Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – The EU launches five projects to promote human rights and the development of civil society in Uzbekistan.

The event, which launched the implementation of new projects in the field of promoting democracy and human rights, as well as the development of civil society, was organized by the Delegation of the European Union in Uzbekistan with the support of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The event was attended by representatives of grant projects, project partners from among government departments, international organizations, representatives of NGOs and the media.

Addressing the participants of the event, the European Union Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Eduards Stiprais, noted: “Civil society is the basis of social progress and sustainable economic growth. An intensive process of government reform can only be successful if people can take part in shaping public policy. Civil society institutions foster good governance by providing space for public debate and by participating in or performing governance functions. ”

Madaminov Avazbek, head of the department of the Ministry of Justice, noted that “NGOs in Uzbekistan are becoming more active and are building up their potential and capabilities. The government pays particular attention to protecting the interests of vulnerable people, especially youth and women. ”

Tenders for EU funding were announced in May-June last year. As a result of the competition for grants from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and the Civil Society Organization - Local Authorities (CSO-MOV), five projects were selected for implementation in Uzbekistan:

“Empowering Independent Teacher Associations in Uzbekistan” by the Center for Innovation, Technology and Strategy (Uzbekistan);

“Strengthening civil society to promote women's rights through advocacy, protection and empowerment of women in Uzbekistan”, which will be implemented by ACTED (France);

“Transparent and inclusive governance through innovation and cooperation between civil society and local authorities”, implemented by the Nationwide Yuxalish Movement (Uzbekistan);

“Innovative Uzbekistan” in the implementation of “ODB BRUSSELS” (Belgium);

“Promotion of youth participation in local decision-making”, which will be carried out by the organization “Search for a common framework” (Belgium).

The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) is a thematic tool for financing EU external activities aimed at supporting projects in the field of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy in EU partner countries. This tool is designed to support the participation of civil society in political reforms and in protecting human rights.

The tool of the Civil Society Organization - Local Authorities (CSO-MOV) is aimed at strengthening the capacity of CSOs and MOVs in EU partner countries and increasing the contribution of CSOs to the management and development process.

During the event, project implementers and partners were able to obtain information on the basic requirements for financing and contracting, as well as communication activities and raising public awareness during project implementation.