Cultural Heritage Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan

On October 20, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted Resolution No. 659 “On the Approval of Certain Regulatory and Legal Acts in the Field of Protection and Use of Archaeological Heritage Sites.”

This document was developed in accordance with the Laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the Protection and Use of Cultural Heritage Sites” and “On the Protection and Use of Archaeological Heritage Sites.”

Until now, the absence of comprehensive by-laws regulating the field of archaeology has led to a number of uncertainties and difficulties in practical activities. In particular, there were no unified regulatory rules for registering archaeological heritage sites in the state catalogue, transferring them to state ownership, assigning them to scientific, cultural, and educational institutions, as well as organizing international archaeological research and conducting conservation work. The new resolution defines clear norms and procedures in these areas.

The draft resolution was reviewed and agreed upon through the Unified Electronic System for the Development and Coordination of Draft Regulatory Legal Acts with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Innovative Development, the Ministry of Culture, the Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Academy of Arts of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In addition, the document was coordinated with the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, as well as with the regional and Tashkent city hokimiyats.

The adopted resolution is aimed at the further systematic development of activities related to the preservation, study, and rational use of archaeological heritage sites.