Samarkand (TDI): Uzbekistan hosted the 2025 United Nations Public Service Forum (UNPSF) in Samarkand, welcoming more than 1,000 delegates, including government officials, international experts, and representatives of global organizations.
Under the theme “Five Years Until 2030: Accelerating Public Service Delivery for a Sustainable Future,” the forum highlighted the pivotal role of digital governance in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov described digitalization as a transformative shift in state-society relations.
“Digitization is not merely about introducing new technologies. It is a new format of relations between the state and the people, based on trust, transparency, and mutual understanding,” he said.
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Uzbekistan has climbed in UN rankings recently. Its e-government score jumped 24 spots, and it moved into the top tier of a global index for AI readiness. The national portal, my.gov.uz, now offers over 760 services to more than 11 million people across the country.
Opening the forum on behalf of President Mirziyoyev, Saida Mirziyoyeva stressed the pace of Uzbekistan’s reforms and the importance of inclusive governance.
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“The world is changing rapidly, and we in Uzbekistan are responding with active reforms,” she said, noting that women now comprise over 35% of civil servants. She also underscored the importance of youth participation and global partnerships, thanking institutions such as the Global Knowledge Center.
At the end of the forum, delegates backed the Samarkand Declaration, a plan urging countries to work together on digital governance, AI, and smarter public services.
Panel talks covered everything from AI oversight to making sure rural or underserved communities don’t get left out. Delegates swapped ideas and promised to collaborate.
Hosting this year’s forum allowed Uzbekistan to show its digital shift in action and cement its role in global tech governance talks.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
