LocationsAs governance evolves, Tajikistan’s Parliament is exploring how national experience and international best practices, including AI, can support more effective lawmaking and better serve citizens.
When National Experience Meets International Best Practices: Tajik Parliament Explores AI and Smart Tools
May 1, 2026
UNDP international expert Jonas Cekuolis leads a training session on modern parliamentary tools and practices for members of the Parliament of Tajikistan
UNDP Tajikistan/ Nigora Fazliddin
Artificial intelligence, strategic planning, time management, post-legislative oversight, anti-corruption analysis of draft laws, and tools for strengthening public engagement were at the centre of discussions among members of Parliament and their advisors during a series of trainings led by Jonas Cekuolis, UNDP’s international expert with extensive experience in parliamentary development.
The trainings brought together parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to exchange international and national experiences.
Reflecting on the evolving cooperation with UNDP and the need to strengthen institutional practices, Rustam Shohmurod, Chair of the Committee on Legislation and Human Rights, highlighted the importance of building a more systematic and practical approach to parliamentary work.
Rustam Shohmurod, Chair of the Committee on Legislation and Human Rights, Parliament of Tajikistan
UNDP Tajikistan/ Nigora Fazliddin
“Through effective cooperation with our partners, we will be able to improve both the legal environment and the functioning of Parliament itself, including its transparency. This is particularly important in the context of the ongoing development of digitalisation and artificial intelligence, which require new approaches to our work,” he said.
Dilnoza Ahmadzoda, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Policy, noted that sharing experience, best practices, and modern approaches to lawmaking is key to strengthening parliamentary performance. It builds capacity, improves coordination, and supports the use of innovative and digital solutions—enhancing transparency, decision-making, and responsiveness to people’s needs.
Dilnoza Ahmadzoda, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Policy, Parliament of Tajikistan
UNDP Tajikistan/ Nigora Fazliddin
She further noted: “Cooperation with partners such as UNDP is particularly important for strengthening national institutions. With its global expertise and access to international knowledge, UNDP helps adapt best practices to the national context. This partnership contributes to institutional resilience, the development of human capital, and the introduction of modern management tools—ultimately supporting more effective, open, and citizen-oriented governance.”
Drawing on experience working with parliaments in countries such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Papua New Guinea, Iraq, and Libya, Jonas Cekuolis brings extensive international expertise to support Tajikistan’s parliamentary development.
Jonas Cekuolis, UNDP International Expert on Parliamentary Development
UNDP Tajikistan/ Nigora Fazliddin
“Modern parliaments need to combine strong legislative foundations with the ability to adapt to new tools and technologies, including artificial intelligence, to remain effective and responsive,” he noted.
Highlighting the strategic importance of this engagement, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Lazima Onta-Bhatta emphasised that “future support will be shaped through a needs-based approach, ensuring that cooperation with Parliament is both demand-driven and grounded in evidence.”
AI is increasingly recognised as a practical tool to support evidence-based policymaking, improve legislative analysis, and enhance efficiency in parliamentary processes, while also requiring careful attention to ethics, transparency, and accountability.
UNDP contributes global expertise to this process, drawing on its experience working with parliaments in more than 60 countries and supporting institutions to adapt to evolving governance challenges.
Lazima Onta-Bhatta, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Tajikistan
UNDP Tajikistan/ Nigora Fazliddin
Following the trainings, UNDP experts are conducting a needs assessment in close cooperation with Parliament to identify priority areas for institutional strengthening. The assessment is ongoing and covers areas related to core Parliamentary functions of evidence-based law-making, including gender-sensitive legislation, capacity development needs of the Parliamentary Secretariat, the use of digital technologies and public access to information about Parliamentary functions.
Both the trainings and the needs assessment are part of the Strengthening the Rule of Law and Human Rights for Empowering People in Tajikistan project, funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
Through this partnership, the Parliament of Tajikistan is strengthening its capacity to respond to a rapidly changing world—adopting new tools, improving practices, and enhancing its role in delivering for citizens.
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