Uzbekistan Constitution Day

Constitution Day of Uzbekistan is an official national holiday celebrated annually on 8 December in the Republic of Uzbekistan. This date commemorates 8 December 1992, when the country’s first constitution came into effect after gaining independence from the Soviet Union.

Adoption and Significance of the 1992 Constitution

The Constitution of Uzbekistan adopted on 8 December 1992 serves as the founding document of the independent state. It elevated fundamental principles such as sovereignty, supremacy of law, respect for human rights and freedoms, democratic social order, and a peaceful foreign policy to constitutional status, and established the legal framework for the country’s political, economic and social development. This constitution strengthened the institutional infrastructure of independence and laid the foundation for reforms.

2023 Constitutional Reform

In 2023, a comprehensive revision of the constitution was carried out. The revision process was conducted with broad and direct public participation. More than 222,000 suggestions were collected from citizens, and the Constitutional Commission along with expert working groups evaluated these proposals and incorporated those deemed appropriate into the text. This level of participation aimed to ensure that the constitution truly acquired the character of a “people’s constitution.”

Referendum of 30 April 2023

Millions of citizens participated in the referendum held on 30 April 2023, and international observers monitored the process. The new text adopted in the referendum entered into force on 1 May 2023.

Structural Changes

• The number of articles increased from 128 to 155,
• The number of sections rose from 26 to 27,
• The number of norms expanded from 275 to 434,
• More than 65 percent of the text was revised.

Strengthening the Principle of the Social State

The updated constitution enshrines Uzbekistan’s status as a social state at the constitutional level, introducing new social obligations such as the provision of affordable housing, a minimum wage commensurate with human dignity, support for vulnerable groups, and improvement in the quality of healthcare services.

Guarantees such as the prohibition of forced labor, the abolition of the death penalty, the limitation of pre-trial detention to 48 hours without a court order, and the enhancement of judicial independence and accountability of state bodies have been formally added.

Foreign Policy Principles and Their Contemporary Significance

Foreign policy principles have also been elevated to constitutional status. The supremacy of international agreements over domestic law has been guaranteed, and principles of transparency, good neighborliness, mutual benefit, and active participation in global processes have been incorporated into the text.

Constitution Day on 8 December is the official holiday that symbolically unites the original 1992 constitution and its 2023 revision approved by popular referendum. It represents Uzbekistan’s constitutional order, the supremacy of law, its path of democratic development, and the principle of popular sovereignty.