Ashgabat, 25 July 2019: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the British Embassy in Turkmenistan have signed cooperation agreements for two projects: on promotion of opportunities for people with disabilities (in close cooperation between UNDP and RCO) and on empowerment of the office of Ombudsperson of Turkmenistan.

The signing ceremony took place in the UN House with participation of Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP Resident Representative a.i., and David Pert, Deputy Head of Mission, HM Consul.

The project on promotion of the opportunities for people with disabilities is a continuation of UNDP initiative of 2018, when over 80 participants including representatives of 10 private companies took part in the Career Fair for people with disabilities. The Career Fair was preceded by a 3-day training for people with disabilities in resume writing and interview skills.

This year, the initiative will be replicated in Dashoguz and Lebap regions of Turkmenistan, engaging people with disabilities into the training and Career Fair with private companies in the two regions. The joint action will be culminated by the Christmas Bazaar in the UN building where people with disabilities will have an opportunity to showcase and sell their art works.

Through the other project, UNDP and the UK Embassy aim at enhancing capacity of Ombudsperson’s Office to effectively protect human rights in compliance with Paris Principles and receive accreditation from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions. The proposed project complements UNDP’s ongoing initiatives on protection and promotion of human rights in Turkmenistan. It builds on the successes and lessons learnt from a past cooperation between UNDP and the government of the UK in Turkmenistan.