ABA ROLI Participated in the Tashkent Law Spring Legal Forum

Alberto Mora ( center), the ABA's Associate Executive Director for Global Programs, delivers welcoming remarks during the plenary session of the Forum. Pictured with Mr. Mora is Ruslanbek Davletov (left), the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan; and Carolyn Lamm (right), Chairwoman of the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Partner at White & Case.

Alberto J. Mora, Director of the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), recently traveled to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Dushanbe, Tajikistan to expand ABA ROLI’s international cooperation in the legal sphere, identify new areas of mutual interest, and to build new partnerships across Central Asia. While in Tashkent, Alberto J. Mora represented the ABA in the Tashkent Law Spring International Legal Forum that was held on April 25-27, 2019. The Forum was organized by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan and brought together over 1,000 representatives from international organizations, national and foreign state bodies, legal and consulting firms, scientists, and law specialists.

Since June 2018, ABA ROLI has supported a new program in Uzbekistan; the first program with an in-country presence since ABA ROLI offices closed in 2006. After the new President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was elected in 2016, communications between ABA ROLI and the government, particularly the country’s Ministry of Justice, improved significantly. The new program will support the national bar association, the Chamber of Advocates, in its independent efforts to protect individuals’ rights and due process and to advance legal education reform efforts at the national law school, the Tashkent State University of Law.

Alberto Mora ( right), the ABA's Associate Executive Director for Global Programs, shakes hands with Alim Ernazarov (front left), Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Uzbekistan, after the signing ceremony in Tashkent.

On the first day of the forum, Mr. Mora delivered welcoming remarks during the plenary session, alongside Ruslanbek Davletov, Uzbekistan's Minister of Justice; Carolyn Lamm, Chairwoman of the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Partner at White & Case; Edwin Tong, Senior Minister of State for Law and Health of Singapore; Kim Oe-sook, Minister of Government Legislation of the Republic of Korea; and, Alexey Chichkanov, First Vice-President of Gazprombank. In his speech, Mr. Mora highlighted the importance of the rule of law in the future of the Republic of Uzbekistan, particularly the criminal justice and business sectors. He also mentioned the important role civil society organizations have in accomplishing the goal of societal harmony.

On the second day of the conference, Mr. Mora participated in a panel discussion on modern trends in legal education, which was co-moderated by Mansur Kamalov, Vice-Rector of the Tashkent State University of Law; and Joan Blum, Associate Professor of Law at Boston College School of Law. In an interactive group discussion, Alberto J. Mora, and professors from American, Chinese and European universities discussed long-distance educational learning, alternative teaching methods, and legal ethics.

With support of ABA ROLI, Kiran Gore, an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University Law School, traveled to Uzbekistan and participated in the Tashkent Law Spring Legal Forum. Kiran Gore, who has over a decade of experience in international dispute resolution, spoke during the legal services panel session that was sponsored by Uzbekistan’s Chamber of Advocates. 

Alberto Mora (front right), the ABA's Associate Executive Director for Global Programs, sits with Alim Ernazarov (front left), Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Uzbekistan, signing the Memorandum of Understanding in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

During the closing ceremony of the Tashkent Law Spring Legal Forum, Alberto Mora and Alim Ernazarov, the Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Uzbekistan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to recognize areas of mutual interest, including (1) strengthening the role of advocacy in the field of legislative regulation; (2) legal education of Uzbekistan's population; (3) exchange of experience, regulations, methodological advice and information in the field of advocacy.

Learn more about ABA ROLI’s work across Europe and Eurasia.