European Union, EU Consortium and UNDP join efforts to support the anti-corruption effort of the Government of Uzbekistan

Tashkent, 19 April 2024-The European Union, an EU Consortium under the leadership of GIZ, UNDP Uzbekistan and the Anti-corruption agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan are proud to announce the official launch of the Action "Improving Governance in Uzbekistan", aimed at bolstering the nation's anti-corruption efforts. Held at the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the event serves as a platform for presentation, discussion, and endorsement of this pivotal initiative.

Funded by the European Union, the Action will be carried out by two projects in close cooperation: "Inclusive corruption prevention" will be implemented by an EU consortium under the leadership of GIZ in partnership with Regional Dialogue and the Central Finance and Contracting Agency of Latvia with a budget of 4,550,000 Euros, co-funded by the German government. "Strengthening the National Anti-Corruption Ecosystem in Uzbekistan" will be implemented by UNDP with a budget of 2,500,000 Euros. With a duration spanning from 2024 to 2026, the projects target all 14 regions of Uzbekistan.

By partnering with their main national partner - the Anti-Corruption Agency, as well other key government agencies with a mandate of preventing and combatting corruption, CSOs and the media, the projects aim to address critical challenges such as weak institutionalization of anti-corruption efforts and the gap between national and regional levels of implementation.

Her excellency Ms. Charlotte Adriaen, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan, expressed her optimism about the project, stating,

"This initiative signifies EU's continued support to the ambitious reform programme in Uzbekistan. Supporting the efforts in fighting corruption will be essential for ensuring sustainable and equitable development."

In their turn, Mr. Anas Qarman, the Resident Representative a.i. of UNDP Uzbekistan, and Mr. Joachim Fritz, GIZ country director, affirmed that UNDP and GIZ stand ready to further support the Government of Uzbekistan in its important journey to advance inclusive and people-centered governance transformations.

Director of the Anti-Corruption agency Mr. Burkhanov noted that the Agency is planning to implement large scale of work, including the introduction of the Integrity Assessment initiative, ensuring corruption reforms reach all regionsas well as introducing digital technologies and artificial intelligence into the anti-corruption system, enhancing cooperation with civil society institutions and increasing their capacity, introducing a coordination system for cooperation with donorsin anti-corruption sphere.

Key activities of the projects intend legal and institutional reforms, enhancing law enforcement response to corruption, and promoting social accountability through civic engagement. These efforts are expected to yield tangible outcomes, including strengthened national anti-corruption frameworks, enhanced integrity including the regional and local levels, and increased civic engagement and awareness.

For more information about the projects, please contact:

• Dilfuza Abulkhasan, UNDP Project Manager, at [email protected]
• Viktor Kessler, GIZ Project Manager, at [email protected]

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.