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FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
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INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4809
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2592
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2457
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3321

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000198 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2019 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL EAID UNDP TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: UNDP ENCOURAGES DONOR COORDINATION 
AND JOINT ACTIVITIES 
 
REF: ASHGABAT 181 
 
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a recent meeting, the local United Nations 
Development Program (UNDP) Deputy Representative mentioned 
her organization's "privileged access" to work with the 
Turkmen in some areas of Government reform.  She contrasted 
this with the Turkmen Government's wariness about U.S. 
assistance in governance-related areas.  She emphasized 
UNDP's approach of working according to the Government's 
timetable and raising awareness in areas where the Government 
is not ready to reform.  A joint UNDP/EU/OHCHR human rights 
project will work to improve the Government's ability to 
address citizens' grievances, and to raise the level of human 
rights awareness among law enforcement officials and in the 
general public.  If additional donor funds can be located, an 
electoral reform project could train candidates in local 
council elections on how to develop a platform and conduct a 
campaign.  While it has a reform agenda approved by the 
Government, UNDP still needs resources -- and partners --  in 
order to carry it out.  END SUMMARY. 
 
UNDP: TURKMEN WARY OF U.S. INFLUENCE IN GOVERNANCE PROJECTS 
 
¶2. (C) In a February 4 meeting with Political Officer, United 
Nations Development Program (UNDP) Deputy Resident 
Representative, Inita Paulovica, shared her view that UNDP 
has "privileged access" to carrying out reform in some 
sectors of the Government.  She added that UNDP has told the 
Government that UNDP needs additional program/donor partners 
because the organization does not have adequate resources to 
implement all proposed initiatives.  Paulovica frankly said 
that the Turkmen Government is "scared about American 
influence," especially the activities of U.S. NGOs in areas 
such as local governance, because of past events in places 
like Georgia and Ukraine.  She urged caution about any 
projects involving the Open Society Institute, based on tQ 
Government's reaction to OSI's past activities in 
Turkmenistan.  Paulovica also thought it would be difficult 
for the International Republican Institute (IRI) to get 
access here.  She suggested, however, that the U.S. 
Government could provide expertise by sending experts to work 
for UNDP projects.  Such involvement would "take away the 
political baggage," although such experts would need to abide 
by the UNDP rule of "no hidden (political) agendas." 
 
THE UNDP APPROACH IN TURKMENISTAN: PATIENCE AND TRANSPARENCY 
 
¶3. (C) According to Paulovica, the Turkmen Government wants 
to work with UNDP because it knows how the organization works 
-- not pushing any party's agenda, but rather staying neutral 
in implementing its projects.  She said the UN approach is to 
operate openly and transparently.  While it takes time to 
work with the Turkmen to raise awareness about what needs to 
be reformed, experience has shown that it is not productive 
to push the Turkmen side until it is ready.  According to 
Paulovica, in all cases this approach has paid back with 
interesting results.  On the other hand, trying to push a 
hidden agenda is counterproductive, as it will eventually 
come to light and undermine the willingness of the Turkmen 
side to engage.  Paulovica said UNDP has disagreed with the 
European Union over the EU's "conditionality approach."  She 
argues that setting unilateral conditions for reforms, a 
standard practice for the programs of international financial 
insitutions, won't work in Turkmenistan because there are no 
internal circumstances that compel the Turkmen to reform.  In 
Paulovica's view, donors can most effectively exert influence 
here by carrying out activities together with the Turkmen and 
presenting a positive example. 
 
¶4. (C) This approach has yielded success for UNDP, according 
to Paulovica, in the areas of local Government and elections, 
and in a self-employment program for women in Mary and 
Dashoguz Provinces where UNDP worked together with the 
 
ASHGABAT 00000198  002 OF 003 
 
 
Women's Union and provincial officials.  UNDP relations with 
the Government have reached the point where the Turkmen 
Government comes to UNDP to request assistance. 
 
UNDP/EU/OHCHR PROJECT ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONTINUES 
 
¶5. (C) Paulovica described the ongoing human rights project 
jointly funded by UNDP, the EU and the Office of the UN High 
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)(reftel).  She mentioned 
some differences between the partners, with the EU and OHCHR 
trying to use the project for human rights monitoring in a 
hidden way and their insistence on indicators.  The project 
has three main components; capacity building to comply with 
reporting requirements under international human rights 
conventions; human rights training for law enforcement 
officials; and civic education and outreach on human rights. 
This year Turkmenistan will need to report on its compliance 
with the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.  Paulovica 
explained the opportunity this represents as the Turkmen need 
to come to terms with the international definitions of 
concepts such as "independent judiciary."  The UNDP project 
will explain the elements of the international standard and 
how existing Turkmen legislation falls short. 
 
¶6. (C) Within the framework of the human rights project, UNDP 
will work with the State Institute for Democracy and Human 
Rights to develop a master plan for implementation that 
identifies and prioritizes specific activities.  Paulovica 
described IDHR Director, Shirin Ahmedova, as decisive and 
possessing the "full backing" of Deputy Chairman for 
International Relations, Rashid Meredov.  According to 
Paulovica, Ahmedova has a good sense of which projects are 
politically feasible, and doesn't hesitate to say if an idea 
is too sensitive or premature.  Paulovica also pointed out 
that, in working with international donors, the Turkmen 
Government does not want donors to take credit for the 
project.  They themselves want to be seen as having 
"ownership." 
 
ELECTORAL REFORM PROJECT LACKS FUNDING; CUT BACK 
 
¶7. (C) Paulovica mentioned that 2009 UNDP funding for 
electoral reform was approved at a lower level than 
previously planned.  The electoral assessment mission that 
reviewed the results of the 2008 electoral reform project 
recommended a unified election code, improved procedures for 
tabulation of results, and civic education.  To address the 
civic education aspect, UNDP would like to conduct training 
on preparation of electoral platforms and campaigns.  It 
would focus on potential candidates at the local ("gengesh") 
level, drawn from interest groups such as women's, youth and 
disabled persons' organizations.  However, proceeding with 
the project will depend on finding a funding partner(s) to 
supplement UNDP funds. 
 
PARLIAMENTARY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 
 
¶8. (C) The Government has given UNDP a green light to 
implement a three-year Parliamentary Development program. 
Paulovica said that during the the first year, UNDP will 
determine "how far (the Turkmen) are willing to go."  She 
remarked that they appear to be open to assistance and are 
genuinely interested in understanding what role the 
Parliament could play.  One aspect of the program will be the 
Parliament's role in budgetary oversight.  As Paulovica 
described it, in the current practice, the Parliament is 
presented with signed contracts and has no input into the 
budget approval process.  She said UNDP would welcome donor 
partners would could provide experts for this program. 
 
¶9. (C) COMMENT:  As was noted in reftel and again above, UNDP 
officials in country often refer to their organization's 
inside track on working with the Government, due, in 
particular, to the UN's recognition of Turkmenistan's neutral 
status, as well as to the organization's relatively lengthy 
 
ASHGABAT 00000198  003 OF 003 
 
 
in-country presence and patient approach to engagement.  In 
the meantime, UNDP is reaching out to donors for expertise 
and funding that would enable it to fully implement electoral 
and human rights projects already approved by the Turkmen 
Government.  END COMMENT. 
MILES