The 12th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Samarkand brought together nearly 250 delegates from 60 countries and representatives of 13 international organizations to discuss human rights, justice and human dignity in challenging times.
The two-day conference was held under the theme “Restoring Human Rights, Justice and Human Dignity in Challenging Times.” Young parliamentarians exchanged national experiences and discussed issues affecting young people and their participation in political and decision-making processes.
The discussions covered the protection of young people’s rights in conflict situations, digital rights and security, climate change, decent work and youth employment, political participation of young people and women, and preventing violence against them.
Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis Tanzila Narbayeva emphasized that security, education, employment, digital rights, a healthy environment and political freedoms are interconnected. She noted that if any one of these areas is not ensured, the others cannot be fully realized.
The conference also featured open dialogues and panel discussions involving representatives of the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, international and civil society organizations, as well as parliamentarians from different countries. Participants highlighted the importance of involving young people more actively in decision-making, ensuring their political rights and making effective use of their potential in addressing global challenges.
A special open session was held on “Parliamentary Engagement in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.” Young parliamentarians, representatives of international organizations and experts discussed the role and opportunities of legislatures in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals at the national level.
As part of the conference, Narbayeva held meetings with Inter-Parliamentary Union President Tulia Ackson and Secretary General Anda Filip, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs and Head of the UN Youth Office Felipe Paullier, and Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion CEO Asmita Satyarthi.
The meetings focused on further developing Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the UN, strengthening parliamentary diplomacy, expanding youth participation in decision-making, developing youth parliaments and increasing international exchanges of experience. The discussions also addressed the climate agenda, digital transformation and support for initiatives promoting responsible use of artificial intelligence among young people.
Participants highlighted the results of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, including the 150th IPU Assembly held in Tashkent in 2025 and a number of international parliamentary events hosted by Uzbekistan, which they said had taken bilateral cooperation to a new level.
