Uzbekistan creates independent National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree establishing the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change, a new body designed to respond quickly to public demands in the fields of ecology and tourism. The committee replaces the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change, which is removed from the Cabinet of Ministers. Existing staff positions are retained, and the committee will report directly to the President. Its regional branches will operate independently and will not be part of local executive authorities.

Under the decree, the committee will function independently of any state bodies or officials, with interference from such officials strictly prohibited.

All powers previously held by the Cabinet of Ministers in the areas of ecology and environmental protection, as defined by law, will now be exercised directly by the National Committee until relevant legal amendments are implemented.

The committee is recognized as the legal successor to the rights and responsibilities of the former ministry. It will be led by the President’s advisor on ecological issues, who will serve as its chairman.

Four deputy chairpersons will be appointed and dismissed by the President. Their status, remuneration, medical services, and transportation provisions will be equivalent to those of the President’s advisor deputies.

The heads of the committee in Karakalpakstan, as well as regional and Tashkent city departments, will be appointed and dismissed by the committee chairman in agreement with the Presidential Administration.

Regional and district (city) divisions will operate independently of local executive authorities and report directly to the National Committee. State bodies and organizations must consult with the committee when appointing or dismissing staff in environmental diplomacy units.

The National Committee also has the authority to approve the structures of protected natural areas and state forest enterprises, including model organizational structures.