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Uzbekistan will introduce a nationwide system to assess the resilience of officials and civil service candidates to corruption risks from 2026, according to a presidential decree adopted this week.
The reform aims to strengthen integrity in state institutions, enhance transparency in public administration and create clearer, merit-based recruitment mechanisms.
The decision follows persistent concerns over institutional integrity. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, Uzbekistan ranks 121st of 180 countries with a score of 32/100, indicating systemic vulnerabilities that affect governance and public trust. Officials say the new system is designed to address these shortcomings through early screening and continuous assessment.
Phased Introduction of Testing
The Anti-Corruption Agency and its Centre for Leadership Assessment will implement the system in several stages:
Officials who receive low scores will not be permitted to remain in high-risk positions and will be reassigned to roles with minimal corruption exposure. The government emphasises that this measure is intended to prevent conflicts of interest and strengthen internal accountability.
The decree also modernises entry into public administration. From 2026, all vacancies will be published on the digital platform vacancy.gov.uz, where applicants must register for the integrity assessment. Individuals who pass the test may use their results for one year, enabling them to apply for multiple positions without retaking the exam.
Authorities state that the new system aims to reduce informal hiring practices, broaden access to public service and ensure fair competition. It also introduces standardised performance indicators (KPIs) and rotation requirements for district administrations to make governance more results-driven.
Regulators believe the combined measures—testing, transparent recruitment and performance monitoring—will help reduce corruption risks at both entry and senior levels of public administration. By institutionalising regular diagnostics, the government seeks to reinforce a culture of accountability and professional ethics.
Officials argue that the reform represents a significant step towards building stronger public institutions capable of delivering responsive services. They also highlight its importance for strengthening public trust, which remains a key objective in Uzbekistan’s broader administrative modernisation efforts.
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
Candidates elected to Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-member presidency declared victory after preliminary unofficial results showed Denis Becirovic leading the Bosniak seat, Darijana Filipovic ahead in the Croat seat and Zeljka Cvijanovic likely retaining the Serb seat.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets seven conditions agreed under a June memorandum, as President Donald Trump signals he may soon decide whether to resume military operations against Tehran.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
Regional powers gathered in Moscow on Monday for talks on Afghanistan, focusing on security, economic cooperation and Kabul’s relations with its neighbours.
Four major German political foundations have halted their work in Georgia as tighter rules on foreign grants put pressure on a decades-old partnership and add to tensions between Tbilisi and its European partners.
The U.S. has deployed two additional Patriot missile batteries to the Gulf, protecting key energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar as Washington expands its military presence in the Middle East amid heightened tensions with Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks in Tehran on Monday on bilateral ties and efforts to strengthen peace and security in the South Caucasus.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry says it has conveyed its initial position to the United States through Qatar over Washington’s response to Tehran’s seven-day plan aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
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