Samarkand Summit Calls for Integrated Systems to Safeguard Children’s Futures

The UN‑backed World Summit on Investing in Children’s Wellbeing convened in Samarkand with more than 600 participants representing over 100 countries. Speakers noted that only 36% of assessable Sustainable Development Goal targets are on track, and that international humanitarian assistance continues to shrink. A projected increase in under‑five deaths for 2025 – the first rise in a century – adds urgency. At the same time, one billion children are growing up in nations most exposed to climate‑related shocks, underscoring the need for coordinated health, education and protection systems.

Uzbekistan used the summit to showcase national progress that aligns with the four priorities outlined by the UN General Assembly President. Preschool participation has climbed from 27% in 2017 to 78% in 2026, and more than 10,000 children with disabilities now attend mainstream schools. About 1.5 million families benefit from social assistance, contributing to a noticeable decline in child monetary poverty. In 2025 the country enacted a comprehensive law against all forms of violence toward children and launched a 2026‑2030 action strategy. First Lady Ziroat Mirziyoyeva warned that, amid shrinking humanitarian aid, under‑five mortality could rise in 2025.

A focal point of the summit was the Second International Congress on Childhood Cancer, which highlighted a stark survival divide. More than 80% of children with cancer are cured in high‑income nations, while cure rates fall below 30% in many low‑ and middle‑income settings. Around 400,000 new paediatric cancer cases are diagnosed each year worldwide, and the WHO aims to lift global survival to 60% by 2030. Delegates cited Uzbekistan’s Mehrli Maktab “caring school” – a facility that lets children continue education while undergoing lengthy treatment – as a model for holistic support.