The Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under the President of Turkmenistan, Counterpart International, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) hosted a roundtable on local governance on June 23 in Ashgabat. The roundtable focused on the findings of the Turkmen government officials from their recent USAID-funded study tour to the United States to study the US local governance experience.

The roundtable included study tour participants - Turkmen Parliament members as well as specialists from the Institute for State and Law and the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights – as well as  representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, government institutions and the Parliament of Turkmenistan. The event provided an opportunity for the study tour participants to share their experiences with other members of the Turkmenistan government and present their plans for using the ideas and practices from the tour.

During the event, USAID donated more than 200 books on local governance and other topics to the library of National Institute of Democracy and Human Rights, Institute on State and Law, Institute of International Relations and Medjlis of Turkmenistan. In addition, Ms. Marilynne Davis, from the Urban Institute, presented on the overall US framework for local government, while Michael Kunz, from the Counterpart International, discussed best local governance practices in Azerbaijan observed during implementation of the USAID-funded project. 

This event is one of the many activities made possible by the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  Since 1993, the American people through USAID have provided more than $80 million in programs that support Turkmenistan’s economic growth, social sector, and community initiatives.

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