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PECULIARITIES OF THE CONCEPTS OF SECULAR AND SOCIAL STATE IN THE
CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Jabborov Mukhammadjon Sunatullo ugli
Bukhara State university,
Teacher of the Department of Jurisprudence
Annotation:
This article discusses the unique characteristics of the concepts of "social state"
and "secular state" as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It highlights
the state's commitment to social justice, equitable distribution of wealth, poverty reduction, and
creation of equal opportunities. The secular state model emphasizes freedom of conscience and
the separation of religion from the state. Additionally, the article analyzes constitutional
reforms, the “Uzbekistan – 2030” development strategy, and advancements in the national
social protection system.
Keywords:
Social state, Secular state, Constitution, Human rights, Social justice, Uzbekistan
2030 Strategy, Democracy, Public administration.
Аннотация:
В данной статье рассматриваются особенности понятий «социальное
государство» и «светское государство» в Конституции Республики Узбекистан.
Подчеркивается важность справедливого распределения ресурсов, обеспечения
достойной жизни граждан, сокращения бедности и создания равных возможностей. В
контексте светского государства раскрывается принцип свободы совести и отделения
религии от государства. Также анализируются реформы, стратегия «Узбекистан – 2030»
и развитие системы социальной защиты в стране.
Ключевые слова:
Социальное государство, Конституция, Права человека, Равные
возможности, Религия и государство.
Annotatsiya:
Mazkur maqolada O‘zbekiston Respublikasining Konstitutsiyasida ifoda etilgan
“ijtimoiy davlat” va “dunyoviy davlat” tushunchalari yoritilgan. Ijtimoiy davlat sifatida
O‘zbekiston aholisi farovonligini ta’minlash, adolatli iqtisodiy va ijtimoiy siyosat yuritish,
fuqarolarga teng imkoniyatlar yaratish va kambag‘allikni kamaytirish kabi tamoyillar muhim
o‘rin egallaydi. Dunyoviylik tamoyili doirasida esa diniy erkinlik, vijdon erkinligi va davlatning
dinlardan ajratilganligi asosiy e’tiborga olingan. Maqolada O‘zbekistonning 2030-yilga qadar
bo‘lgan taraqqiyot strategiyasi, ijtimoiy himoya tizimi va konstitutsiyaviy islohotlar tahlil
qilingan.
Kalit so‘zlar:
Ijtimoiy davlat, dunyoviy davlat, konstitutsiya, vijdon erkinligi, inson huquqlari,
Ijtimoiy adolat, davlat boshqaruvi, fuqarolik jamiyati.
In today's Uzbekistan, a period marked by dynamic transformations, President Shavkat
Mirziyoyev, during a meeting with members of the Constitutional Commission on June 20,
2022, proposed the idea of consolidating the principle of “Uzbekistan – a social state” in the
Constitution. This idea was further reinforced in the President’s Address to the Oliy Majlis and
the people of Uzbekistan, where the establishment of a social state was identified as a key
strategic direction.
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In essence, a
social state
is a model of governance based on the principles of
social justice
,
aimed at ensuring a decent standard of living for all citizens, reducing social inequality, and
supporting low-income families through the fair distribution of material resources. This model
is currently in practice in many developed nations, such as the United Kingdom, France,
Sweden, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Greece, Japan,
the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States.
According to President Mirziyoyev: “A social state is, above all, about creating equal
opportunities for realizing human potential, ensuring decent living conditions, and reducing
poverty.” Key features of a social state include:
a) Provision of minimum living standards and access to essential consumer goods for those in
need;
b) Guaranteeing adequate wages, employment, and safe working conditions for individuals and
their families;
c) Protection from unemployment, access to quality education and medical care, equal
opportunities for all, and comprehensive support for families, children, women, the elderly, and
persons with disabilities;
d) Ensuring access to essential resources such as clean drinking water, natural gas, electricity,
and transportation, while prohibiting forced labor;
e) Most importantly, no one should be left behind or abandoned with their problems.
In his book
"The Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan"
, President Mirziyoyev
elaborates on the key priorities of the “Uzbekistan – social state” principle, emphasizing the
creation of decent living conditions, modern infrastructure, high-quality healthcare and
education, social protection, and a healthy ecological environment for the population, while
also strengthening the economy and promoting sustainable development in various sectors.
The support of 90.21% of citizens in favor of the new edition of the Constitution during the
referendum on April 30, 2023
, is commendable, as it reflects the national will to uphold
human dignity. As the President noted,
“Human dignity means ensuring peace and security for every citizen, guaranteeing fundamental
rights and freedoms, quality education, professional healthcare, targeted social protection, a
healthy ecological environment, and decent living conditions through modern infrastructure.”
A social state is also one that guarantees a
minimum level of well-being
to its citizens during
times of market uncertainty, pandemics, or economic crises. Its foremost goal is to develop
socio-economic and political relations that ensure the
rights and freedoms of citizens
, as well
as improve the legal guarantees for governance.
The
"Uzbekistan–2030" strategy
also pays special attention to social protection and the
safeguarding of human rights. One of its core ideas is to create a comprehensive social
protection system that meets both the public's expectations and international standards,
covering all
100 priority national development goals
of Uzbekistan.
This includes:
1.
Radical reform of professional social services
, ensuring full coverage of the needy
through the “Unified Register of Social Protection” information system, which identifies low-
income families and provides targeted assistance.
2.
Comprehensive support for the elderly
, with annual organized trips to historical and
sacred places for over a million seniors. The scope of activities under these support programs is
expected to increase by at least 30%.
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3.
Ensuring stable employment
for the working population, including youth and persons
with disabilities, aiming to reduce unemployment to 7%.
4.
Implementation of a guaranteed social insurance system
for women, including
maternity leave, temporary incapacity, and insurance payments in case of workplace accidents
or company closures.
Additionally, the
draft Presidential Decree
regarding the
implementation of the
“Uzbekistan–2030” strategy during the “Year of Supporting Youth and Business”
is of
great significance. This decree outlines systematic measures to bring about
positive changes in
people's daily lives
and improve
public-oriented governance
, emphasizing the need for
continued reforms in 2024.
One of the most important aspects of a social state is the practical implementation of the
principle:
"The state agencies must serve the people, not the other way around,"
as stated by the President—an essential criterion of
social justice
in governance.
Secularism in Uzbekistan’s Constitution
After gaining independence,
Uzbekistan declared itself a secular state
, meaning religion is
separated from the state. However, religious people were
not excluded
from society, and thus,
the attitude toward all religions, particularly Islam, underwent fundamental transformation. The
relationship between the state and religious organizations was formalized on the basis of
freedom of conscience
.
This aligns with
international human rights standards
, including the UN Charter and the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948
. Thus, not only is
peaceful coexistence
between religion and secular governance
possible, but religion can also contribute to
national development
.
The
Constitution of Uzbekistan
reflects this secular approach and meets the
legal standards
of developed nations
. Article 35 of the new edition of the Constitution states:
“Everyone shall have freedom of conscience. Everyone has the right to profess any religion or
not to profess any religion. It is not allowed to impose religious beliefs forcibly.”
This article reflects key principles of secularism:
Respect for religious feelings;
Recognition of religion as a
private matter
of individuals or their associations;
Equal rights for religious and non-religious citizens, and protection from persecution;
Cooperation with religious organizations to
promote moral and ethical values
;
Prohibition of using religion for
destructive purposes
.
Uzbekistan’s secularism and religious tolerance are based on the
principle of freedom of
conscience
, enshrined in the Constitution and laws of the Republic. Notably, in
1991
, the Law
"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" was adopted. After amendments in
1993 and enforcement until 1998, the law was
completely revised
and a new version was
adopted on
May 1, 1998
.
Further, the
new version
of this law was adopted on
July 6, 2021
, under
Law No. O‘RQ-699
.
Article 5 of the law ensures "freedom of conscience within the framework of a secular state
system," while Article 7 declares:
“Religion is separated from the state in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Religious organizations and
state bodies operate independently from one another.”
This clearly affirms
Uzbekistan’s commitment to secularism
and religious neutrality in
governance.
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ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 09,2025
Journal:
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page 232
LIST OF REFERENCES:
1.
G‘ulom Mirzo. “The Essence of a Social State is Social Justice”. National Human
Rights Center of Uzbekistan. 20.02.2024 // http://nhrc.uz
2.
Mirziyoyev, Sh.M. The Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan. 2nd revised edition.
Tashkent: “O‘zbekiston”, 2022. – 440 pages.
3.
Ibid. – pp. 116–127.
4.
A. Saidov. “Constitutional Reforms – The Will of Voters and a Requirement of the
Time”. Yangi O‘zbekiston newspaper, May 24, 2022 // https://parliament.gov.uz
5.
Modern Constitutionalism: National and International Practice. Electronic resource:
https://pravacheloveka.uz
6.
Presidential Decree on the “Uzbekistan–2030” Strategy, No. PF-158 dated 11.09.2023 //
7.
The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2023 edition // https://lex.uz/uz/docs/-
6445145
8.
I.A. Karimov. Uzbekistan on the Threshold of the 21st Century: Threats to Security,
Conditions of Stability, and Guarantees of Development. Tashkent: O‘zbekiston, 1997 – pp.
43–44.
9.
Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations”, 01.05.1998 No. 618-I //
https://lex.uz/uz/docs/-65108
