DUSHANBE, May 8, 2009, Asia-Plus — On May 5, Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and the U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan, Mr. Tracey Ann Jacobson, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding bilateral cooperation in a $7 million project on Local Governance and Citizen Participation Program.
According to press release issued by the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, this reform effort has five separate areas of emphasis. First, promoting government decentralization, working with a Presidential Working Group to support reform empowering local government at the all levels and including local government and community stakeholders in the national policy dialogue on local government reform. Second, training to make local governance more effective. Third, increasing citizen awareness of local issues and participation in local governance improvements. Fourth, improving accountability of local governing institutions. Last, sharing information with the public about government budgets, progress in the decentralization process, and how citizens can participate in government.
The program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is providing expert consultants, training, and in-kind grants through its implementing partner Urban Institute, which was selected in a competitive bidding process. Urban Institute is an independent economic and social policy research organization, registered by the Government of Tajikistan. The Local Governance and Citizen Participation Program was begun by Urban Institute in September 2006.
USAID local governance project is a part of the democracy and conflict mitigation sector supported by USAID on behalf of the American people. Since 1993 the American people through USAID have provided about $300 million in assistance programs that support economic growth, democratic institutions, health care, and education systems of Tajikistan.
