4.13 Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan Since 2010, the PCUz has been co-operating with the Police Academy’s Department of Theory and Practice of Human Rights and the MIA’s Human Rights Protection and Legal Support Department. This collaboration is aimed at increasing the professionalism of local law enforcement agencies to uphold the rule of law and respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. Since 2008, the PCUz has been working closely with the National Centre for Drug Control (NCDC) in supporting the implementation of national strategies and policies on fighting illicit drug circulation. In 2013, the PCUz and the NCDC signed a MoU designed to improve joint efforts to address illicit drug circulation and other related transnational organized crimes. In the field of THB, the PCUz supports the Inter-agency Anti-trafficking Commission, and other governmental agencies and civil society representatives in strengthening their efforts to combat THB. Besides capacity-building, the PCUz focuses on establishing a more systematic and sustainable approach to counter THB through better co-ordination between police, health and social workers, and NGOs in the identification of trafficked persons and the protection of their human rights. Activities Related to General Police Development and Reform Police Development and Reform within the Security Sector Reform On 20 February, the Head of the PCUz visited the MIA and met with the Head of the Department of Human Rights Protection and Legal Support. The aim of the meeting was to discuss potential co-operation between the PCUz and the MIA in light of the Law On Internal Affairs Bodies entering into force on 1 April 2017, and tasks set by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the meeting with law enforcement officials on 9 February. Currently, the PCUz is rendering support to the Human Rights Information and Resource Centre, established in 2010 within the framework of the Project on “Support to capacity building of the Department and its regional and structural subdivisions”. On 19 September, the PCUz facilitated the participation of a delegation from Uzbekistan comprising four representatives from the Senate (Higher Chamber), the Legislative (Lower) Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament), the Center for Development Strategy and the civil society, in the OSCE-wide “Conference on Security Sector Governance and Reform 130 (SSG/R)”, held in Vienna. The participants discussed progress made in the field of SSG/R and identified necessary steps to further strengthen the effectiveness of the support provided by the OSCE, including in the areas of police reform, border management and security and counter-terrorism. The participation of the Uzbek delegation was organized in the lead-up to the planned PCUz project on “Promoting Security Sector Governance and Reform Processes in Uzbekistan”, that aims to support and build national capacities and raise awareness of SSR/G approaches in security sector. Anti-Corruption In 2017, the PCUz supported a number of government initiatives aimed at improving good governance in Uzbekistan, particularly in the areas of AML/CTF and countering corruption. Within this framework, the PCUz provided support in building capacities of national stakeholders in conducting risk assessments of national money laundering and terrorism financing. The general public was informed about corruption issues through a public awareness campaign implemented from April to December 2017. The PCUz supported the government in the implementation of the National Strategy on Combating Corruption for 2017-2018 and the Law On Combating Corruption. In cooperation with the General Prosecutor’s Office (GPO) and Inter-Agency Commission on Combating Corruption (IAC), the PCUz supported a public awareness campaign from April