On 9 July 2026, the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme launched a two-day training on professional motivation and resilience for 35 women deputy khokims in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, as part of a broader EU-funded project to improve public service delivery. The programme aims to equip civil servants with skills to manage change, prevent burnout, and deliver citizen-oriented services, according to a press release from the EU Delegation to Uzbekistan.
The training is organized under the EU-funded project “Further Improvement of Public Services Delivery in Uzbekistan,” implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Justice. With a total budget of EUR 4.9 million and a duration from 2024 to 2029, the project targets key challenges such as limited rural access to services, low digital penetration, and outdated institutional frameworks. It seeks to train 1,000 civil servants on inclusive, user-centric service delivery by 2029, conduct functional reviews of 11 back-office institutions, digitally transform at least 35 public services, and establish 34 new public service zones in makhallas across the country.
“Successful public administration reform depends not only on modern systems and technologies, but also on motivated and resilient public servants,” said Renata Wrobel, Chargée d'affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to Uzbekistan. UNDP Resident Representative Akiko Fujii added that investing in motivation and resilience is essential for building trusted institutions. The initiative supports Uzbekistan’s ongoing public administration reforms and contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 16 (strong institutions) and 9 (innovation and infrastructure).