TAJIKISTAN: JUSTICE SECTOR REFORM PROGRAM GRANT AWARD

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000156 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (LONG) INL/AAE (BUHLER) JUSTICE (DUCOT AND NEWCOMBE) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KJUS KCRM PGOV TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: JUSTICE SECTOR REFORM PROGRAM GRANT AWARD ¶1. Summary: Post requests INL Washington approve and sign a grant for $33,435 to the NGO Child Rights Center to implement a portion of the mission's overall justice reform program. The International Narcotics and Law office Dushanbe solicited proposals for grants to reform the Justice Sector. The embassy's Development Assistance Working Group chaired by the Deputy Chief of Mission examined and approved the project proposal "Legal Support to Children in Conflict with the Law and in Closed Institutions" submitted by Child Rights Center. End summary. ¶2. NGO Child Rights Center will implement an assistance project to raise the legal awareness of specialized groups of children and their families, protection and promotion of child rights, and professional support for and improvements to the state juvenile correctional and detention facilities. ¶3. Children in conflict with the law are particularly vulnerable to violations of their rights. None of the administrative detention centres or prisons provide effective programs of rehabilitation. Institutional staffs are poorly trained, motivated, and monitored, leaving the children vulnerable to abuse. There is limited support for children when they return to the community increasing their chances of family breakdown, homelessness, unemployment, and recidivism. ¶4. While the provision of legal assistance cannot overcome all the current problems in the system, it would provide fundamental due process, see that the child's rights are recognized, and that the child is represented and supported. ¶5. Fiscal data for the project: 1911-X1022.0005-00-0289-0289625003-2721-4121- IN41TJ25 (FY 2006). Post requests that INL Washington approve and sign the grant of $33,435 submitted through the INL Purchase Authorization system. JACOBSON