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Access to Justice in Tajikistan

Project completed

Legal reform and ensuring legal security for citizens in Tajikistan are cornerstones of the transition. The project aims to improve access to justice for vulnerable people and is contributing to reforms. Through the provision of legal aid services and the monitoring of law application and implementation practices, potential issues for reform shall be identified and analyzed. Reform proposals based on these analyses shall be advocated and discussed between governmental and non governmental actors. At the same time, the awareness and capacities both of legal service users and providers will be strengthened.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Tajikistan
Governance
Conflict & fragility
Human rights
Conflict prevention and transformation
Legal and judicial development
Conflict prevention
Human rights (incl. Women's rights)
01.12.2012 - 30.11.2016
 CHF  4’196’000
The project in brief
Background

Tajikistan is a country in transition from a post-Soviet legacy and a post-conflict situation towards democracy and market economy. In its efforts to change the policy and regulatory environment and establish democratic governance, the government ratified most of the UN Conventions and initiated comprehensive legal reform in 2007. New legal framework is under development, including major legal acts “on Advokatura”, “on legal aid”, etc. However, enforcement remains a major challenge as well as the development of sustainable legal services to the population, capacities and people being aware of their rights.
Objectives

Contribute to better access to justice for marginalized persons – in particular for women left behind by (male) labor migrants - by establishing a platform fordialogue between civil society and the Government to address key challenges in the access to justice and by enhancing the capacities of civil society and the Government in applying rule of law reforms
Target groups

By its focus on promoting dialogue on reform and improving the State authorities' reform on obstacles to access to justice, the project is targeting primarily the national level. However, the legal aid services will focus on certain regions. The project will continue to support legal aid services in the following areas: Dushanbe, Khujand, Vahdat, Isfara and Kurgantube. These areas are chosen due to previous support to the legal aid centres situated in those particular regions.

The direct beneficiaries are the lawyers, legal aid centres and local NGOs, as well as judiciary governmental actors. The indirect beneficiaries are the citizens in Tajikistan, in particular marginalized groups. Legal information will be provided to around 80’000 citizens and around 20’000 will be supported with quality legal services.
Medium-term outcomes
  • Legal awareness raising fosters legal protection of marginalized groups and individuals (>65% women) in project areas (100’000 individuals)
  • Legal aid services provide better access to legal protection for marginalized groups and individuals (>65% women) in project areas (20’000 persons)
  • Effective and responsive government services provide legal information and support to marginalized groups and individuals (>65% women) in project areas
  • Key challenges in access to justice and rule of law identified are raised in a policy dialogue with government authorities and other stakeholders leading to concrete responses for improved access to justice 
Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Swiss cooperation with Eastern Europe
Project partners Contract partner
Private sector
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • Foreign private sector North
  • United Nations Development Programme


Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    4’196’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    4’099’113
Project phases Phase 3 01.07.2021 - 31.07.2025   (Current phase) Phase 2 01.12.2016 - 31.03.2021   (Completed)

Phase 1 01.12.2012 - 30.11.2016   (Completed)

  • Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
    GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
    GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
    Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation
    Legal and judicial development
    Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution
    Human rights
    Cross-cutting topics Human rights
    The project takes account of gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.
    The project takes account of democratisation, good governance and human rights as cross-cutting themes.
    Type of support Official development assistance (ODA)
    Type of collaboration Bilateral cooperation
    Finance type Aid grant
    Aid Type Mandate with fiduciary funds
    Mandate without fiduciary fund
    Tied/untied aid Untied aid
    Project number

    7F08351

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Last update 12.05.2020