Alfiya Musina is a senior international development and trade expert with more than 25 years of experience advising governments, international organizations, donors, and the private sector on trade facilitation, economic growth, democratic governance, customs and border reform, WTO accession, investment climate, and private sector development related to Uzbekistan and other Central Asian nations.
Her career spans senior positions with the Government of Uzbekistan, the United Nations, and USAID. As a diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan from 1996 to 2003, she helped shape the country’s foreign policy, strengthen democratic institutions, and build international partnerships. She also served on the Interagency Expert Group on Establishing the Central Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and is a certified expert on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
From 2004 to 2016, she worked with the United Nations on border management, regional cooperation, and trade facilitation initiatives across Central Asia. She helped advance reforms that improved the movement of goods, people, and services across borders and supported the development of peaceful and commercially viable border regions. In recognition of these efforts, she received a medal from the Uzbek Border Agency.
Between 2017 and 2025, she directed two flagship USAID programs in Uzbekistan focused on job creation, export growth, tourism, transport and logistics, horticulture, customs reform, and private sector competitiveness. She has worked closely with government agencies, transport companies, tourism operators, exporters, business associations, and supply chain actors to improve market access, strengthen institutions, and support reforms conducive to trade and investment.
She has extensive experience managing complex, multi-donor programs funded by USAID, the United Nations, the European Commission, and the Government of Uzbekistan. Her work has included support for customs modernization, public sector reform, workforce development, SME competitiveness, women’s entrepreneurship, foreign direct investment, and WTO accession. In her current private sector capacity, she continues to advise the Government of Uzbekistan on legislative and institutional reforms needed to integrate the country into the rules-based global trading system.
In addition to her policy and program work, she has been a leading advocate for women’s economic empowerment and technology education. She initiated and supported a number of programs aimed at developing entrepreneurial and leadership skills among girls and women, including Technovation Challenge, STEAM for Girls, Go Viral, and Women in STEAM Week. Working in partnership with Google and the U.S. Department of State Speaker Program, she helped young women and entrepreneurs gain access to technology, mentorship, and new market opportunities.
She is a frequent speaker and moderator on issues related to trade, economic reform, regional integration, women’s empowerment, and private sector development. She holds an Honors Bachelor’s degree, a Master of Arts in International Relations from Central European University, is a two-time Chevening Fellow, and conducted advanced research on multilateralism at University of Oxford.
She is fluent in English, Russian, and Uzbek, with working knowledge of other regional languages used across Central Asia. Her multilingual background has enabled her to work effectively with senior government officials, international donors, private sector leaders, local communities, and cross-border stakeholders throughout the region.