News

Artificial Intelligence, Innovation, Digital Services & Cybersecurity​​

7 October 2026​

Digital transformation is a top national priority for Tajikistan. Having declared 2025–2030 as the Years of Digital Economy and Innovation and being the first Central Asian nation to adopt a long-term National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence up to 2040, the country aims to transform into a prominent regional digital hub. The strategy targets generating 5% of the national GDP from AI-related economic activities by 2040.

To bridge existing digital infrastructure gaps—such as increasing broadband penetration and connecting 80% of the population to high-speed internet by 2028—and to operationalize its ambitious 2025 UN General Assembly Resolution on the "Role of AI in Creating New Opportunities for Sustainable Development in Central Asia," the government is partnering with the ITU under the UN Expertise on Demand mechanism.

The UN Expertise on Demand (EOD) deployment, funded via the United Nations Joint SDG Fund, is a targeted intervention designed to accelerate this agenda. Led by the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Tajikistan and executed by the ITU, this deployment leverages a specialized team of senior international experts.

The initiative spans a structural 3-Sprint operational framework: 

• Sprint 1: Governance and Standards Review – Performing a targeted analysis of Tajikistan’s digital governance to align national frameworks with global standards regarding reliability, affordability, and data protection.
• Sprint 2: Capacity Enhancement for Targeted Institutions – Strengthening the ability of national entities to design and implement digital policies, regulate digital public infrastructure (DPI), manage cybersecurity, and oversee AI governance.​
• Sprint 3: Regional Knowledge-Exchange – Drafting a comprehensive concept paper and facilitating regional dialogues to scope and structure the upcoming Regional Artificial Intelligence Center in Dushanbe. 

SPRINT 1: REGULATORY ASSESSMENT REPORT

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​As a foundational milestone of the initiative, a comprehensive regulatory assessment report has been developed under Sprint 1. The report includes an assessment of regulatory frameworks in four key areas: artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure (DPI), cybersecurity, and innovation.​ It contains detailed information on the current status of regulatory and legal regulations in the Republic of Tajikistan, best international and regional practices, and an analysis of international ratings and indices. Furthermore, the document highlights identified issues and opportunities for harmonization, providing actionable recommendations for the development of new regulatory acts and amendments to existing legal frameworks in these key research areas. The government can use this strategic document to justify changes in national plans for developing legal and regulatory acts. The preparation of this report became possible thanks to the vital support of the Agency for Innovation and Digital Technologies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan.​

SPRINT 2: CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT

Empowering Institutions through AI Governance Training

As part of the operational roadmap for Sprint 2, the ITU, by invitation of the Agency for Innovation and Digital Technologies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, successfully conducted a training on AI State Policy and Implementation Case Studies in Dushanbe from September 3–4, 2026. ​

The training brought together over 30 key specialists representing state regulatory bodies, telecommunication operators, national IT enterprises, and academic research institutions.

Led by international subject matter experts from the ITU, GSMA, and Alvarez & Marsal, the technical sessions provided direct knowledge transfer to key agencies, including the Agency for Innovation and Digital Technologies and the Communication Service:

• International Frameworks: Deconstructed global approaches to AI state policy, introducing the ITU's "Expertise on Demand – Sprint 1" findings and GSMA's foundational work in AI regulation.
• Cross-Sectoral AI Application: Analyzed neighboring Kazakhstan's comprehensive national AI path alongside practical deployment use-cases in public administration, healthcare, and education.
• Responsible & Sovereign AI: Evaluated the dual requirements of securing digital sovereignty while maintaining strict cybersecurity standards and aligning with the ITU’s global "AI for Good" guidelines.​

The training concluded with a bilateral workshop where stakeholders outlined concrete steps for long-term integration.  

Strengthening Resilience via National CyberDrill 

From September 21–23, 2026, the ITU and the Agency for Innovation and Digital Technologies conducted a three-day National CyberDrill in Dushanbe​. The exercise trained 60+ cross-sectoral specialists from telecom, banking, and public sectors in incident response and predictive defense.

The technical simulation covered a structured 3-day path:

• Day 1 Strategic Insights: Analyzed Tajikistan's cybersecurity governance findings alongside practical use-cases of AI integration in security (SOC automation and predictive defense).
• Day 2 Infrastructure Security: Managed and secured a live corporate testbed.
• Day 3 Incident Response: Defended the infrastructure against multi-stage, live incident scenarios, testing real-time mitigation and containment skills.