Uzbekistan reforms

Genuine reform takes place not through quashing free thinkers and critics but in encouraging and even embracing them. 

Uzbekistan undoubtedly needs to continue implementing recent initiated reforms, but its progress is promising.

Uzbekistan has made enormous progress in eliminating forced labor, but has yet to fully eradicate it.

Freedom of expression remains partial and fragile in Uzbekistan, but a limited recent opening may be impossible to reverse.

Uzbekistan has a real opportunity to cement its significant gains, turn away from its authoritarian past, and reclaim its place as a Central Asian leader. 

What does the coronavirus response say about the government’s ability to deliver on its ambitious reform program? 

The specifics of the charges against 47-year old Uzbek journalist Bobomurod Abdullaev remain unclear, but the case is drawing significant attention.

Despite continued challenges, Uzbekistan’s civil society is more vibrant than at any time in the country’s young history.

In 2018, Bobomurod Abdullaev walked out of jail in Uzbekistan after a surprising conclusion to a case levied against him by the state. New charges could mark a step backward.

Privatization of the cotton sector “is in itself no silver bullet solution” for the problems of corruption and forced labor. 

Tashkent has made progress on the path toward greater religious freedom, but must remain vigilant to protect the gains it has made and continue to actively push forward.

The landmark privatization scheme took cotton out of the government’s direct hands and placed it in private “clusters” -- but not without significant risks.