Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan

NEW YORK – At the United Nations Headquarters, the Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sherzod Shermatov, met with Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), to discuss preparations for the upcoming UN Public Service Forum 2025 and broader cooperation in the field of digital governance.

The discussions focused on joint efforts to organize the UN Public Service Forum, scheduled to take place in Samarkand from June 23 to 25, 2025. Minister Shermatov briefed the UN official on the progress made in coordination with UN DESA, including the development of the Forum’s concept, identification of key themes, arrangement of high-level plenary sessions, and diplomatic engagement with UN Member States.

Li Junhua expressed his support for the initiatives and underlined the significance of ensuring the Forum’s successful implementation as a prominent global platform for advancing public service delivery under the auspices of the United Nations.

The meeting also addressed ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan aimed at digitalizing public administration. Specific attention was given to the expansion of electronic public services, interagency integration, the enhancement of digital infrastructure, and the incorporation of data analytics and artificial intelligence into governance processes. Minister Shermatov emphasized that these reforms align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are integral to the national “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030” strategy.

The two sides also discussed the organization of a series of joint training workshops in Uzbekistan throughout 2025, focusing on digital capacity building for civil servants, strategies for digital transformation, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of digital services.

Concluding the meeting, Minister Shermatov informed the UN Under-Secretary-General about the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Digital Technologies and UN DESA under the Local Online Services Index (LOSI) initiative. The agreement aims to facilitate the assessment of local digital governance, promote international knowledge exchange, and align local online government portals with international standards.