VZCZCXRO4254
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0499/01 1130749
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220749Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0643
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3661
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1479
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1346
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1915
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2434
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000499 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, EUR/ACE, DRL, DRL/IRF 
AID/W FOR EE/EA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EAID KDEM KIRF TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN:  INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY SEES ICNL AND USAID 
AS VALUABLE PARTNERS 
 
REF: A. ASHGABAT 0331 
 
 ¶B. ASHGABAT 0206 
 ¶C. ASHGABAT 0099 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Following an April 4 conference on NGO 
legislation jointly hosted by the International Center for 
Not-for-profit-Law (ICNL) and Turkmenistan's Institute for Democracy 
and Human Rights (IDHR), the Institute's director and USAID/ICNL 
agreed on a detailed program of activities for the next year, 
including similar activities related to Turkmenistan's Law on 
Religion, a study-tour to Hungary to see European and international 
best practices on the Regulation of NGOs, follow-up activities to 
suggest specific legislative revisions based on observations from 
study-tours, and the provision of a considerable quantity of legal 
materials for the Institute's review and/or publication in its 
journals.  ICNL and IDHR agreed on a timetable for review of the Law 
on Religion, with USAID formally submitting recommendations to IDHR 
and MFA in June.  Although it appears that the IDHR's director has a 
great deal of latitude, the challenge ahead will be to move from 
receiving information on international experience to developing laws 
that reflect such standards.  END SUMMARY. 
 
AGRRESSIVE PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR PROPOSED AFTER SEMINAR 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On April 5, following an April 4 conference jointly hosted 
by International Center for Not-for-profit-Law and Turkmenistan's 
Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, Institute Director Shirin 
Ahmedova invited ICNL's visiting Senior Vice-President, Natalia 
Bourjaily, to discuss follow-up activities and new ideas for 
expanded cooperation.  As a first step, ICNL agreed to share 
informally with IDHR the draft of the Analysis and Recommendations 
on Turkmen legislation relating to public associations.  Ahmedova 
agreed that IDHR will review the draft and provide recommendations 
on how to present the analysis in a formal manner by the end of May. 
 In June, after incorporating IDHR's recommendations, ICNL will 
formally submit these recommendations to IDHR via USAID and the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), jointly with a proposal to 
conduct a two-day workshop in November with participation of members 
of the Inter-Ministerial Commission in Charge of Bringing Turkmen 
Legislation in Compliance with International Standards. 
 
IDHR READY TO FOCUS ON LAW ON RELIGION 
 
¶4.  (U) The IDHR also requested ICNL's analysis of the existing Law 
on Religious Organizations and provided ICNL with the electronic 
version.  (NOTE: This had already been proposed to IDHR by USAID in 
a formal letter on March 17.  END NOTE).  As a first step, ICNL 
agreed to translate the law into English and then recruit a leading 
international expert in legislation for religious organizations, Dr. 
Cole Durham, to provide recommendations.   ICNL anticipates the 
analysis will be prepared by July, after which a draft version will 
be shared informally with IDHR for comments. In late summer 2008, 
after incorporating IDHR's recommendations, ICNL will formally 
submit its analysis to the Institute via USAID and the MFA.  Subject 
to funding availability and desire from the host government, ICNL 
could include a presentation and discussion of the analysis of this 
law into the agenda of the proposed November workshop. 
 
INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS TO SERVE AS CONSULTANTS 
 
¶5.  (U) Ahmedova proposed -- for the first time ever -- 
international experts could be invited to participate in the 
Commission's meetings as consultants.  She also suggested that 
participants of the Inter-Ministerial Commission in Charge of 
Bringing Turkmen Legislation into Compliance with the International 
Standards will request that USAID and ICNL organize a study tour on 
European and international best practices of regulation of NGOs 
during the November workshop.  With IDHR's support, ICNL would then 
draft a letter to the MFA proposing a study tour during the last 
week of January 2009.  Ahmedova suggested 10 government 
 
ASHGABAT 00000499  002 OF 002 
 
 
representatives (NOTE: Two each from IDHR, parliament, and 
Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Economic Development. 
END NOTE.) be included in the trip to Hungary, as proposed by ICNL. 
ICNL's European affiliate, ECNL, will organize and host the tour. 
 
 
¶6.  (U) Following the study tour, in the last week of March 2009, 
participants of the study tour, many of whom are expected to be 
members of the Inter-Ministerial Commission, will organize a 
roundtable to present their findings from the study tour and suggest 
specific legislative initiatives for Turkmenistan.  An illustrative 
list of such initiatives includes revisions to the law on Public 
Associations, revisions to the Tax Code, recommendations on 
improving registration procedures of Public Associations and Foreign 
NGOs, legislation promoting charities, and establishing procedures 
to allow foundations.  Contingent on funding, ICNL is prepared to 
assist with specific legislative initiatives that result. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The Institute has fully embraced USAID and ICNL 
as a valued partner.  And, based on the MFA's attitude toward ICNL, 
as evidenced by its permitting ICNL's representatives to meet 
unsupervised on April 5 with the Institute's director, it appears 
that the MFA (and, thus, the Ministry of National Security) has also 
given its blessing to this relationship.  Together with the 
Institute, USAID/ICNL has laid out ambitious plans for cooperation 
over the next year.  Although it seems that she has such latitude, 
the challenge ahead for the Institute's director will be to move 
from receiving information on international experience to developing 
laws that reflect such standards.  Based on its position of 
increasing trust, USAID/ICNL is well-positioned to support the 
Institute's courageous director in her quest.  END COMMENT. 
 
HOAGLAND