This report was produced jointly by the Global Crisis and Rule of Law Development Association and the OSCE Office in Tajikistan with aim to examine the preconditions and chances for a police reform in Tajikistan.
The assessment led to the conclusion that a police reform in Tajikistan would be an essential part helping to stop corruption. It is also seen as vital for a successful fight against international organised crime like drug-trafficking and human-trafficking. Tajikistan, because of the geographical situation, is a transit country for drug-trafficking from Afghanistan to Europe.
Tajikistan is with only 18 years of independence a young state which needs definitely assistance to succeed on the way from a communistic police system (top-down oriented) to a democratic policing (bottom-up oriented) matching international police standards. After the civil war, where police was countering grave crime, a new development began. Police reform cannot be done on a short run. It will take time and it’s a long term goal but the chance to start it now is bigger than ever. There is a commitment by the police managers, in the parliament and in other state authorities to start this reform now.