Foreign Operations Assistance: Uzbekistan

United States Department of State
Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia
Foreign Operations Assistance Fact Sheet, April 2012*

UZBEKISTAN

United States assistance goals are to improve livelihoods of citizens through support for the key agricultural sector, address the threats of infectious disease and transnational crime, increase citizen input into government decision-making, and improve the government’s record with respect to human rights.

Recent Successes by Areas of Focus:

Peace & Security

• U.S. assistance supports efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) and narcotics and to improve Uzbekistan’s capacity to control its borders. USG-supported anti-trafficking programs, including a newly launched program implemented by an Uzbekistan nongovernmental organization (NGO), assisted the Government of Uzbekistan (GOU) and civil society organizations (CSOs) in their efforts to respond to the problem of human trafficking through prevention, protection and social reintegration services. U.S. assistance supported 466 public information campaigns and events, and provided direct assistance to 201 trafficking victims, while programs and training reached almost 35,000 government officials.
• USG support facilitated updating the technology and procedures of Uzbekistan’s main forensics laboratory to meet international standards, enabling it to provide reports to courts within 24 hours.
• The GOU recently took steps to counter corruption, including the passage of anti-corruption legislation. USG support was crucial to attracting other donors for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime-led anti-corruption project and the project’s startup.
• Discussions to institutionalize non-proliferation training have been successful, including development of the first Uzbek language non-proliferation training materials on USG-provided equipment.

Governing Justly and Democratically

• BY ACCOUNT	FY 2011 ACTUAL	FY 2012 ESTIMATE	FY 2013 REQUEST
  TOTAL ($000s)	$11,335	$12,940	$12,595
  Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia	$8,250	$7,540	$0
  Economic Support Fund	$0	$0	$5,512
  Foreign Military Financing	$0	$1,500	$1,500
  Global Health Programs - USAID	$2,196	3000	$4,000
  International Military Education and Training	$289	$300	$300
  International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement	$0	$0	$743
  Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Programs	$600	$600	$540

  USAID supported the drafting of new legislation for improving the operational environment for civil society. Approximately 900 CSOs actively participated, jointly with local governments, in roundtables nationwide in the drafting of one of the new laws.
• U.S. assistance seeks to improve respect for human rights and strengthen the rule of law, including implementation of habeas corpus legislation. In FY 2011 USAID launched a new three year program to improve the technical knowledge and practical skills of justice system stakeholders and strengthen the Office of the Ombudsman as an impartial institution addressing human rights and rule of law.
• U.S. Embassy small grants programs helped NGOs to monitor the human rights situation; enhanced the role of women in society, especially in business; strengthened youth leadership skills; and assisted the integration of the disabled into society. These grants are very important for the few remaining independent NGOs in Uzbekistan. Embassy programs also enabled exchange alumni to build upon their experiences and use grants to implement their own community service and professional development projects, thus widening the circle of citizens of Uzbekistan exposed to American culture, policies, and values.
• U.S. assistance helped NGOs build successful advocacy efforts on human rights issues, strengthened the capacity of parliamentarians to more effectively govern through study tours to the U.S., and initiated a new program that will help local communities to improve service delivery and sub-national governance in municipalities.

Investing in People

• USG programs provided direct outreach to populations at risk for contracting TB, including drug users, prisoners, and people living with HIV/AIDS. 2,536 individuals were reached through direct outreach, and 401 received TB testing services.

Economic Growth

• BY OBJECTIVE	FY 2011 ACTUAL	FY 2012 ESTIMATE	FY 2013 REQUEST
  TOTAL ($000s)	$11,335	$12,940	$12,595
  Peace and Security	$1,634	$3,336	$3,375
  Governing Justly and Democratically	$3,252	$2,015	$2,220
  Investing in People	$3,036	$3,000	$4,000
  Economic Growth	$3,413	$4,289	$3,000
  Humanitarian Assistance	$0	$300	$0

  USAID supported over 3,000 farmers with new production and cold storage techniques, and improved on-farm water efficiency, which nearly tripled crop productivity and stimulated up to six-fold increase in sales.
• A Food for Progress Program dispersed funds to upgrade the computer and communications systems at the Tashkent City Ambulance Dispatch Center.
• In USAID launched the four-year, $12 million “Agricultural Linkages Plus” (AgLinks Plus) project that expands the activities of its predecessor project and undertakes a holistic “value-chain” approach in promoting increased agricultural diversification through fruit and vegetable production, processing and sales.

Humanitarian Assistance

• The USG provided aid in FY 2011 to vulnerable populations in Uzbekistan, including the elderly, orphaned children, and the disabled. With USG support, over $2.19 million in donations (of both medical and non-medical supplies) were air-shipped into Uzbekistan during FY 2011 to aid vulnerable populations. The USG also provided assistance in the form of small reconstruction projects.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Coordinator's Office
Annual Reports
U.S. Embassy Website
www.foreignassistance.gov
Millennium Challenge Corporation