U.S. Department of State

Foreign Operations Appropriated Assistance*
Fiscal Year (FY) 2007: $15.53 Million (M) ($15M FSA, $0.53M Other)
Estimate FY 2008: $10.19M ($8.41M FSA,$1.78M Other)**

Assistance Goals: United States (U.S.) assistance to Uzbekistan seeks to promote and protect human rights; improve understanding of market principles; combat trafficking in persons. In addition, U.S. Government (USG) assistance builds the capacity of civil society to engage with the Government of Uzbekistan (GOU) on social advocacy issues.

Areas of Focus (Foreign Operations Appropriated Assistance):

Peace and Security (PS): FY 2007: $0.69M, Est. FY 2008: $1.43M

• Work with former weapons scientists on commercial research projects to discourage the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction;
• Combat trafficking in persons and youth drug use;
• Maintain a productive, though limited security relationship with Uzbekistan.

Governing Justly and Democratically (GJD): FY 2007: $5.59M, Est. FY 2008: $3.91M

• Improve the ability of private groups to monitor and report on the GOU’s human rights practices and expand civic participation;
• Provide legal information to businesses and human rights advocates;
• Promote a more open and sustainable media environment.

Investing in People (IIP): FY 2007: $4.33M, Est. FY 2008: $3.4M

• Combat the spread of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in Uzbekistan;
• Promote high quality maternal and child health care.

Economic Growth (EG): FY 2007: $3.56M, Est. FY 2008: $1.05M

• Promote public understanding of issues that affect the business environment;
• Strengthen the ability of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to influence economic policy;
• Encourage independent financial data and analysis of the Uzbek economy;
• Work directly with farmers to improve decision making and establish more profitable value chains;
• Seek productive engagement with Uzbekistan on establishing a regional market for electricity and promoting electricity sales to Afghanistan.

Humanitarian Assistance (HA): FY 2007: $0.75M, Est. FY 2008: $0.40M

• In FY 2007 the USG improved the welfare of the most vulnerable populations throughout Uzbekistan through targeted deliveries of needed medical and relief supplies valued at $14.6M.

Recent Successes:

• The USG fostered dialogue between GOU law-enforcement and the human rights community, which facilitated the release of a number of political prisoners and was influential in establishing laws on habeas corpus;
• The creation of credit unions in Uzbekistan gained momentum in 2007, with deposits increasing from $10M in 2006 to $25M in 2007;
• USG health implementers conducted 3,253 health education sessions for 61,386 participants on topics related to maternal and newborn health care;
• Supported a drug reduction project from Nov. 2006 to May 2007 that increased the drug and HIV/AIDS awareness for 2,376 schoolchildren and 1,000 parents and neighborhood leaders. Following the project, the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime documented a 7.3% increase in drug and HIV/AIDS awareness in participating schools.

*Division J of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Act: Department of State Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008, including: FSA, CSH, NADR, International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF).

**Estimate from FY 2009 Congressional Budget Justification; Website: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/101440.pdf.