Swiss Cooperation in Uzbekistan

The Swiss cooperation with Uzbekistan began in 1992 when Uzbekistan joined the Swiss-led constituencies at the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The implementation of the first Swiss projects in Uzbekistan started soon after opening of the Swiss Embassy in Tashkent in 1993. This assistance was basically related to co-financing the Aral Sea Basin program of the World Bank. Through the nineties, the scope of cooperation increased and in 2002, the Swiss Cooperation Office (SCO) was opened in Tashkent.

The bilateral framework Agreement "On Technical and Financial Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid" between Uzbekistan and the Swiss Confederation was signed on September 20, 2002. Since then, the SCO in Tashkent supports and monitors bilateral and regional projects on behalf of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Since Swiss assistance strongly concentrates on poorer countries, Uzbekistan is not a priority country; however, it remains a strategic partner, especially in the water management domain, which has a regional dimension.

Currently SDC and SECO support 2 bilateral projects in Uzbekistan and 10 projects are implemented regionally, where Uzbekistan is a recipient partner. These projects encompass the following sectors:

• water supply and sanitation (infrastructure);
• water management and disaster risk management;
• arts and culture

Water Supply and Sanitation (Basic Infrastructure):

• Objectives: access to affordable, reliable and sustainable services, as a basis for economic and social development.
• How: by
a) rehabilitating rural and urban infrastructure
b) supporting decentralized community management
c) establishing efficient and effective utility management
d) promoting legal reforms and policy dialogue in water supply and sanitation.
• Ongoing projects in Uzbekistan: Regional Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Ferghana Valley; Bukhara-Samarkand Water Supply

Water and disaster risk management:

• Objectives: introduction of participatory, transparent and equitable system of water resources management in the Fergana Valley (and other regions in Uzbekistan)
• How: by
a) Supporting the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management principles with a special focus on the irrigation sector in the framework of regional and bilateral interventions
b) Strengthening the capacities of water users at the community level, Water Users’ Associations and canal management and the interaction between the water management hierarchies
c) Developing the database for enhancing water and land use efficiency and effectiveness
d) Promoting synergies between disaster risk preparedness, prevention and management.
• Ongoing regional projects with Uzbek components: Water Productivity Improvement; Fergana Valley Canals Automation Project; Integrated Water Resource Management in the Fergana Valley (IWRM); Central Asia Regional Water Information Base (CAREWIB); Rural Enterprise Support Program Phase II (with the World Bank); Water Resource Management Sector Project (with the Asian Development Bank).

The Regional Arts and Culture Program (RACP) – endeavors to support national and regional initiatives in fine arts, music, cinema, theatre and other areas of cultural life. In particular, the RACP supports and promotes intercultural dialogue among and across the Central Asia societies through art and culture activities. The RACP presents events aiming at reaching out to a broader public, with a strong innovative and creative aspect (concerts, performances, festivals, exhibitions, symposiums, trainings). It builds on the following objectives:
• reflecting the cultural diversity in CA countries;
• supporting local art and culture initiatives building on a participative approach;
• promoting intercultural dialogue between art and culture actors from the CA countries.

Crosscutting themes – gender and governance – are understood as an additional dimension to development operations with the aim of enhancing program effectiveness and relevance.

The Cooperation Strategy for the period of 2012-2015 foresees to continue concentrating on same domains.

The Swiss Development assistance, since the inception of the cooperation program, has reached an amount of about USD 97 million, of which around USD 40 million have been allocated for bilateral projects.
 

Last update: 01.01.2012