President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has approved the Concept for Ensuring Citizens’ Freedom of Conscience and State Policy on Religion. The law, signed by the head of state, came into force on February 26 following its publication in the Lex.uz database.
The concept defines the right to freedom of conscience and affirms Uzbekistan’s status as a secular state. According to the document, it is based on the nation’s rich historical experience in statehood and universal human values. It aims to foster a stable environment that ensures the interests of society as a whole and promotes coexistence based on democracy, secularism, freedom, equality, social justice, and solidarity.
Key Principles of State Policy on Religion
✅ Legality
✅ Freedom of conscience
✅ Separation of religion from the state
✅ Equality
✅ Freedom of choice
✅ Interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding
Main Objectives
👉 Ensuring that all citizens are equal before the law regardless of gender, race, nationality, language, religion, beliefs, or social status, and preventing discrimination against their constitutional rights and freedoms.
👉 Strengthening the unity and solidarity of Uzbekistan’s multiethnic and multifaith population.
👉 Creating equal legal conditions for citizens’ active participation in public life.
👉 Safeguarding citizens’ right to freedom of conscience, regardless of their religious beliefs, while preventing the forced imposition of religious views.
The concept underscores the importance of secularism in areas such as governance, economic regulation, education, healthcare, culture, marriage institutions, and the formation of public moral and behavioral norms.
The document highlights Uzbekistan’s continued development as a sovereign, democratic, legal, social, and secular state that ensures interethnic and interfaith harmony.
Currently, more than 230 religious organizations representing 16 different faiths operate freely in the country, alongside over 130 ethnic groups and nationalities. Religious education is also a key focus, with four higher Islamic institutions, ten secondary Islamic schools (including two for women), as well as Orthodox and Protestant seminaries. Additionally, the Council on Religious Affairs plays an active role as a platform for dialogue among representatives of various faiths.
