March 26, 2021, Tashkent, Uzbekistan - Winners of the mass media contest “Justice is in the Rule of Law” were recognized at a ceremony in the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan today. A total of 75 newspaper, radio and television, and online journalists competed with 720 entries on court reform, justice and rule of law. The contest also recognized judges or court employees who had been most active in engaging with the media, and researchers who had studied how the national legal system can most effectively work with journalists.
Improving Uzbekistan media’s coverage of courts and the justice sector, as well as openness of legal professionals in engaging with journalists, has been a primary focus of the “Rule of Law Partnership in Uzbekistan” program of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan, USAID and UNDP.
“Independent media are fundamental to ensuring that reforms are effective,” Alan Meltzer, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan, said. “Effective coverage of court processes can have multiple benefits. This includes allowing better access to information about the legal system and its work to the public.”
The activities of the Rule of Law Partnership program included setting up press conferences, briefings and media tours to the Supreme Court and other courts throughout Uzbekistan, making sure open information channels are provided for journalists, and training journalists to better understand the legal system and its processes. Empowering journalists leads to better media coverage and greater transparency.
The contest was an opportunity to recognize journalists and legal professionals who have worked together to make the court system more transparent by discussing and engaging with complex topics in the legal field.
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USAID partners with the Government of Uzbekistan to diversify the country’s economy and increase regional trade, address serious health threats – including COVID-19 – and build the government’s capacity to respond to the population’s needs. For more information, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/uzbekistan.
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