A roundtable meeting took place on December 1, 2023, in Tashkent, and focused on presenting an analytical report and practical recommendations for the rehabilitating of women and children who have returned from conflict zones. The report was presented to national partners, civil society institutions, non-governmental and international organizations, donors, and UN agencies.
Under the Global Framework Program in June 2022, the UNODC ROCA provided support to the International Socio-Educational Center (ISEC) "Barkaror Hayot," the Committee on Family and Women, and other national partners in conducting an analysis of the situation related to the processes of providing rehabilitation and reintegration assistance for repatriates in the Namangan and Surkhandaryo regions. The research aimed to collect and analyze data on best practices and challenges/barriers in the reintegration process of women and children returning from conflict zones to develop recommendations for improving services for repatriates in Uzbekistan
During the roundtable meeting, experts from “Barkaror Hayot” presented practical recommendations based on the analytical report. In the opening speech, Olia Ilmuradova, head of (ISEC) "Barkaror Hayot”, emphasized the importance of developing cooperation among all ministries working with repatriates and continuing to work on reintegration efforts, especially for children entering adulthood.
Mirzahid Sultanov, the UNODC National Programme Officer, highlighted the need for a legal framework for individuals returning from conflict zones, an area in which UNODC has expertise and experience.
Mr. Ilyas Khodzhaev, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, acknowledged the practical guide's uniqueness and suggested translating it into the state language and implementing it in areas where families returned from conflict zones reside.
Lastly the roundtable explored ways to deepen interaction between government and civil society on reintegration and repatriation.
