LocationsMedia for Openness: Journalists and Bloggers Explore New Ways to Cover Public Services
October 11, 2025
Tashkent region, 9–10 October 2025 – More than 20 journalists and bloggers from across Uzbekistan enhanced their reporting skills during a two-day training on public service delivery. The event was organized by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, under the EU-funded project “Further Improvement of Public Services Delivery in Uzbekistan.”
The event aimed to build the capacity of media representatives to report on reforms and innovations in public service delivery in an accurate, impartial, and engaging way. It also introduced participants to new skills in using artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools for more effective communication.
The sessions, led by experienced trainers from the Center for the Development of Modern Journalism, Ms. Lola Islamova and Ms. Dilfuza Mirzakhmedova, combined presentations, practical exercises, and interactive group work. Over two days, participants:
Explored principles of openness, transparency, and impartiality in reporting on public services;
Practiced verifying information sources and presenting data accurately;
Learned to create modern content formats, including infographics and explainers;
Enhanced their skills in interviewing, mobile photography, and video production;
Applied AI tools for fact-checking, analysis, and digital storytelling;
Worked in groups to produce mini content projects, such as reportage, short videos, and social media posts.
The workshop concluded with a Q&A session, reflection exercise, and certificate ceremony. Participants left with new tools and knowledge to strengthen their reporting on public service delivery and to make information more accessible to citizens across Uzbekistan.
Background:
“Further Improvement of Public Service Delivery in Uzbekistan” project funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP with total budget of EUR 4,900,000 and implementation duration of 2024-2029 is aimed to address key challenges such as limited access to public services in rural areas, low digital penetration, and outdated institutional frameworks. It will do so through four strategic pillars:
Transform institutional, legal, and regulatory frameworks underpinning the back office of the national public services delivery system.
Enhance capacity of the back office institutions in public service delivery to ensure their effective operation at the national, regional and local levels.
Conduct digital and user-centric transformation of the back office institutions to improve availability and quality of public services.
Transform the system of local governance to ensure responsiveness, accountability and better operation of regional and local institutions functioning as back offices.
The Project supports Uzbekistan’s reform agenda and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 16 on strong institutions and SDG 9 on innovation and infrastructure. By 2029, the initiative seeks to conduct functional reviews of 11 back-office institutions, train 1,000 civil servants on inclusive and user-centric service delivery, digitally transform at least 35 public services, and establish 34 new public service zones in makhallas across the country. These comprehensive reforms will significantly enhance citizen access to efficient, transparent, and inclusive government services nationwide.
For more information, please contact:
Jaloliddin Badalov
Communication Analyst UNDP in Uzbekistan Email: jaloliddin.badalov@undp.org
Malika Musaeva
Press and Information Officer / Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Uzbekistan / Email:delegation-uzbekistan@eeas.europa.eu
