President Mirziyoyev signs decree to overhaul civil service recruitment and career development

According to a presidential decree, beginning January 1, 2026, individuals newly appointed to civil service positions in Uzbekistan will initially be employed under a one-year labor contract. Based on their positive performance, this contract may later be extended to an indefinite term. In addition, mandatory specialized training will be required for all first-time civil servants.

On June 19, the president signed a decree titled “On Measures to Organize Civil Service Based on New Approaches and Form a Professional and Results-Oriented Civil Servant Corps.”

According to the decree, mechanisms will be introduced to enhance public trust in government agencies by ensuring strict adherence to ethical standards and fostering professional conduct among civil servants.

Key responsibilities for the Civil Service Development Agency

Under this initiative, the Civil Service Development Agency will take on several major responsibilities:

Attract top talent through open and fair recruitment competitions and facilitate both horizontal and vertical career progression.
Assess the potential and professional competencies of civil servants and compile individual portfolios based on evaluation outcomes.
Identify demand for highly sought-after specializations and initiate targeted international internships for civil servants in those areas.
Support the career advancement of “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation scholars, both horizontally and vertically.
Cooperate with the Academy of Public Administration and the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation, both of which are tasked with related functions.

Major civil service reforms starting in 2026

To radically reform the civil service sector, the following procedures will be established starting January 1, 2026:

First-time civil servants will sign a one-year employment contract, which can be extended to an open-ended contract based on positive job performance.
They must complete a mandatory “Introduction to Civil Service” training course upon entry and participate in refresher training at least once every three years.
Upon completing these courses, participants will undergo assessments to evaluate theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

The diagnostics will assess:

Knowledge of their field or sector;
Skills in drafting documents and working in the state language;
Analytical, leadership, and communication abilities;
Computer literacy;
Awareness of recent legislative updates;
Knowledge of Uzbekistan’s history and foreign languages;
General erudition, psychological profile, and intelligence quotient (IQ).

Based on these assessments, each civil servant will receive a professional development roadmap (portfolio).

This roadmap will outline required improvements in both soft and hard skills, including participation in mandatory professional development programs, and may involve self-directed learning.

New rules for civil service recruitment from August 2025

Effective August 1, 2025, the following procedures will be implemented for filling civil service positions:

All competitions for management and support positions at republican, regional, and district (city) levels must be conducted exclusively through the Unified Portal for civil service vacancies.
For positions that legally require inter-agency approval, such coordination will be achieved by including representatives from relevant bodies in the selection commission.
Testing will be conducted either in specially equipped rooms or remotely via an online system through the official civil service assessment module.

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