In 2024 European Commission launched its first significant technical assistance Action in Uzbekistan aimed specifically at anti-corruption reforms and scheduled to run from 2024 to 2026.

In 2024 European Commission launched its first significant technical assistance Action in Uzbekistan aimed specifically at anti-corruption reforms and scheduled to run from 2024 to 2026. The Action will be carried out by two projects in close cooperation: “Inclusive corruption prevention”, co-funded by the German government, which will be implemented by an EU consortium composed of GIZ, Regional Dialogue and the Central Finance and Contracting Agency of Latvia, and “Strengthening the National Anti-Corruption Ecosystem”  implemented by UNDP. On the Uzbek side the primary stakeholder is the Anti-Corruption Agency. Other partners include the Prosecution Service, Law Enforcement Academy, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Justice, and more.

The new action aims to integrate anti-corruption solutions, principles and tools in public administration, public service delivery, civil society performance, and law-making, so that citizens, especially those most vulnerable, demand and benefit from accountable, transparent, inclusive and gender-responsive governance systems and rule of law institutions. Equally, the intervention will support civic engagement and collective action in fostering zero-tolerance towards corruption in society.

Regional Dialogue will specifically focus on corruption and integrity risk assessments, internal control systems for strengthening transparency and accountability, as well as the design and implementation of open data portals and IT/AI analytical tools for identification of corruption risk anomalies in the use of state and local budgets. Specific sectors that RD will concentrate on are healthcare, public procurement, and prosecution.

For the implementation of the AI/IT solution, Regional Dialogue has partnered with leading Slovenian research Institute Jožef Stefan (link - https://ijs.si/ijsw).