Gulchehra Usmanova has worked for WFP Tajikistan for more than 20 years and has contributed to the recovery and development of vulnerable people after emergencies and conflicts. She says that WFP has become more than a job for her, with the organization being  like her family. "I joined WFP in 2000 and started working in our Field Office in Bokhtar, Khatlon region, when I remember  looking for a job in the period after the 1992-1997 civil war and applying everywhere. It was a difficult time, and I was left alone with a baby in my arms, since my husband had died after the civil war. When I started working at WFP, we were initiating an   emergency operation to assist 1.2 million people in rural areas through Vulnerable Group Feeding and Food for Asset Rehabilitation. The purpose was to rehabilitate agricultural infrastructure, assisting the country to alleviate the damages of civil war, so we distributed food aid to vulnerable people every quarter The impacts of the civil war were compounded by a drought, and people didn't irrigate or plant anything. As part of this program, we helped our returning civil war-era refugees  who came back from Afghanistan in early 2001. In my 21 years with WFP, I have worked in different projects and, in 2001, even participated in the creation of WFP Tajikistan's largest operation, school feeding.   "Our work saves lives" At that time, we worked on a lot of projects for women without husbands. I was going through a very hard time during the war, so it was very empowering for me to help war-affected women like myself to become more self-confident and find their way thanks to the support we gave through our projects. After eight years working in Khatlon region, I moved to the WFP Country Office in Dushanbe. When I started working in the Khatlon office it was not safe, it was turbulent after wartime, but it didn't scare me, I was brave to do my job without fear of anyone or anything. When you see that you save people, it's very motivating and inspiring. You see how people rejoice at your help and your work. and you  realize that all is not in vain, which is why I love my job and have devoted 21 years of my life to it. The moment you walk around the fields and see broken and totally lost people, you realize that you can help them and it's motivating. Thanks to my work I have learned a lot, I can now safely work in any of our programs. And of course, my work has improved my communication skills, when people are lost and aggressive, and it is very important to find a common language with them and give the right help. “I break gender stereotypes with my example” I showed women by my own example that it is very important to develop and invest in your knowledge because it makes you self-confident and independent. Working in the Khatlon region and working with government agencies and institutions in the post-conflict time made me strong. My work has taught me to solve problems and help people specifically, not to panic and not know how to behave in a certain situation; I am now solving problems, learned to work under minimal supervision and although some men tell me that I am a fragile woman, it is far from that. I am trying to break stereotypes about women. WFP is about work, about saving people, saving lives, we primarily do everything to save lives, not to advertise our organization, our priorities are different. Right now, I'm working on a climate change adaptation and resilience (CCARB) unit. In our projects we try to make people more self-sufficient, not just give them help and forget about them. There was a time when I wanted to quit, but no, I stayed because I like my job and I enjoy saving people's lives. I even managed to work with refugees. We helped Afghan refugees recover from the conflicts in the early 2000s. Working in CCARB we noted that people often don't understand the importance of mudflows and water discharges. They and block  them, and build houses in the place of irrigation ditches, then floods wash their houses away. It should also be noted that WFP has a very good partnership with governmental agencies and international organizations, this is very important to build a productive partnership with the state, as they are the main counterparts in implementation. I was a Gender Result Network member, and I conducted WFP gender sessions for WFP staff, partners, and beneficiaries.  Even during the pandemic, we tried not to leave people without help and kept working. We went out to help people affected by the pandemic, distributed food, and provided other assistance. Sometimes there are stressful situations because you're afraid of missing deadlines for different types of activities or when you must learn something new. When stress comes up, and it's inevitable, especially in field work, the most important thing is to talk about it and help each other to deal with these situations. For me, WFP is a job I love, an opportunity, an opportunity to develop and help people who find themselves in a hopeless situation. Several years ago, I remember in the Qabodiyon district of Khatlon region, we were providing children with nutritional food and saving them from malnutrition under the Nutrition project. We were urgently contacted and told that stocks of specialty infant formula had run out at the time of our visit to one therapeutic feeding center, and that if feeding with this special formula was not provided, a baby there would die. The doctors said that there was no way to come and take the formula from one therapeutic feeding center to another, so I took it and rushed. I saw the child in a very bad condition. He was exhausted. I remember how he drank the formula and he got better. His mother seemed to come alive at that moment and she was so thankful for us. I remember her saying, "How nice of you to come". It really touched my heart, and I haven't forgotten that story. I have a dream to go and work in another WFP office in another country to share what I have learned in my more than 20 years here and of course learn from other offices.  You get greater experience when you go to the field and work in the regions with affected people.  

One of the important objectives of the staff of prison services is to contribute to public safety through safe, secure and humane management of suspects and offenders and the provision of opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration. Prison staff training is essential to enable them to mitigate potential threats in prison and find solutions on how to manage prison challenges at large. The UNODC’s approach to supporting the penitentiary system is underpinned by international norms and standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules). On 18 – 20 July 2022, UNODC conducted in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) a three-day workshop on training curricula for prison officers and the Nelson Mandela Rules. The workshop aimed to review the current training curriculum for prison officers and elaborate on the institutionalization of the UNODC’s e-learning course on the Nelson Mandela Rules into the regular training curriculum for prison officers. Twenty penitentiary system officers attended the workshop. “Capacity building is particularly important for prison staff working with prisoners convicted for extremism and terrorism. Improving the skills of our staff to organize work with these groups of prisoners more effectively is our priority. We are confident that today’s workshop allowing for an exchange of views on various challenges of the penitentiary system, will be useful for the participants, and will also provide the opportunity to develop recommendations for further cooperation and exchange of best practices,” said Mr. Furkat Akbarov, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for the Execution of Criminal Sentences under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan in opening the workshop.  “The work and focus dedicated to identifying and improving the curriculum by the UNODC team, in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice in Tajikistan, will deliver high-quality results and improve the ability of prison officers in Tajikistan to effectively and successfully work with foreign terrorist fighters and violent extremist prisoners,” said Ms. Bridgette Walker, Chargé d’Affaires, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe in her welcome remarks. “Beginning this workshop today, on Nelson Mandela Day, is no mere coincidence. The Nelson Mandela Rules - are a guiding light for the establishment of safe and humane prisons around the globe that properly rehabilitate and prevent individuals from reoffending. These rules provide a strong, principled foundation on which prison systems can best address the needs of the prisoners and the country’s security,” she added. The workshop was conducted in a hybrid format and provided theoretical and practical sessions. The sessions were delivered by Torben Adams, Shah Salman Khan, Jörg Lorenz, Batyr Saparbaev, and Myrzabek Tuiganov - international experts with extensive experience in criminal justice, human rights and security, prison system management, training prison staff and curriculum design. Mr. Torben Adams, UNODC International Programme Coordinator, thanked the Government of Tajikistan for its commitment to the joint Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters Detention Programme in the country and all related initiatives. He also expressed gratitude to the U.S. Government for the financial support that enabled to work in partnership on the important topics of security and safety in prison, and on rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners. “In our joint mission to ‘leave no-one behind’, we must not forget prisoners and those who are tasked with their custody and care. On Nelson Mandela Day, we are sending a strong message to that effect – a message which reiterates the need to ensure continued human rights compliance behind bars and which reiterates that treating prisoners in line with their human dignity and effectively preparing them for their release is an essential contributor to public safety and the cohesion of societies,” he noted. During the workshop, the participants learned about the Nelson Mandela Rules, national and international training curricula for prison staff, core competencies required for prison staff working with violent extremist prisoners and foreign terrorist fighters, special needs of women violent extremist prisoners and juveniles recruited and exploited by violent extremist groups. They also acquired knowledge and skills in the process of curriculum design and the related management techniques in some jurisdictions with an emphasis on the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) method. They had a dedicated discussion on the selection and recruitment process for staff working in prison, and on the induction and advanced training which should be offered for staff working in prison. On the last day of the workshop, the participants made recommendations on the design, delivery and institutionalization of an in-service training curriculum for prison officers dedicated to the management of high-risk prisoners, including terrorist and foreign terrorist fighters prisoners, and put forward suggestions on the institutionalization of the UNODC’s e-learning course on the Nelson Mandela Rules into the regular training curriculum for prison staff in Tajikistan. Upon completion of the workshop, the participants were awarded certificates. They thanked UNODC and trainers for the high quality of the workshop. The workshop was conducted under the UNODC Global Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters Detention Programme and the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 2022-2025. The UNODC Global Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters Detention Programme is funded by the Counterterrorism Bureau of the U.S. Department of State. The programme in Tajikistan aims to enhance the national capacity to manage threats posed by foreign terrorist fighters through technical assistance to law enforcement, corrections, and justice sector agencies consistent with relevant norms of international law.

Central Asia borders Afghanistan - the world’s largest opium poppy producer. The region is on the front line of efforts to counter drug trafficking along the northern route. Thematic public awareness-raising campaigns play an important role in the fight against illicit drugs. It is crucial to inform, in particular, young people, who make up more than half of the population in Central Asian countries about the risks posed by drug use and illicit drug trafficking. The awareness-raising campaign was conducted at the Korday border crossing point (BCP) on the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, the Sypatay Batyr BCP on the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, the Ak-Zhol BCP on the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border, the Zhibek Zholy BCP on the Kazakh-Uzbek border, the Dusti BCP on the Tajik-Uzbek border, the Sariosiyo BCP on the Uzbek-Tajik border, the Gisht Kuprik BCP on the Uzbek-Kazakh border and the Aktau International Airport in Kazakhstan, the International Airport Manas in Kyrgyzstan and the Tashkent International Airport in Uzbekistan.  During the campaign, the UNODC team and law enforcement officers working at the BCPs and international airports placed information banners and disseminated fridge magnets among people crossing the borders. The messages on the banners and magnets were presented in English, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Russian, Tajik, and Uzbek languages. A campaign video dedicated to the Day was shown at the arrival and departure terminals of international flights of the Aktau International Airport and the border terminal of the Sypatay Batyr BCP.  The UNODC representatives and law enforcement officers informed the citizens crossing the land and air borders about World Drug Day, the harmful health consequences of drug use and the legal consequences of illicit drug use and trafficking, among others.   The banners provided the following useful information: “Even a single use of a drug can cause severe harm to the human body. You can become addicted to any type of drug the first time you try it”; “Illegal drugs are often transported under the guise of ordinary food, medications, or other legal goods”; “Anyone can be found to be a drug trafficker by agreeing to transport a stranger’s luggage across the border if it is found to contain drugs.” The key message on the magnet was a reminder of the harms of drug abuse. The campaign was conducted under the Cross-Border Cooperation Project of Sub-programme 1 “Countering transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and preventing terrorism” of the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 2022-2025. The project aims to enhance the capacity of border crossing points and improve regional cross-border cooperation by promoting Border Liaison Offices’ concept and developing information and communication networks for border agencies.  The project is funded by the Government of Japan.

Drug trafficking and illicit financial flows emanating out of Afghanistan pose increased challenges for the Central Asian region. Afghanistan continues to dominate the worldwide opium market, accounting for 85 per cent of the global production total in 2020. Opium produced in Afghanistan supplies markets in neighbouring countries as well as Europe, the Near and Middle East, South Asia and Africa.  Of all of Afghanistan’s neighbours in Central Asia, Tajikistan shares its longest border. The Tajik-Afghan border runs for almost 1400 km and through incredibly rugged mountains that, compounded by weak security, make it porous. Tajikistan is therefore the most vulnerable among its neighbours to drug-related threats and challenges. Accordingly, Tajikistan plays a critical role in fighting illicit drug trafficking, especially given the high opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, and the increased production of synthetic drugs. Tajikistan ranked eleventh among countries with the largest quantities of opiate seizures in 2020. UNODC’s counternarcotics efforts in Central Asia aim to strengthen national drug enforcement agencies to address the drug-related threats and challenges effectively. The foremost coordinating institute of drug control, prevention and enforcement-related activities in Tajikistan is the Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan (DCA), established in 1999. UNODC has supported it since then to enhance its capacities to counter drug trafficking, including strengthening institutional and human resources capabilities to cope with emerging challenges related to the regional drug situation.  Since 2020, UNODC in Tajikistan has been establishing a training academy at the DCA as part of a project funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The academy is designed to empower DCA staff, equipping them with the relevant knowledge and skills to execute effective service delivery. To establish the long-term sustainability of the training centre, UNODC has assisted in conducting training-of-trainers (ToT) courses to create a pool of national trainers. They will support the DCA by developing and delivering the training curriculum, and advising on the application of relevant tools, standards and norms, and best practices in the design, delivery and evaluation of training programmes. Two recipients of the ToT courses are Major Nuriddin Sharifzoda, Head of the DCA Legal Affairs Unit, and Lieutenant Colonel Tojiddin Ismoiliyon, Head of the DCA Training Centre. They are building their skills to develop their institution’s capacity, efficiency, and reputation. Over the past eight months they have delivered training courses with skills and knowledge gained from the ToT programmes and drafted standard operating procedures and some policy documents. Recently, the pair took a study tour to institutions in Almaty, Kazakhstan and Budapest, Hungary to study methods of organizing, developing, conducting, and evaluating training programmes, and processing information on drugs and precursors. They compared good practices that could be brought to the DCA.  Tojiddin Ismoiliyon described his experience to UNODC: “I have extensive teaching experience. By attending ToT courses, I learned about new teaching methods, and how to plan, conduct, and structure a course. I honed my training skills, and knowledge in adult education. I developed the DCA and UNODC project implementation plan and training materials. The trainings greatly contributed to my professional development.” Nuriddin Sharifzoda also expressed that “the courses added value to my professional teaching experience. I have trained recruits and in-service officers from the regional and inter-district departments of DCA. The ToT courses improved my training skills and knowledge in using best teaching practices. I am now equipped to conduct advanced training courses for the DCA’s instructors and staff,” he added.  Both trainers were asked what they intended to do next with their additional knowledge and skills. Both proposed establishing an institute of advanced training and professional development at the DCA training centre to further strengthen the agency’s training and human resources capacities. Tojiddin Ismoiliyon discussed developing the DCA’s institutional capacities “to ensure favourable training conditions and high quality of training activities, adapted to modern requirements and in line with international standards. If the agency’s human resources capacity is strengthened, that will contribute to conducting counternarcotics activities more effectively. That will in turn contribute to the effective detection of crimes and drug seizures.” Nuriddin Sharifzoda shared his plans to contribute to the agency’s development: “I am engaged in reviewing the current drug control legislation and proposals to improve it. I will help improve drug control regulatory and legal acts and bring legislation in line with international standards and Tajikistan’s obligations. And I will pass my new knowledge on to our officers.”   As part of its activities for World Drug Day, 26 June 2022, the DCA organized and conducted drug abuse prevention public awareness-raising campaigns and contests among youth. Both Major Nuriddin Sharifzoda and Lieutenant Colonel Tojiddin Ismoiliyon took active roles in organizing the events and promoting good health, with their enhanced training experience and skills making the activities impactful.  Mustafa Erten, Head of the UNODC Programme Office in Tajikistan, delivered several ToT courses and follow-up trainings for the DCA officers. He calls the ToT courses “the most sustainable form of capacity development as they support the building of personal skills in imparting knowledge to others, and build up an institutional memory – key for organizations with an eye on continuous development. It is encouraging to witness the strong commitment of the DCA to ToT courses through our joint project,” he added. *** The UNODC Programme for Central Asia will further strengthen the DCA’s capacity through the ongoing Tajikistan Drug Control Agency Establishing the Training Academy: Phase II project. This includes the provision of additional ToT courses, recruit and in-service staff trainings, as well as the establishment of a new database system for tracking information flow on the DCA capacity-building initiatives and the development of e-learning training modules, and an electronic library system in line with the DCA requirements. The electronic library will be updated by DCA trainers with materials, manuals, and instructions.