uzbekistan with financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. 

The AIM Program ensures that citizens in Uzbekistan can access the information needed to hold the government accountable. In line with the country’s constitution, which emphasizes media freedom and institutional accountability, UNESCO through the AIM Program has launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in Uzbek on Access to Information Laws and Policies and their Implementation. This course helps government officials, journalists, and citizens understand their rights and promote transparency.

Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy. The AIM Program supports media freedom by ensuring safer environments for journalists. 91�鶹������Ʒ���� provided resources localized for Uzbek context to law enforcement agents to protect journalists and investigate crimes against them, fostering open dialogue and building trust between the government and citizens. 

The Program also supports development of the training modules and organizes trainings in Law Enforcement Academy and Supreme School of Judges on the topics of Freedom of Expression, Access to information and Safety of Journalists. Trainings and training modules are designed and conducted jointly by the international and local experts of the abovementioned institutions and will be included in the teaching programs for prosecutors and judges. 

As digital media grows, media and information literacy (MIL) is crucial. MIL helps citizens critically evaluate information and use digital platforms responsibly. Through its partnership with the AIMC, international and national experts hired by the AIM Program have assessed Uzbekistan’s MIL landscape, identifying opportunities for its advancement. The AIM program intends to help the Uzbek government to design National MIL Strategy to equip citizens and decision-makers with the skills to navigate the digital world.

The AIM program is advancing Uzbekistan’s democratic development and adherence to human rights by focusing on access to information, freedom of expression, and media development. UNESCO’s technical assistance through its AIM Program also includes the provision of legal assistance for new legislative projects in the area of information, media and data governance, such as the draft Information Code, to reflect international and constitutional rights of access to information and freedom of expression. The research currently conducted on Uzbekistan’s internet landscape according to UNESCO Internet Universality Indicators (IUI) will be a valuable resource to evaluate the scope of access to information in Uzbekistan. 

A reflection of the holistic approach to strengthen democracy in Uzbekistan is the comprehensive initiative to strengthen journalism education and professional development. The review of the journalism qualification framework and core curricula — including Fundamentals of Journalism, Media Law and Ethics, MIL and fact-checking, and Multimedia — will be aligned with international best practices and UNESCO’s and other resources. New teaching materials and workshops will help journalism educators to familiarize with the new requirements and resources. In-service journalists and bloggers will benefit from new online learning resources integrated into an existing platform run by one of the media NGOs in Uzbekistan. This will help strengthen capacities of professional in areas like critical thinking, fact-checking and legal literacy.

These efforts will help to empower citizens and government of Uzbekistan towards achieving the SDG indicator 16.10.2. guaranteeing the public access to information and Article 33 of the Uzbek Constitution guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression and access to information.