The Republic of Uzbekistan is a presidential republic whose President is head of state and head of government. Though the constitution provides for a separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches, the President and the executive branch dominate political life and have almost complete control over the other branches. The bicameral parliament consists of two houses, the Legislative Chamber and the Senate. The institutions of government have changed little since independence. The government has used the conflicts in the other republics that were part of the USSR as a reason for moving slowly with reform.

Legislative elections in 2004 did not meet international standards. A violent uprising led to the imposing of a Senate with 84 of its 100 members selected by regional legislatures and 16 appointed by the President. Judges, public prosecutors, national security officials, servicemen, foreign citizens and stateless persons cannot join political parties. There are 21 women in the legislature, 15 in the Senate and 1 in the Cabinet. There are 9 members of ethnic minorities in the legislature and 15 in the Senate.

Discrimination is prohibited on the basis of race, gender, disability, language, or social status but is expressed against a number of groups.

Police and security personnel are accused of torturing detainees to coerce confessions and imposing psychiatric treatment on political opponents. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture reports that torture and abuse are systemic. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been unable to visit the centre where human rights groups claim torture takes place. People suspected of being Islamist political sympathisers are subjected to harsher punishment than criminals. Human rights activists and journalists have been beaten and attacked at public demonstrations. In 2004 an estimated 5,000 political prisoners were being held.

High and growing unemployment and high levels of corruption contribute to social unrest. There is a widespread public perception of corruption throughout society, including in the executive and legislative branches of government. Permission is required from local authorities to move to a new city, and bribes make the documents available.

According to Human Rights Watch, local neighbourhood surveillance committees keep extensive files on families and collect information on individual religious practices to report to authorities. Young persons are monitored to stop contact with extremist Islamic groups.

Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed in law but not in practice. Criticism or public insult of the President is a criminal offence. Information is tightly controlled by the Uzbekistan News Agency, which prepares and distributes officially sanctioned news and information. Foreign newspapers and publications are not allowed in general distribution, and state-run channels dominate television. Both print and broadcast journalists are subject to harassment, intimidation and violence by police and security services. Access to the Internet is limited, with some web sites blocked.

Uzbekistan is a source country for the trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation and of men for labour. Some local officials are accused of being involved in trafficking. NGOs report that labour trafficking is more prevalent than trafficking for sexual exploitation.

HIV/AIDS-positive persons face social stigma. A national HIV/AIDS prevention programme is aimed at increasing awareness and curbing the spread of HIV. Homosexuality is a crime punishable by up to 3 years in prison.

Education is free and compulsory through secondary school, though budgetary shortfalls have transferred much of the cost of education to families. Teachers earn salaries below subsistence levels and so must ask parents for supplementary payments. Official reports claim that 98% of children complete secondary school, but independent reports indicate that children are increasingly dropping out of secondary schools as economic circumstances deteriorate. Early marriage, as young as age 15, is reported in some rural areas. School children in rural areas are forced to work in the cotton fields during the harvest.

Religious instruction is permitted in officially sanctioned religious schools with instructors licensed by the state. The government funds an Islamic university that is reported as part of a plan to promote a moderate version of Islam.

A 4-year programme begins at age 3. The Net Enrolment Rate is 21%. There are 65,762 ECE teachers (95% female), all of whom are trained. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 10 : 1.

Education is compulsory for ages 7 to 16. Primary school begins at age 7 and lasts 4 years. 49% of students are girls. The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) is 100%. Of students who enrol in Grade 1, 98% reach the last grade of primary school.

Secondary education begins at age 11 and lasts 7 years. 36% of students in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The GER is 98% in lower secondary and 87% in upper secondary schools.

407,528 students (44% female) study in tertiary institutions, for a GER of 15%. At the same time, 17,163 Uzbek students are studying abroad, mainly in Kyrgyzstan (9,856), the Russian Federation (2,430), Kazakhstan (1,783), Tajikistan (1,277) and Germany (520).

Discrimination against persons with disabilities is prohibited in education, but the law does not apply to other state services. Social discrimination against persons with disabilities is cited. Children with disabilities are segregated into separate schools. Persons with mental disabilities are housed in special institutions without safeguards against inappropriate and involuntary institutionalisation.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reports concern at the disparities in rights that exist between groups of children. Very little support is received by the most vulnerable children, such as those with disabilities, those who have been abandoned and those living in institutions in regions with very low socioeconomic development.

The Committee was deeply concerned at the numerous reports of torture and ill-treatment of persons under 18, and the insufficient efforts by the government to investigate allegations of torture and prosecute the perpetrators.

The law does not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, and the government has not established a system for providing protection to refugees. But the government cooperates with the UNHCR to provide assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers.

The population is mainly Uzbek; the ethnic minorities include Russians, Tajiks, Tatars, and Kazakhs as well as ethnic Koreans, Meskhetian Turks and Germans. Discrimination is prohibited on the basis of ethnicity or national origin, but Russians and other minorities complain of limited job opportunities. Senior positions in government and business are reserved for ethnic Uzbeks.

Language remains a sensitive issue. The constitution requires that the President speak Uzbek, the state language. However, Russian is the language of interethnic communication and is spoken in the cities; Tajik is spoken widely in Samarkand and Bukhara.

Academic freedom is limited. University professors are required to have their lecture notes approved. This requirement is implemented sporadically, but it causes self-censorship. A professor was fired for an article he published in a foreign publication.

Discrimination against women is illegal, but traditional, cultural and religious practices limit their opportunities. Women are under-represented in management positions, in government and in the industrial sector. Sexual harassment is not prohibited and is reportedly common. Domestic violence is not prohibited and is a common problem. Police discourage women from filing complaints against abusive husbands.

Human Rights Watch reports that women are often unable to obtain a divorce without the approval of the neighbourhood committee, which is rarely granted even in cases of obvious abuse. Reports indicate that increasing numbers of women and girls commit suicide. Trafficking in women and girls for sexual exploitation remains a problem.

The minimum age for employment is 14. Children 14 to 16 can work a maximum of 20 hours a week when school is not in session and 10 hours when school is in session. Youth 17 and 18 can work 30 hours a week when school is not in session and 15 hours when it is in session.

Nevertheless, large-scale compulsory mobilisation of students to harvest cotton continues in most rural areas. Children are very poorly paid for this work. Human rights activists report that local officials pressure teachers to release students from class for the harvest, and in many areas schools close at this time. UNICEF estimates that 22% of children aged 5 to 14 work at least part time, most in family-organised cotton fields. Girls are trafficked from the country for the purpose of sexual exploitation and prostitution.

Workers have the right to form and join trade unions. The law declares unions independent of government and economic bodies, except where provided for by other laws. Unions are highly centralised and subject to government interference. Collective bargaining is permitted but is not implemented. A tripartite group sets wages for civil servants. The private sector is small, and wages are set by management or individually. Strikes are neither allowed nor prohibited in law.

Forced or compulsory labour is used as part of sentences for criminals and reportedly occurs among people trafficked for sexual and labour exploitation. The minimum wage is set by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in consultation with the trade union confederation, the CFTU. The minimum monthly wage is US$8.25 (9,400 soum), which does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The standard work week is set at 41 hours.