An international scientific and practical conference on improving public financial management was held

On August 21 this year, an international scientific and practical conference titled “Improving Public Financial Management in the Republic of Uzbekistan: Reforms, Innovations and Prospects for Sustainable Development” was held at the Training Center under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Information Service and Communications Department of the Ministry of Economy and Finance reports.

The conference was organized to discuss ongoing reforms in public financial management from scientific and practical perspectives, expand the exchange of national and international experience, and develop scientific and practical proposals for further advancing the sector.

The event was opened with remarks by Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan Otabek Fazilkarimov, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Anas Fayyad Qarman, and Victoria Mlinarchikova, Head of the Public Finance for Development Programme at the UNDP Regional Centre in Istanbul.

The plenary session covered reforms underway in Uzbekistan’s public financial management system, current international trends, green financing, risk management, internal control and internal audit, green and gender-responsive budgeting, the use of artificial intelligence in public service and public finance, and the assessment of public expenditure efficiency.

The conference was held in both in-person and online formats and brought together representatives of government bodies and international organizations, local and foreign experts, university professors and lecturers, researchers, and practitioners.

In the afternoon, the conference continued in four thematic sessions. Discussions focused on systemic reforms in public financial management, digital transformation and artificial intelligence technologies; the green economy and sustainable financial policy; gender-responsive budgeting; and improving budget accounting, internal audit, and internal control systems in the public sector.

During the discussions and Q&A sessions, participants exchanged views on key areas of public financial management and put forward evidence-based approaches and practical proposals.

The conference also contributed to strengthening the professional and institutional capacity of public financial management personnel, introducing advanced international experience and modern approaches, and further improving the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of budget spending.