On April 21, 2021, at the Nukus Youth Center, the UN Development Programme held a meeting with students of the Nukus State Pedagogical Institute named after Ajiniyaz, the Nukus branch of the Tashkent University of Information Technologies, representatives of the Agency for Youth Affairs and the Karakalpakstan’s Innovative Hub.

The purpose of the meeting is to study the interests and needs of young people who want to start their own business in the future, develop innovative ideas and projects in various directions.

At the beginning of the year, UNDP Uzbekistan, together with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, launched a new programme “Unleashing young people’s and vulnerable citizens’ creativity and innovation by strengthening their adaptive capacity to address the economic and food insecurities in the exposed communities of the Aral Sea region” funded by the UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea region in Uzbekistan.

The programme provides for the creation of local start-up incubators and accelerators that will support the innovative ideas of young entrepreneurs in Karakalpakstan. It is planned to introduce a youth platform at the Agency for Youth Affairs, where all the necessary measures will be provided for the self-realization of future entrepreneurs and the development of their skills in the field of start-up projects. Over 70 young people, during the implementation of the programme, will have the opportunity to participate in a series of business trainings, team and individual mentoring, as well as consulting and coaching sessions. Qualified mentors will be involved in working with youth, who will guide the programme participants from the moment a business idea is born to the launch of start-up projects. Three start-up projects selected on a competitive basis will receive funding from UNDP for implementation.

UNDP assists in improving efficiency and implementation of innovations in agriculture of Karakalpakstan, promoting smart and digital communities with favourable infrastructure for empowering youth, women, as well as vulnerable groups of people, including people with disabilities, families headed by women, labour migrants, etc.