Published in Forums & Events

Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in cooperation with the Development Strategy Center

Forum on Uzbekistan's Constitutional Reforms

At his inauguration after being re-elected President in November 2021, President Mirziyoyev announced the imperative of constitutional reform. This month, he presented the basic outlines of these reforms, which will be put to a nationwide referendum. The reforms intend to modernize the country’s basic law, with the aim of bolstering rights and develop the social nature of the state. A panel of Uzbek and Western experts will provide an initial analysis of these amendments and their implications.

When: Thursday July 7, 2022, 9:00-11:00 AM  EST

The event will also be live-streamed on the CACI Facebook page and on Zoom.

 Click to register

 Speakers:

  • Moderators:

    Svante E. Cornell, Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
    Eldor Tulyakov, Executive Director, Development Strategy Center

    Speakers:

    Uzbekistan’s Reforms in Regional Perspective

    Dr. Johan Engvall, Deputy Research Director at the Swedish Defence Research Agency and Senior Fellow, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute.

     

    Constitutional Reform in the New Uzbekistan

    Prof. Mirafzal Mirakulov, Doctor of Law

     

    Judicial Reforms in the Constitutional Amendments

    Mjuša Sever, Co-founder and Director of Regional Dialogue, a Slovenia-based NGO with a branch office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

     

    The Rule of Law: Constitutional Guarantees for the Rule of Law, Protection of Personal Rights and Freedoms

    Senator Shukhrat Chulliev, member of the Constitutional Commission and deputy chairman of the Judicial Committee of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan

     

    Political Reforms in the Constitutional Amendments

    Anthony Bowyer, Advisor for Europe and Eurasia, International Foundation for Electoral Systems

     

    Improving the Constitutional Foundations of Parliamentary Control, Ensuring Freedom of Speech and Access to Information

    Ilkhom Abdullaev, member of the Constitutional Commission, chairman of the Committee on Innovative Development, Information Policy and Information Technologies of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis

     

    Social Reforms in the Constitutional Amendments

    Dr. Farrukh Irnazarov, Co-Founder at RANSIF Group and Central Asian Development Institute, and Rumsfeld Fellow with the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute.

     

    Topical Issues of Building a Welfare State in the Context of Constitutional Reforms

    Dr. Gulnoza Sattarova, Head of the Department of the Institute for Problems of Legislation and Parliamentary Studies under Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan

     

    The Meaning and Implications of Uzbekistan’s Constitutional Reforms

    Dr. S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

 

Published in Forums & Events

 

Join us June 15-16 for the 2022 CAMCA Regional Forum!

Register here!

THEME: "New Geopolitics and Geoeconomics in CAMCA"

SESSION TOPICS

  • CAMCA Geopolitics after Ukraine: What’s Desirable? What’s Possible?
  • How to Deal with Echo-sanctions in CAMCA
  • Building Modern Skills in CAMCA Countries
  • Securing CAMCA’s Digital Future in an Era of U.S.-China Geo-Tech Rivalry
  • Trade and Transport in CAMCA: Regional and Global Connectivity 
  • What’s Next in Afghanistan?
  • Prospects of Regional Financial Structures in CAMCA
  • Women Taking Power in CAMCA: Prospects and Barriers
  • Food Security and Building Agritech in CAMCA 
  • Meet the New Entrepreneurs of CAMCA
  • Accelerating Regional Cooperation in Policy Analysis: A Roadmap
  • Investing in CAMCA: How to Seize Opportunities

 Forum speakers represent a wide variety of sectors and expertise across the CAMCA region and beyond...
 

Below is a sample of the international and U.S.-based organizations and businesses that confirmed speakers represent. Panelists include CEOs, Directors and more of the following institutions:

 

  • Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
  • American University of Afghanistan
  • National Development Agency of Mongolia
  • Chemonics International Inc. 
  • Cintana Education 
  • Education Committee of the Georgian Parliament
  • Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
  • UNDP Kyrgyzstan
  • Hudson Institute
  • Batumi Multimodal Terminal
  • Free Democrats Party of Georgia
  • T-Cell Tajikistan
  • White & Case LLP
  • CJSC Bank of Asia
  • Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) 
  • Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Avesta Investment Group
  • Atlantic Council
  • Alif Capital
  • And many more...

About the CAMCA Regional Forum

The CAMCA (Central Asia-Mongolia-Caucasus-Afghanistan) Regional Forum is a non-political and non-partisan Forum established to promote region-wide discussions on means of advancing economic growth and development in Greater Central Asia (Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). It promotes this goal by fostering dialogue and interaction among rising young leaders from all sectors in the 10 countries of the region, as well as with international leaders and stakeholders. Learn more at camcaforum.org
 


Published in Forums & Events

Following the January 2022 crisis, President Tokayev fast-tracked a political reform package planned for later in the year, and submitted it to a nationwide referendum scheduled for June 5.  The constitutional amendments accelerate the pace of reform in the country, but conditions for their implementation will not be easy given a difficult economic and geopolitical environment. These reforms represent a shift: while earlier reforms sought to build participatory and competitive politics only very slowly at the local level, the current reform package envisages a gradual liberalization of the political system at all levels in order for the system to maintain its legitimacy.

When: Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 11:00-12:00 EST

Participants:
 

Svante Cornell, Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council

Nargis Kassenova, Senior Fellow and Director of the Program on Central Asia at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies (Harvard University) and Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations and Regional Studies of KIMEP University (Almaty, Kazakhstan) 

Moderator:

Fred Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council

When: Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 11:00 AM- 12:00 PM


Register on Zoom. The event will also be live-streamed on the CACI Facebook page and here, on the Silk Road Studies website.

Published in Forums & Events
The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute invites you to the presentation of the International Monetary Fund's Regional Economic Outlook for Central Asia and the Caucasus, published in April, 2022. Our speakers will focus on regional trends, using Uzbekistan as a case-study for the implementation of dynamic economic reforms.

 Speakers:

Subir Lall, Deputy Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department, International Monetary Fund
 
Ron van Rooden, Mission Chief, Uzbekistan, Middle East and Central Asia Department, International Monetary Fund

Moderator: 
S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council

isdp

AFPC-Full-Logo

 

News

  • CACI Chairman S. Frederick Starr comments on "Preparing Now for a Post-Putin Russia"
    Friday, 03 November 2023 18:30

    Whether Russian President Vladimir Putin dies in office, is ousted in a palace coup, or relinquishes power for some unforeseen reason, the United States and its allies would face a radically different Russia with the Kremlin under new management. The geopolitical stakes mean that policymakers would be negligent not to plan for the consequences of a post-Putin Russia. On November 2, 2023, CACI Chairman S. Frederick Starr joined a panel organized by the Hudson Institute’s Center on Europe and Eurasia for a discussion on how US and allied policymakers can prepare for a Russia after Putin.

    Click here to watch on YouTube or scroll down to watch the full panel discussion.

  • Central Asia Diplomats Call for Closer Ties With US
    Monday, 26 June 2023 00:00

    REPRINTED with permission from Voice of America News
    By Navbahor Imamova

    WASHINGTON -- U.S.-based diplomats from Central Asia, a region long dominated by Russia and more recently China, say they are eager for more engagement with the United States.

    Many American foreign policy experts agree that a more robust relationship would be mutually beneficial, though U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations express deep concerns about human rights and authoritarian rule in the five countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

    Michael Delaney, a former U.S. trade official, argued in favor of greater engagement this week at a webinar organized by the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce.

    He noted that three of the five republics are World Trade Organization members and the other two are in the accession process — a goal actively encouraged by the U.S. government.

    "I've always believed that this is a geographically disadvantaged area. There are relatively small national economies," he said. But, he said, collectively the region represents a potentially more connected market, about 80 million people.

    Key issues

    In this virtual gathering, all five Central Asian ambassadors to Washington expressed eagerness to work on issues the U.S. has long pushed for, such as water and energy sustainability, security cooperation, environmental protection and climate, and connectivity.

    Kazakhstan's Ambassador Yerzhan Ashikbayev said that despite all factors, the United States does not want to leave the field to China, its global competitor, which actively invests in the region.

    "Recent visit by 20 companies to Kazakhstan as a part of certified U.S. trade mission, including technology giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google, but also other partners like Boeing, have shown a growing interest," Ashikbayev said.

    The Kazakh diplomat described a "synergy" of economies and diplomatic efforts. All Central Asian states are committed to dialogue, trade and multilateralism, he said. "As we are witnessing the return of the divisive bloc mentalities almost unseen for 30 years, it's in our best interest to prevent Central Asia from turning into another battleground of global powers."

    During his first tour of Central Asia earlier this year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, meeting separately with the foreign ministers of all five countries.

    That was deeply appreciated, said Meret Orazov, Turkmenistan's longtime ambassador, who also praised the regular bilateral consultations the U.S. holds with these countries.

    Uzbek Ambassador Furqat Sidiqov sees the U.S. as an important partner, with "long-standing friendship and cooperation which have only grown stronger over the years."

    "The U.S. has played a significant role in promoting dialogue and cooperation among the Central Asian nations through initiatives such as the C5+1," he said, referring to a diplomatic platform comprising Washington and the region's five governments.

    "This is where we address common concerns and enhance integration," said Sidiqov. "We encourage the U.S. to bolster this mechanism."

    Tashkent regards Afghanistan as key to Central Asia's development, potentially linking the landlocked region to the markets and seaports of South Asia. Sidiqov said his country counts on American assistance.

    'Possibility of positive change'

    Fred Starr, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in Washington, ardently advocates for the U.S. to adopt closer political, economic and people-to-people ties with the region.

    In a recent paper, he wrote that among dozens of officials, diplomats, entrepreneurs, experts, journalists and civil society leaders interviewed in Central Asia, "even those most critical of American positions saw the possibility of positive change and … all acknowledged that the need for change is on both sides, theirs as well as ours."

    This is the only region that doesn't have its own organization, said Starr, arguing that the U.S. could support this effort. "We have not done so, probably because we think that this is somehow going to interfere with their relations with their other big neighbors, the north and east, but it's not going to. It's not against anyone."

    "Easy to do, low cost, very big outcome," he added, also underscoring that "there is a feeling the U.S. should be much more attentive to security."

    "Japan, the European Union, Russia, China, their top leaders have visited. … No U.S. president has ever set foot in Central Asia," he said. He added that regional officials are left to wonder, "Are we so insignificant that they can't take the time to visit?"

    Starr urges U.S. President Joe Biden to convene the C5+1 in New York during the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly in September. "This would not be a big drain on the president's time, but it would be symbolically extremely important," he said. "All of them want this to happen."

    Read at VOA News

  • Read CACI Chairman S. Frederick Starr's recent interview on the resurgence of Imperial Russia with The American Purpose
    Tuesday, 23 May 2023 00:00

    Why Russians Support the War: Jeffrey Gedmin interviews S. Frederick Starr on the resurgence of Imperial Russia.

    The American Purpose, May 23, 2023

    Jeffrey Gedmin: Do we have a Putin problem or a Russia problem today?

    S. Frederick Starr: We have a Putin problem because we have a Russia problem. Bluntly, the mass of Russians are passive and easily manipulated—down to the moment they aren’t. Two decades ago they made a deal with Vladimir Putin, as they have done with many of his predecessors: You give us a basic income, prospects for a better future, and a country we can take pride in, and we will give you a free hand. This is the same formula for autocracy that prevailed in Soviet times, and, before that, under the czars. The difference is that this time Russia’s leader—Putin—and his entourage have adopted a bizarre and dangerous ideology, “Eurasianism,” that empowers them to expand Russian power at will over the entire former territory of the USSR and even beyond. It is a grand and awful vision that puffs up ruler and ruled alike.

    What do most Russians think of this deal? It leaves them bereft of the normal rights of citizenship but free from its day-to-day responsibilities. So instead of debating, voting, and demonstrating, Russians store up their frustrations and then release them in elemental, often destructive, and usually futile acts of rebellion. This “Russia problem” leaves the prospect of change in Russia today in the hands of alienated members of Putin’s immediate entourage, many of whom share his vision of Russia’s destiny and are anyway subject to Putin’s ample levers for control. Thus, our “Putin problem” arises from our “Russia problem.”

    Click to continue reading...

  • CACI director Svante Cornell's interviewed on the 'John Batchelor Show' podcast regarding Turkey's 2023 presidential election
    Friday, 19 May 2023 00:00

    Listen to CACI director Svante Cornell's recent interview on the 'John Batchelor Show' podcast regarding Turkey's 2023 presidential election. Click here!

  • New Article Series on Changing Geopolitics of Central Asia and the Caucasus
    Wednesday, 24 November 2021 11:53

    Eurasia