The draft law was adopted in all three readings during a session on August 4, according to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis.
Officially known as the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, the treaty was adopted in 2018. It establishes a unified legal framework for the recognition and enforcement of settlement agreements reached through mediation in international commercial disputes.
The convention currently has 65 parties, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Japan, India, China, the United States and the United Kingdom. Once the accession process is completed, Uzbekistan will become the 66th party.
Gulchekhra Tadjibayeva, a member of the Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security, said the country needs modern and effective mechanisms for the out-of-court resolution of international commercial disputes. She noted that mediation enables businesses to settle conflicts more quickly, at lower cost and while preserving commercial relationships.
Under the proposed framework, if an Uzbek entrepreneur reaches a settlement with a foreign business partner through mediation, enforcement of that agreement in another country that is party to the convention will be significantly simplified. This would eliminate the need for the dispute to be reconsidered by a court.
The draft law also sets conditions for the application of the convention. Its provisions will apply only if the parties explicitly agree to use its mechanisms in their legal relationship.
Lawmakers said this approach would allow businesses to decide independently whether to rely on the convention. The legislation also proposes excluding settlement agreements involving Uzbekistan as a state, a state body, or a person acting on the state's behalf from the convention's scope.
Authorities expect accession to strengthen the country's mediation framework, enhance legal protections for businesses and improve Uzbekistan's attractiveness to foreign investors.
The draft law was approved in its first reading with 123 votes in favor, while two lawmakers did not vote. The same result was recorded during the combined vote on the second and third readings, held following a proposal by Ulugbek Shermatov of the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan.
The legislation will now be submitted to the Senate. If approved, it will be sent to the president for signature before entering into force.
