Uzbekistan has improved its position in international rankings

Two recent pleasant news related to the authority of Uzbekistan in the world attracted everyone's attention. Our country has risen eight positions in the international ranking of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Index, and in terms of open data, Open Data Inventory (ODIN) ranked 30th in the world, first among the countries of Central Asia. 

The last six months have become a special period of historical significance for the New Uzbekistan. Along with the consistent continuation of large-scale reforms, the work on strengthening mutually beneficial relations of the republic with the states of the world and international organizations has become more intensive. The authority of our country in the world is growing.
On December 14, 2022, the UN General Assembly unanimously approved the resolution "On strengthening the role of parliaments in accelerating the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals". It is noteworthy that the initiative to adopt such a resolution was put forward by the President of Uzbekistan at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in 2020. 
Sustainable development means meeting the needs of people living today without compromising future generations. In other words, it is the achievement of progress that not only does not harm our descendants in meeting the needs of the current activities of modern society, but also finds a balance between them.
The key idea of the SDGs is based on the principle of "Leaving no one behind". It is based on progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and will focus on continuing efforts to eradicate all manifestations of poverty.
The resolution on the SDGs was adopted in September 2015 at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly. This document is a new global commitment. It contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 objectives to achieve it. That is, certain processes are covered: from human health, well-being to climate change and from gender equality to changes in consumption and production patterns. Until 2030, in order to achieve the goals set in the field of sustainable development, each State in the world has set national goals and strategies for achieving them, taking into account its geographical location, capabilities and level of development. 
In Uzbekistan, the Cabinet of Ministers has also formed working groups on the following areas in order to form and achieve a clear mechanism for implementing the sustainable development agenda for the period up to 2030. They have carried out work on adapting each global goal and task based on national priorities. 
As a result of the conducted research, it was found that in our country there is an opportunity to take appropriate measures on 16 of the 17 global SDGs. One goal (14) - "Conservation and rational use of oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development" and 10 tasks that are part of it, we cannot fulfill. The reason is that the territory of Uzbekistan does not border on the ocean or the sea.
To achieve the 16 goals set by the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution of February 21, 2022, the number of tasks was expanded to 126, and 190 national SDG indicators were approved.
On December 29, 2022, a joint resolution of the Kengash Chambers of the Oliy Majlis on the implementation of this resolution was adopted. With the same resolution, a "road map" was approved, containing more than 50 specific measures in 13 directions. The essence of this document corresponds to the principle of building a humane state through the elevation of human honor and dignity and the further development of a free civil society, enshrined in the Development Strategy.
By what indicators has the growth been achieved
To track the achievements of the SDGs and make management decisions in this area, accurate and timely prepared, distributed by descriptions, relevant and easy-to-use statistics are needed. In this connection, the statistical community is tasked with the formation of indicators in the field of sustainable development until 2030. In Uzbekistan, as in other countries, a Coordinating Council has been formed for the implementation of National Goals and Objectives in the field of sustainable development for the period up to 2030.
Under the leadership of the Statistics Agency, an interdepartmental working group on indicators of National Sustainable Development Goals has been established, which is entrusted with such tasks as regularly updating the system of indicators of National SDGs based on global indicators, as well as the formation, collection and publication of its methodology on a special web portal.
Over the past period, the agency, in cooperation with relevant ministries and departments, has developed a list of 190 indicators of National Sustainable Development Goals that are important for Uzbekistan. 
The web page of the UN Statistics Division highlights the activities of States with best practices in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in this area. Uzbekistan was among the 87 countries with the most advanced experience, information was published on the ongoing work on monitoring and informing the public about the achievements of the SDGs of development in our republic. In this regard, with the technical support of UNDP, a website was developed in 2019 (www.nsdg.stat.uz ), dedicated to indicators of National Sustainable Development Goals in the Republic of Uzbekistan. This website is the only and reliable source of information for users when analyzing Uzbekistan's achievements in achieving the SDGs. Coordination of the data flow on the platform is carried out by the Statistics Agency. The website provides modern visualization techniques that allow users to create analytical tables and select the most appropriate graphic images.
The website is available in Uzbek, Russian and English. This is an excellent example of best practice among the CIS countries and the result of successful cooperation with the UN system. The Statistics Agency also annually prepares and publishes a "Collection of statistical indicators of the achievement of National SDGs in the Republic of Uzbekistan" in three languages (Uzbek, Russian and English).  
Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) The UN and the development trends of countries by the main indices are studied by international experts. Based on this, the results of the international rating, known as the SDG Index, are published once a year. In the process of calculating the Sustainable Development Goals Index, data sources are analyzed, which include about 100 international indices and indicators for 17 goals.
According to the SDG Index report, formed in 2023, Uzbekistan's position among 166 countries increased by eight positions with an indicator of 71.1 and was recognized as worthy of 69th place. In 2022, Uzbekistan ranked 77th with an index of 69.9. According to the SDG Index report, over the past year Uzbekistan has achieved 10 SDGs, namely: poverty reduction (Goal 1), good health and well-being (3), quality education (4), achieving gender equality (5), clean water and sanitation (6), industrialization, innovation and infrastructure (9), sustainable cities and human settlements (11), combating climate change (13), peace, justice and good governance (16), partnership for sustainable development (17).
Open data is an important source of information
At a time when digital technologies and the economy are developing rapidly, the issue of improving the e-government system is becoming more and more urgent.
The Open Data Portal of the Republic of Uzbekistan is an important source of information. Today, systematic work is being carried out to ensure transparency of information in our country. A number of decrees and resolutions have been adopted in order to increase efficiency in this direction.
The Statistics Agency is also entrusted with a number of tasks. These include updating the list of open data collections that should be published by government agencies and organizations on the portal; ensuring effective use, providing methodological assistance in this direction; preparing proposals to improve legislation for the further development of the field of open data; ensuring participation in international authoritative ratings taking into account international experience and user opinions. Based on this, in August 2021, based on the experience of countries such as Singapore, Canada, Great Britain and Estonia, a new improved version of the Open Data Portal was launched (data.egov.uz ).
Today, more than 8,500 open data sets are regularly posted on the portal by 160 government agencies and departments. The portal has received a Silver level certificate from the Open Data Institute (ODI). Also the official website of the Statistics Agency (stat.uz ) has reached the highest Platinum level, having received a collective certificate of open data certification from this institute.
According to Open Data Inception, Uzbekistan ranked fourth among the countries of the world in terms of the number of open data sources. And in the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) rating, published in August 2023, it rose by 138 points from the 168th position in 2018, taking 30th place in the world and 1st in Central Asia.
The Open Data Inventory rating evaluates the reach and openness of websites maintained by national statistical offices, as well as information provided on any official government website. The overall score of the ODIN rating is an indicator of how complete and open the data provided by national statistical authorities are. The strengths and weaknesses of national statistical systems are illustrated by cumulative scores on social, economic and environmental statistics, as well as on coverage and openness.   
Open Data Inventory estimates consider 22 statistical data in relevant directions, which consist of 65 indicators, which is included in the number of indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals as of 2023. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the prestige of the rating and a wider use of open data by countries in monitoring the achievement of the SDGs by 2030.

By introducing an open data system in the country, it is necessary to achieve practical results in such areas as ensuring transparency of the activities of public authorities and the implementation of the concept of "open government", informing foreign investors about our potential, expanding the tourism services market, increasing the participation of civil society in the establishment of socio-political institutions.
In this process, the number of data sets that are automatically placed on the Open Data Portal increases by integrating information resources of government agencies and departments. It provides for the study of international best practices and the participation of specialists in conferences, summits, forums organized in foreign countries, as well as training and refresher courses. After all, professional development of employees working with open data in government agencies and organizations, structural and territorial divisions is important. The improvement of Uzbekistan's position in the priority international rankings is also closely related to the work on this. 

Bahodir Begalov. 
Director of the Statistics Agency 
under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 
Doctor of Economics, Professor.