Welcome address to the participants by Mr Azamat Ergashev, Head of the Compliance Department at the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan (second from the right). Uzbekistan
What role do whistleblowers play in preventing cases of corruption? Why is it important to protect whistleblowers? And what must the state do to ensure that such an early-warning system functions effectively?
These questions – which are also highly relevant in Uzbekistan – were addressed by participants at the hybrid seminar on the role and protection of whistleblowers in the fight against corruption on 30 July 2026. The IRZ thus continued its cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Agency, which is responsible for developing and coordinating programmes to combat and prevent corruption in Uzbekistan.
Whistleblowers play a vital role in the fight against corruption. Without comprehensive protection against dismissal, harassment or criminal prosecution, many cases of malpractice would remain hidden. Protective mechanisms are therefore essential in the fight against corruption.
The German experts, Prof. Dr Frank Zimmermann (University of Freiburg) and Prof. Dr Matthias Meißner (Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences), provided the Uzbek participants with knowledge on the practical and legally compliant implementation of internal reporting procedures, with a focus on the German Whistleblower Protection Act.
This professional exchange not only strengthened the expertise of the Anti-Corruption Agency but also provided impetus for the development of standardised requirements for reporting channels within the framework of compliance and anti-corruption prevention systems in state authorities and organisations in Uzbekistan. Discussions also covered liability for the deliberate disclosure of a whistleblower’s anonymity and confidentiality, as there are plans to incorporate this offence into Uzbek legislation.
There was a particularly lively discussion of Germany’s experiences with the relatively new Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG, in force since 2023): in practice, striking a balance between various interests, ensuring comprehensive confidentiality and providing clear information about the new law – which can help lower the barriers to reporting for whistleblowers – remain challenging.
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.
