Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed partners, and participants,

I am delighted to attend today’s International Forum discussing the role of the media in combating corruption in Uzbekistan.

I would like to thank the Anti-Corruption Agency of Uzbekistan, the Agency for Information and Mass Communications, and other local and international partners for our great partnerships in transforming the national media sector and enhancing its capacity to promote the culture of transparency and integrity.

We all know that corruption drains resources from people who need them, undermines trust in institutions, and widens social inequalities. Accordingly, ending corruption has direct impact on ending poverty and inequalities. 

To this end, UNDP has been proudly supporting the Government of Uzbekistan in strengthening legal and institutional capacity to fight corruption as guided by the principles of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). Some of the tangible outcomes so far include:

• The government’s creation of the Agency on Anticorruption (Article 6 of UNCAC);
• drafting of the National Strategy on Anticorruption, (Article 5); and today’s topic, which is;
• supporting civil society organizations, mass media, regional anticorruption councils, and promoting investigative journalism (Article 13). 

The media and public communications have critical roles in fighting corruption.

• First, the media serves as the main watchdog. As the “fourth pillar” of democracy, it monitors and observes the behavior of public officials in the legislature, executive and judiciary with the aim to prevent the abuse of their power and resources.
• Second, the media engages citizens in anti-corruption efforts. By uncovering, exposing, informing and educating about the detrimental effects of corruption for society at large, the media can foster awareness of civil society.

Today's media forum builds on our longstanding cooperation in the country.

The Forum offers a unique opportunity to foster collaboration among all stakeholders to amplify the impact of the media in the fight against corruption.

In addition to the unique role of mass media in ensuring openness and transparency, it brings together local and international media actors to discuss other trends, such as Commercialization of Mass Media. As media increasingly relies on commercial interests, we must find a balance between profitability and ethical reporting. It is essential that commercial pressures do not compromise the integrity of our news. Supporting independent media and ethical advertising guidelines will be crucial.

We also note that analytical and investigative journalism are indispensable tools for uncovering corruption. We must support these forms of journalism by providing the necessary resources and mechanisms to serve the public interest effectively.

We hope that this forum will generate valuable insights and foster productive cooperation.

Once again, UNDP would like to express appreciation to our partners here, and we renew our commitment to supporting the people of Uzbekistan in ending corruption. Thank you.