The Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan announced the launch of five new projects for the civil society on Monday.

The projects finance stands at almost €2.9 million. The new initiatives will support the ongoing reform agenda in Uzbekistan by strengthening civil society's contribution to political dialogue, gender equality, legal education and media literacy.

Among the new EU-funded projects are:

• EQUALITY — a project to strengthen civil society in protecting women's rights and empowering them. It is being implemented by ACTED jointly with the Oq Yelkan (White Sail) Social Protection and Education Center, the Yuksalish Information and Consulting Resource Center in the Kashkadarya province and the NIHOL NGO Center in Uzbekistan.
• SHIELD — an initiative to strengthen human rights and education, is being implemented by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) jointly with the Development Strategy Center.
• Human Rights in Action — promoting change with youth and NGOs, implemented by DVV together with the International Social and Educational Center "Barkaror Hayot".
• Uzbekistan Digital Rights and Media Initiative (UDRMI), implemented by the Center for the Development of Modern Journalism (CRJ) together with the Center for Legal Policy Research (Kazakhstan).
• Empowering Civil Society for Inclusive Development in Uzbekistan, implemented by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) together with the Yuksalish movement.

Reportedly, these five initiatives combine national coverage with targeted work in the provinces. The initiatives will be active in Tashkent, Karakalpakstan, Namangan, Samarkand, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya.

Each project brings together European and Uzbek partner organizations. They are expected to develop the capacity of civil society activists, help vulnerable groups and facilitate interaction between civil society and government institutions at all levels.

“The launch of these projects confirms the European Union’s continued support to civil society in Uzbekistan. These projects reflect our common goal of creating conditions for active citizen participation in issues of justice, gender equality, information and digital rights. It is about empowering citizens’ voices to shape fairer, more open and resilient societies. An active civil society is a prerequisite for building a democratic, inclusive and prosperous future, and the EU is proud to be a reliable partner on this path,” said EU Ambassador Toivo Klaar.

“These EU-supported projects represent an important step towards deepening cooperation between Central Asia and Europe, empowering civic activists and promoting human rights-based development. I am grateful to everyone who contributes to this important work,” said Akmal Saidov, Director of the National Human Rights Center of Uzbekistan.