TAJIKISTAN: INL PROJECTS DECEMBER 2008 STATUS UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000052 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (HUSHEK) INL/AAE (BUHLER) JUSTICE FOR (DUCOT AND NEWCOMBE) DEFENSE FOR OSD/P E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM KJUS PGOV PREL RF TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: INL PROJECTS DECEMBER 2008 STATUS UPDATE REF: Dushanbe 1379 ¶1. Summary: INL Dushanbe border security, policing, anti-crime programs, and justice sector reform projects update for December, ¶2008. INL Dushanbe provides the following status report on ongoing projects under Assistance Letters of Agreement 5,6,7,8. End summary. Border Security ¶2. INL is implementing infrastructure improvement projects to improve the technical capacity of Tajikistan Border Guards and Customs Service. ¶3. Border Guard Academy: The Government Architectural and Engineering Company prepared the revised Scope of Work to rehabilitate the Border Guard Academy. The company estimated the project to cost $1,500,000. Companies overbid the previous solicitation because of dramatic increase in world construction material prices. INL secured agreement for the revised work plan with the Border Guards. In the first week of January, INL Dushanbe will submit the completed purchase request to re-solicit the reduced scope of work via the INL system. ¶4. Khirmanjo Border Observation Post: The Government Architectural and Engineering Company prepared the new Scope of Work to complete the construction works at Khirmanjo border post. We submitted the new Scope of Work and other required documents to INL in Washington for further processing to start the construction work on this project. ¶5. Kulma and Kizil-Art Border Crossing Points: INL Dushanbe organized a joint meeting with the Asian Development Bank (the Bank),Customs Service, and Border Guards to discuss support for reconstruction of the Kulma (China) and Kizil-Art (Kyrgyz Republic) border crossing points. The "Arkhikom" architect and engineering company contracted by the Bank presented preliminary engineering designs for the two posts. The preliminary designs reflected mainly Customs Service requirements because of the active engagement by that agency. Participants agreed that the A&E firm would revise the designs to include the Border Guards' and the Customs Service's requirements. INL Dushanbe is talking with the Bank on joint collaboration to manage these two projects. ¶6. Shogun and Yol Border Observation Posts: UNODC has nearly completed the initial ground work at the Shogun post. The INL-funded UNODC-managed infrastructure project will use modular buildings. We expect that by mid-January the Chinese firm located in Urumchi will complete 60 percent of the fabrication of the modular pre-fabricated buildings. UNODC Project Manager and INL Project Engineer will visit the fabrication shop to certify the quality of the work on the buildings before accepting delivery at the project site for further assembly. ¶7. UNODC Engineer and INL Project Engineer visited Yol border post site and conducted a technical evaluation of the existing border post infrastructure. Based on the technical evaluation the UNODC Engineer is completing the engineering designs and the Scope of Work for this project. INL and UNODC agreed that UNODC will start the bidding process for this project and will wait for next tranche of INL funds before beginning the actual construction work at Yol. ¶8. Border Guards Barracks in Murgab: INL Engineer and the architect and engineering firm require a technical evaluation of the Qarchitect and engineering firm require a technical evaluation of the project site to prepare the necessary engineering drawings and Scope of Work for the renovation of Murgab barracks. Current heavy snow and inclement weather conditions at Murgab will prevent a technical evaluation visit until at least February. Intelligence Capacity ¶9. The contractor has completed construction work at the Analytical Center on the fifth floor of the Academy of the State Committee for National Security (the Committee). INL Dushanbe purchased and handed over the technical equipment and furniture to the center. We plan to hold the official opening ceremony of the center in January of 2009. After handing over the center, INL plans to train the Academy staff. ¶10. The contractor installed the heating system but cannot test it because the city central heating plant which supplies the Academy heating system is not operating. The city cannot afford the natural gas because of the increase in prices of gas imported from Uzbekistan. INL is withholding 20% of the payment to the contractor until the system is tested. Joint Field Intelligence Center ¶11. INL Dushanbe is working with the Organization for Security and DUSHANBE 00000052 002 OF 002 Cooperation in Europe office in Tajikistan to prepare the concept document for creating a Joint Intelligence Center. The Center will serve as a hub for intelligence information of Tajikistan's law enforcement and security services. Information sharing will improve the effectiveness of the agencies combat of narcotics, crime and terrorism. The concept document will be shared with General Gafarov, Deputy Minister of the Committee for National Security, for further discussion and to coordinate implementation. POLICING ¶12. Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy Reconstruction: INL Program Manager sent the scope of work and other required documents for the reconstruction of the first and second floors of the Academy to INL Washington, and Washington assigned RPSO Frankfurt to begin the bidding process. We will follow up with RPSO on solicitation of this project. ¶13. Ministry of Internal Affairs Forensic Lab: In December INL Dushanbe donated additional equipment to the laboratory. As part of INL's program to improve forensics capability in the Ministry, the Department of Justice Forensic Advisor visited the Lab to install the donated equipment and trained the staff on its use. JUSTICE SECTOR ¶14. Justice Sector Reform Grants Program: At the end of November, INL Dushanbe announced a solicitation for grant proposals under the 2009 Justice Sector Reform Program. The program will award grants to non-governmental, non-profit organizations to improve legal aid, legal education, access to justice, court monitoring, third party arbitration, and legal reform. INL received 29 project proposals that the Embassy's Development Assistance Working Group will consider in mid- January. ¶15. Defense Bar Support: INL representatives participated in a series of dedication ceremonies of Legal Resource Centers situated in the offices of the National, Dushanbe and Sugd Collegia of Defense Attorneys. On Friday, December 5, Charge d' Affaires presented a plaque to Naim Amirbekov, Chairman of the National Collegium of Defense Attorneys, commemorating the dedication of the Legal Resource Center at the National Collegium in Dushanbe. On December 19, INL Attorney Assistant participated in the opening of the Sugd Collegium Resource Center in Khudjand. In November INL Officer represented the embassy at the opening of the Dushanbe Collegium. ¶16. The Legal Resource Centers increase the capacity of criminal defense attorneys to provide high-quality and effective defense counsel and representation by providing ready access to current laws. This will aid in bringing defense attorneys on par with the judges, prosecutors, and government officials and increase the accountability and fairness in application of criminal justice. INL funds the Centers and the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) implements them. ¶17. ABA Scholarship and Lawyer Training program: INL team met with ABA Tajikistan Country Director Marit Rasmussen to discuss an INL-funded scholarship program for legal specialists. The purpose of this program is to provide legal educational and cultural exchange opportunities to law students and legal professionals so that they may better understand the American legal system, court Qthat they may better understand the American legal system, court system and the legal culture and then adapt and apply relevant principles into the Tajik justice system. INL proposed inclusion of an International Law Masters Degree Program to provide Tajikistan with lawyers who meet international standards. ABA Director welcomed the idea and will be include it into the project proposal. ¶18. Drug Demand Reduction: In October 2008, INL sponsored a karate tournament as part of a drug demand reduction project. To continue the program the INL Legal Attorney Assistant worked with Ministry of Education and Karate-do Federation to select schools and schedule DDRP performances in the secondary schools of Dushanbe, Kulyab and Khudjand. Embassy, Karate Federation, and Ministry of Education representatives planned performances to be conducted by three teams beginning January 15 in all three cities simultaneously. Each team will conduct one performance per day at the midday so both shifts of students are present. (Note: Tajik schools are so limited that students go to school in two shifts. End note.) A group of four karate champions will demonstrate the sport of karate-do and describe the requirement of a person to have a drug-free, healthy lifestyle to achieve physical conditioning and be a success in the sport. After brief discussion of the evil drugs bring, schoolchildren will have a chance to publicly imagine their future in both a healthy and a drug addicted life when they will be 20, 40, and 60 years old. JACOBSON