One of the priority areas of the Uzbekistan-2030 Strategy is to ensure the well-being of the people through sustainable economic growth and the rule of law. To achieve these goals, the Government of Uzbekistan is working to build effective public administration and a system for preventing corruption risks, as well as creating a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption in society.
Uzbekistan continues to advance anti-corruption reforms across all spheres of government management. Numerous anti-corruption legislative initiatives have been launched, such as amendments to the Criminal Code to strengthen liability for corruption, and the adoption of a new law on corruption proofing of legislation, enhancing transparency of public agencies. Strong political commitments provide Uzbekistan with a unique opportunity to reduce corruption risks, thereby improving the prospects for a better future for the people and businesses of Uzbekistan.
One of the important areas of this work is strengthening the country’s asset recovery framework in line with the requirements of the UN Convention against Corruption. In recent years, Uzbekistan has introduced a number of important legislative reforms in this area and invested efforts in increasing the capacity of its asset recovery practitioners. Uzbekistan is hosting Asset Recovery Inter Agency Network in West and Central Asia (ARIN-WCA) and is also a member of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (theGlobE Network). These efforts resulted in recent reported returns of stolen assets from a number of financial centers.
To support this important work, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Central Asia and the General Prosecutor's Office, with support from the United States Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, initiated a 2-years project intitled "Improving the Effectiveness of the Asset Recovery Framework in Uzbekistan." The overall objective of the project is to support Uzbekistan in enhancing an asset recovery framework that provides necessary institutional, legal, and operational capacities to effectively trace, recover, and manage assets diverted through the practice of corruption and other economic crimes.
The project consists of the following main components:
As the custodian of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), UNODC builds the project framework on the principles of the UNCAC, focusing on the requirements and standards enshrined in the Convention and best international practices including those collected by the flagship Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR - Initiative) of UNODC and the World Bank.
During the project launch ceremony on 7 May, UNODC’s Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser, Mr. Vladimir Kozin, and National Project Officer, Mr. Azat Irmanov, presented the project goals to national partners.
UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia Ms. Ashita Mittal emphasized, “It is very important that all recovered assets are well accounted for and managed for the benefit of the people of Uzbekistan.”
The General Prosecutor of the Republic of Uzbekistan, H.E. Mr. Nigmatulla Yuldashev, said, “The activities of the General Prosecutor's Office are aimed at enhancing the rule of law; therefore, the return of illicit assets and the prevention of corruption risks is one of priority functions of prosecutor authorities.”
The US Ambassador to Uzbekistan, H.E. Mr. Jonathan Henick noted the importance of digitalization and deployment of technology to improve the efficacy of Uzbekistan’s justice sector, including through more efficient criminal investigations, secure and expeditious communication with partner countries, and modern database management system.
During the project presentation, heads of GPO departments and leading prosecutors shared their vision on the best ways of implementing the project activities and pointed out key issues that should be covered within the analytical work of the project.
For cooperation, please contact:
Mr. Vladimir Kozin
UNODC ROCA Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser
Phone: +998 78 120 80 50
Mr. Azizbek Yusupov
Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
U.S. Embassy Tashkent
Phone: +998 78 120 54 50
