The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan and UNODC sign a Memorandum of Understanding

14 June 2018, Vienna - UNODC and the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further enhance cooperation in combatting transnational organized crime, corruption, and other types of crimes. Speaking at the signing ceremony, UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov welcomed the socio-political and economic reforms in Uzbekistan and their very dynamic nature, stressing that the MoU will further support the efforts of the country in its important path of reform.

Mr. Otabek Murodov, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan, reaffirmed the Government's continued commitment to fight crime in all its forms with the ultimate goal to ensure human rights, public order and security, with a strong emphasis of the Government on crime prevention.

The memorandum is a direct outcome of the Plan of Prac­tical Measures ("Road Map") on Further Development of Cooperation of the Republic of Uzbekistan with UNODC in 2017-2019 on countering drug traf­ficking, transnational organized crime and terrorism that was signed in December 2017.

Building on the UNODC Programme for Central Asia (2015-2019) the MOU creates a cooperation framework between Prosecutor General's Office and UNODC to combat transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime and corruption through training prosecutors, as well as providing expert advice and technical support. In particular, the memorandum will further strengthen institutional capacity of the Prosecutor General's Office to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute crime. It will also contribute to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16 of the UN agenda 2030 aiming to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

The parties highlighted that the memorandum is an evidence of intention to open a new page of cooperation and agreed to elaborate an operational work plan on its implementation.