Dushanbe, Tajikistan, September 26, 2022 – U.S. Embassy Dushanbe’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) section, in cooperation with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA/ROLI), is proud to announce the launch of a new project, “Supporting Tajikistan’s Rule of Law Landscape,” which focuses on supporting the secondary legal defense bar. This project is expected to last 20 months at a cost of $250,000.
ABA/ROLI will partner with the U.S. Embassy Rule of Law Program by assisting the Tajik government to build an integrated, fair, accountable, and transparent criminal justice system where all key players have equal participation rights. This project will develop the institutional and professional capacity of the Union of Advocates and in collaboration with the State Agency’s “ Legal Aid Center” will assess and improve the quality of legal aid in criminal cases. The Union will be better equipped to fulfill its mandate of protecting human rights and promoting rule of law principles. Local populations will have better access to legal aid and will receive more effective protection of their rights. Moreover, the project will increase the institutional capacity of the Union of Advocates by developing its Continuing Legal Education system, attestation procedures, and providing capacity-building training to lawyers.
