Symposium as part of the EU Twinning project to systematise the regulatory framework Usbekistan
‘Together as partners, we are stronger,’ said German Ambassador Manfred Huterer during the symposium ‘Towards a coherent and simplified legal framework in Uzbekistan’ as part of the EU Twinning project to systematise the regulatory framework on 29 October 2025 in Tashkent. In doing so, he emphasised the central guiding principle of all EU Twinning projects: partnership-based cooperation based on mutual trust, exchange of expertise and shared responsibility.
The heads of the departments for legal systematisation and regulatory impact assessment at the Uzbek Ministry of Justice presented the first joint project results on improving the structuring and consolidation of legal norms in several areas of law, which are seen as the basis for further work. This was followed by a lively professional exchange on methods and practical approaches to prioritising legal norms and assessing potential legislative impact and costs. German experts from the Normenkontrollrat (National Regulatory Control Council) and Statistisches Bundesamt (Federal Statistical Office) presented the methods and examples commonly used in Germany, with reference to international best practices.
The EU Twinning project, led by IRZ, supports the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan in its reform efforts towards a more transparent and sustainable legal framework, in cooperation with the Latvian Ministry of Justiceas a junior partner. Germany, as other European countries, face similar challenges as Uzbekistan in this regard, according to the head of the project Anja Schoeller-Schletter, who cited the complexity of the legal framework, increasing bureaucracy and associated costs, digitalisation, and the opportunities and limitations of artificial intelligence.
The partnership-based peer-to-peer approach of the EU Twinning project therefore not only enables the Uzbek side to learn from EU best practices, but also offers German and Latvian experts valuable food for thought, according to Christian Schaich, Administrative Director of the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) and expert in the project.
The insights gained during the symposium will be incorporated into the further design of project activities in order to provide the Ministry of Justice with the best possible support in achieving its ambitious goals by the end of the project in July 2026.
Akbar Tashkulov, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Anette Kramme, State Secretary at the BMJV and President of the IRZ Board of Trustees Usbekistan
Ms Anette Kramme, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMJV and also President of the Board of Trustees of IRZ, and Alexandra Albrecht, General Director of the IRZ, were part of a German delegation that was received by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mr Akbar Tashkulov, on 29 September.
The highlight was the signing of a memorandum of understanding on deeper cooperation between the two ministries. Prior to this, concrete discussions had already taken place on the use of artificial intelligence in legislative processes, the further development of regulatory impact assessment, the digitisation of legal procedures and the improvement of one-stop-shop solutions and mobile applications for government services.
During the meeting, Parliamentary State Secretary Anette Kramme also praised the cooperation between Uzbekistan and Germany within the framework of the EU-funded twinning project for the systematisation and simplification of the legal framework: ‘The latest reforms demonstrate a clear political will to strengthen the rule of law and citizen-centred governance, as well as the trade and investment climate.’ Minister of Justice Akbar Toshkulov then reported on the contributions made since the start of the project in April 2024 to support the Ministry of Justice's reform agenda. He particularly highlighted the quality of the experts' contributions and the valuable suggestions from the delegation's visit to Germany to institutions involved in regulatory impact assessment. ‘Germany is following the twinning project with great interest,’ said the Parliamentary State Secretary. ‘We would like to accompany Uzbekistan on its path of reform in a spirit of partnership – with appreciation and interest in the solutions developed for common challenges.’
The following day, during their visit to the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court, Mr Shukhrat Polvanov, the delegation discussed the latest reforms of the Uzbek judiciary, which aim to strengthen the administration of justice and improve legal protection for citizens and entrepreneurs. Particular interest was shown in the digitisation projects of the judiciary, especially the introduction of artificial intelligence in court proceedings and the concept of the ‘digital court’. The German participants made it clear that they would be happy to contribute their experience in this area. As Germany also plays an international pioneering role in administrative law, the Uzbek partners are also interested in an in-depth exchange on structures, procedures and judicial qualifications in administrative procedural law.
During talks with the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ms Svetlana Artykova, the focus was on the reform of law enforcement agencies, the introduction of digital technologies in investigation and supervisory procedures, and measures to increase transparency and accountability. Particular attention was paid to the protection of human rights, the fight against corruption and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the area of mutual legal assistance and extradition proceedings. Both sides emphasised the importance of continuous, practice-oriented exchange for the modernisation of the public prosecutor's office and the promotion of constitutional structures.
At IRZ, it is important to us to work as efficiently and sustainably as possible. For this reason, the IRZ seminar ‘Mediation as an instrument of dispute resolution – theory and practice’ was held in parallel with the talks for notaries, civil and commercial lawyers and employees of the Ministry of Justice. Both Deputy Minister of Justice Mahmud Shuhratovich Istamov and State Secretary Anette Kramme emphasised the importance of mediation as an extrajudicial instrument during the opening of the event.
The IRZ looks back with satisfaction on the numerous discussions, which highlighted the great mutual interest in a sustainable, practical exchange. The signing of the joint declaration and the specific areas of focus agreed upon laid an important foundation for the further deepening of the German-Uzbek partnership in the field of justice and the rule of law.
Participants in the seminar on preliminary proceedings. Uzbekistan
As part of the consultations on the introduction of the new office of investigating magistrate in Uzbekistan as of January 1, 2025, and in continuation of the seminar on the protection of the rights of the accused in preliminary proceedings held in August 2024, IRZ held a follow-up event in Tashkent on October 21 and 22, 2024.
The Supreme Court and the Office of the Public Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan were involved as partners, along with the international non-governmental organization “Regional Dialogue”, which is committed to promoting the rule of law in Uzbekistan.
In addition to the Uzbek judiciary from the Supreme Court and regional and municipal courts, the public prosecutor's office was also represented at the two-day seminar this time.
The legal framework of the preliminary proceedings was one of the main topics. The German team of experts presented the responsibilities of the police, the public prosecutor's office and the investigating judge, and then used case studies to address practical issues. They discussed individual legal decisions with the participants. Particular attention was paid to safeguarding the rights of the accused in criminal proceedings.
IRZ is planning further practical training courses for the Uzbek judiciary in 2025.
