The key facts

  • Saida Mirziyoyeva announced plans to submit the Samarkand Declaration to the UN General Assembly as a resolution
  • Uzbekistan proposes that countries fix a minimum share of GDP for children's healthcare, education and social support
  • The speech was delivered at a panel session of the Summit on Childhood within the Ninth Paris Peace Forum

Speech at the Paris Peace Forum

On 10–11 November, the Ninth Paris Peace Forum is taking place, devoted to four areas: geopolitics, new technologies, development and ecology. Particular attention at the forum is given to the Summit on Childhood. One of the speakers at the panel session 'Children First: A Global Commitment to Child Well-Being' — the key high-level political event of the summit — was the Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva.

Plan to bring the declaration to the General Assembly

In her speech, Saida Mirziyoyeva said that Uzbekistan plans to submit the key provisions of the Samarkand Declaration to the UN General Assembly as a resolution, 'so that commitments to children have real force at the international level.' The Declaration on investment in child well-being was adopted following the World Summit 'Investing in Child Well-Being,' held on 21–22 October in Samarkand.

Proposal on a minimum share of GDP

The Head of the Presidential Administration noted that every third resident of Uzbekistan is a child, and that investments in early childhood yield the greatest returns. According to her, the country intends to propose that other states fix a minimum share of GDP allocated to healthcare, education and social support for children, and maintain this level of funding even during economic downturns. She also stated that over the past ten years Uzbekistan has repeatedly increased social spending and views it as an investment.

Call to protect schools and hospitals

Saida Mirziyoyeva contrasted the roles of the two venues: Samarkand, in her words, symbolizes the creation of strong systems of support for children, while Paris can help ensure their safety, since schools and hospitals built in peacetime are often the first to be destroyed during wars. She called on the forum to help protect these institutions and to ensure that attacks on schools and hospitals anywhere in the world carry serious consequences. In addition, she announced the intention to continue work on children's safety online and to move toward a global agreement under which the largest technology companies and donors would share responsibility for protecting children.

Context

The Paris Peace Forum, founded in 2018, serves as an international platform for dialogue and cooperation in global governance and sustainable development. This year it features more than 350 speakers across 80 sessions. The published materials do not yet report on the UN General Assembly's reaction to Uzbekistan's proposal or on the timeline for considering a possible resolution.