Tashabbus 2013

Rounding off an even ten episodes of UNews Weekly, the UN Office Tashkent sprung into the rich festivals and holidays of the season in Uzbekistan.

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov initiated a traditional contest for entrepreneurs “Tashabbus-2013”. Tashkent hosted the wide-scale project of artists, art critics and craftsmen of Uzbekistan at the exhibition-fair Bazar-Art.  Watch the episode and learn more about the colourful and inspiring Tashabbus 2013 event.

Turning to UNESCO, the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization supported the development of Uzbekistan`s Education Sector through a seminar that took place in Tashkent on the revision and improvement of the country's draft Education Sector Plan.

UNESCO supports education in Uzbekistan

The episode also covered UNDP's successful Winter School on Human Development in Uzbekistan, which included an intensive on-line module with topics discussed by participants and forum moderators as well as an in-residence module conducted in Samarkand.  

And finally, UNO skyped with Elena Danilova-Cross, DPI Policy Analyst on Social Inclusion and Human Development in the Bratislava Regional Centre on the latest findings in the area of human development.

On air: Asmus Hammerich

The ninth episode of the UN Office Tashkent’s UNews Weekly reminds all that Earth Hour is a unique opportunity for individuals, groups, businesses and governments to do something positive for the environment. If you listen to the podcast, you’ll know that it symbolizes the first step in integrating environmentally friendly activities into everyday life to lead the way towards a cleaner environment and a sustainable lifestyle. 

The programme also highlights NGO Millennium Promise, which is solely committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty, hunger and preventable disease. 

UNDP and UN Volunteers held a workshop on the “Social Innovation and Volunteerism” Project that focused on how to generate and put into practice innovative ideas.  They also carried out several trainings and debates in Westminster International University in Tashkent to encourage youth to be active and pose freely.  

Also in the news was 7 April, World Health Day. Did you know that the Day marks the founding anniversary of the World Health Organizaiton in 1948? Tune in to listen to Asmus Hammerich, WHO Representative and Head of the Country Office discuss the 2013 theme of high blood pressure. 

UNV Officer Santeri Eriksson

During its eighth episode of the UNews Weekly, the UN Office Tashkent spotlighted 21 March as the International Day of Nowruz. This not only marks the New Year but also the arrival of spring across many countries. 

On 19 March, grand celebrations of the Nowruz were held at Alisher Navoi National Park of Uzbekistan to mark the age-old celebration of rebirth. “It is a moment when societies pause to strengthen the ties of respect and solidarity that bring together peoples of different cultures, religions and languages. It is a celebration of harmony in diversity and with nature." 

World Tuberculosis Day, 24 March, raises public awareness of the efforts being made to prevent and treat the disease. UNV Programme Officer Santeri Eriksson spoke on camera about the UN Volunteers/UNDP Project “Empowering Communities through Local Volunteerism to Address Tuberculosis and Poverty in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan” aimed to raise awareness in areas suffering from the highest rates of tuberculosis and the objective of reducing discrimination among general public through mass mobilization of community volunteers. 

On air: RC Stefan Priesner

“The rise of the South is unprecedented in its speed and scale,” the 2013 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT says. “Never in history have the living conditions and prospects of so many people changed so dramatically and so fast.” Stefan Priesner , United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan spoke to the UN Information Office about the main message of this significant Report. 

UNDP’s Olimjon Jumabaev on transparency

In the seventh episode of the UNews Weekly, the UN Office Tashkent spoke to the UNDP Border Management Programme in Central Asia on its effort to encourage creative people to participate in a drawing and a photo contest on “Border Guards at Work”. 

With approval from the Government of Uzbekistan, the UNDP "Local Governance Support: Participation and Partnership" Project has helped to reform the nation’s local governance. 

UNDP’s Olimjon Jumabaev spoke about improving the performance of local administrative offices in two regions. “Operating since March, 2010, in partnership with the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan and in close cooperation with Djizak and Namangan regional local administrations (khokimiyats), the project aims at enhancing legal, technical and human resource capacities of the regional, city and district khokimiyats by advocating the mechanisms, which enable improvement of public institutions' capacities, accountability and responsiveness, with the participation of civil society at the local level, thus resulting in improvement of the livelihood of the low-income households and the disadvantaged, increased resources and consolidated democratic governance processes at all levels.”

The programme also highlighted the UNDP cartoon “The Steppe Tale” to help conserve biodiversity, raise environmental awareness and protect the endangered saiga antelopes and profiled several former Interns, focussing on three things they've learned working with UNO.