The United Nations (UN) in Kyrgyzstan
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# 144
October 08, 2001

In this issue:


CENTRAL GOVERNANCE

  • UNDP Central Governance Program Signed
  • UNDP Workshop on Building a Coherent Administrative System

LOCIAL GOVERNANCE

  • Training for Local Authorities of Chui, Issyk Kul and Naryn Provinces
  • Secondary School Constructed in Osh Province
  • UNDP-Supported Projects Inaugurated in Talas Province

HEALTH CARE

  • HIV/AIDS Prevention in Kyrgyzstan
  • “I care... Do you?”: Two-year World AIDS Campaign

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.

  • Update on Counterpart Consortium/USAID/UN/EU-Supported NGO activities

POPULATION

  • Workshop for Government Officials and Media

UNICEF

  • Touring Photographic Exhibition Returns to UN House in Bishkek

CENTRAL GOVERNANCE

The Political and Administrative Central Governance UNDP Program was signed on September 26, 2001. A number of world UN conferences held in the 90s demonstrate a growing concern of the world public in the need of the human-oriented development. The resolutions adopted by the conferences stress the importance of people’s participation in decision-making, provision of human rights, democratization and effective governance, and an increasing role of international economic environment in ensuring a sustainable human development. In light of these resolutions, the main objective of the Program that was signed by Mr. Ercan Murat, Resident Representative of UNDP in Kyrgyzstan, and Amanbek Karypkulov, Chief of Staff of the President’s Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic is to provide support to Kyrgyzstan in its transformation of the administrative system through the development of democratic processes and social and economic growth in the people’s interest. As it is already known, following the assessment of UNDP activities in Kyrgyzstan those projects that were recognized as most successful in providing stable impact on the country’s development were united under three Programs:

  • Political and Administrative Central Governance Program;
  • Political and Administrative Local Governance Program signed August 24; and
  • Social Governance Program.

The main objective of the signed Program is to provide support to the state entities in dealing with the issues of the administrative system. The support will come through assisting with the development of democratic processes and social and economic growth in the people’s interests and in order to improve efficiency of state institutions in line with the country’s development objectives stipulated in the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) and the National Strategy for Poverty Reduction (NSPR). The Program will be generally based on the experience generated in the course of implementing UNDP's Governance Strengthening and Reform of Public Administration Project which started in 1998 consisting of several components pursuing the following tasks:

  • Improvement of the efficiency of the central state administration in performing tasks in the areas of state policy development and public administration as well as in a more economic use of limited financial and human resources;
  • Enhancement of qualifications of civil servants.

The Program will be chaired by the National Director who will appoint a Program Coordinator out of the managers of the entities reporting to the National Director. For the purposes of dealing with administrative, financial, and technical tasks a Program Management Unit (PMU) will be established. Besides, for the purposes of monitoring all three UNDP Programs and coordination with other donor agencies a policy development group and a coordination group will be established. These groups will be composed of all Program partners, including the managers of core ministries, donor organizations and other UNDP partners in the country.

Due to the fact that the whole UNDP system has undergone serious changes in regard to the sustainable operational results, the Program provides for a strict monitoring so that all partners and stakeholders could have access to the timely and correct information on the progress or its absence in the course of program implementation.

On October 1, 2001 a UNDP Workshop entitled Building a Coherent Administrative System: Redefining Institutional Frameworks took place in the Conference Hall of the Dostuk Hotel. Mr. Amanbek Karypkulov, the Chief of Staff of the President’s Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic and Mr. Ercan Murat, UNDP Resident Representative in Kyrgyzstan inaugurated the event with the opening speeches. This was the first workshop after the official signing of the Political and Administrative Governance Program on September 26, 2001. The signed document determines that the Chief of Staff of the President Administration shall act as the Head of this UNDP Program. Mr. Bolotbek Kenenbaev, Deputy Chief of Staff of the President’s Administration, Mr. Arzymat Sulaimankulov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, and other government officials and representatives of the donor community attended.

The issues of administration of state bodies, improvement of their organizational structures for the implementation of administrative reforms were raised. The participants learned about the processes of the public administration and civil service reform in the Kyrgyz Republic. The materials of the functional reviews in two pilot ministries were presented: the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Health. The issues of developing reforms of state bodies through the financial management mechanisms were considered. The workshop experience will be used for the improvement of the capacity of administrative staff of state bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Contact: Ms. Dinara Rakhmanova, UNDP Cluster Task Manager. Tel: + 996 (312) 66-21-08, 66-46-34. Fax: +996 (312) 66-05-73. Email:

LOCIAL GOVERNANCE

Decentralization Programme

Local Authorities of Chui, Issyk Kul and Naryn Provinces Participated in Decentralization Training. In order to increase the scope of the programme's impact throughout the country, the UNDP-supported Decentralization Programme expanded programme activities into an additional three provinces in June of 2001. By adding Chui, Issyk Kul and Naryn to its activities, the Programme has increased its coverage to all regions of the country. In Chui, Alamadin district was chosen as a pilot district with Baitik village municipality and Vasilevka village municipality selected as pilot areas. Likewise, in the region of Issyk Kul, Tooguz-Bulak and Kuturgu village municipalities of Tyup district were selected while in Naryn oblast Cholpon and Kara-suu village municipalities of Kochkor district were identified as new pilot regions.

To orient the local level authorities working at the village and rayon levels in these pilot areas to programme concepts and implementation methods, a two-day training was conducted in each pilot district in August of 2001. The training was aimed at thoroughly enabling field level partners with the concepts and procedures of programme implementation for them to take on the ownership for programme implementation within their communities. To this end, the training focused on developing the capacities of local authorities in understanding of local self-governance in the Kyrgyz Republic and participatory methods of governance and be committed to, enabled and motivated for undertaking programme activities in their areas.

A total of 75 training participants, who included representatives from the District State Administrations, District Kenesh (councils), Aiyl Okmotus (rural municipalities) and Aiyl Kenesh (village councils), actively participated in the trainings held in each pilot region. Organized by provincial and Central Programme Implementation Units, Programme consultants and Programme UN Volunteers, the training provided participants with a detailed understanding of the local self-governance system in the Kyrgyz Republic and the functions of representative and executive bodies of power at the district and village levels. In addition, training sessions introduced the participants to the concepts of participatory planning and means of strengthening people's participation in local development within their communities. The discussions activated during the training and feedback provided by participants upon the completion of the training indicated that the training provided a strong basis upon which local level authorities are ready to take on ownership of the programme in their areas and commit to working together with their community members to tackle development of their own communities.

Secondary School Completed with the Efforts of Community Based Organizations in Tajik-Abad Village, Kara-suu district of Osh Province. The Community Based Organizations (CBOs) “Ziekor”, “Navruz”, “Jany Kyrgyzstan”, “Turon” and “Faiz” established in Nariman Aiyl Okmotu (municipality) of Osh province with the support of the UNDP Decentralization Project are very pleased with the completion and inauguration of a local secondary school with 14 classrooms and a gym. The original construction budget was 1,424,000 soms, however, due to inflation, the cost rose to 2,150,000 soms.

The members of CBOs from Tajik-Abad village contributed to project costs. In addition, the UNDP Decentralization Program, Nariman Aiyl Okmotu, "Hosil" seed farm, regional department of education and a Jogorku Kenesh (national parliament) member Kuchkarov provided support.

The presentation and opening of the secondary school took place on August 30th 2001 to mark the 10th Anniversary of Independence of the Kyrgyz Republic. Naken Kasiev, the governor of Osh, took part in the opening ceremony, along with other officials from the State Regional Administration of Kara-Suu district, Kenesh (local assembly) deputies, local self-government heads and Decentralization Programme UNVs.

The citizens and children of Tajik-Abad village were all present at the ceremony, where they demonstrated their inspiration by and pride in the peoples’ initiatives of constructing a new school. At the inauguration ceremony the head of “Ziekor” CBO and director of Aini School Abduajit Akbarov delivered speeches to the gathered audience, expressing their sincere gratitude to all stakeholders who supported the smooth implementation of the project. Moreover, in an unofficial interview the school director said that he could not believe his eyes that construction of the school had been completed. A lot of effort and time had been put into the project and there were many difficult moments and even moments of disappointment encountered during construction. Nevertheless, people worked day and night, in good and bad weather. In summarizing, the school director noted that everything had been successfully accomplished and a lot of work still lay ahead to be done in the future.

We can now say with confidence that the construction of such important infrastructure projects and rehabilitation of old infrastructures can only be implemented with the support and understanding of villagers, government bodies and community based organizations through social mobilization efforts and participatory planning.

UNDP-Supported Health Center and Public Bathhouse Projects Inaugurated in Talas Province. The August 25th inauguration of the community initiated Health Center and Public Bathhouse in the municipality of Pokrovka showed the results of the Decentralization Programme’s emphasis on involving the community in the planning and decision-making process of their local government. As a component of programme activities, social mobilization is undertaken as a means of organizing communities to become actively involved in the social and economic development of their villages.

Kara-Archa and Bala-Saruu villages of the pilot Pokrovka Ayil Okmotu are two places where people have mobilized themselves and are undertaking development initiatives. People here live a comparatively low standard of life with no access to clean water, health facilities or other services. After the introduction of Decentralization Programme in 1999 people ceased waiting for assistance from higher authorities and began to take on responsibility for the development of their village. Community Based Organizations (CBOs) were formed and problems of the village identified and prioritized according to their importance and possibility of solving the problem. In Kara-Archa village, community members deemed construction of a health center as the most pressing issue as 110 households (580 people) live in this village without access to medical facilities. A first aid post was located in a private home, but there were not suitable conditions for treating patients or rendering first aid services. Likewise, in Bala-Saruu village community members determined that reconstruction of a bathhouse intended to serve 58 local households in addition to the population of surrounding villages was their highest priority to resolve. Mobilized together into community organizations, community members were able to collectively mobilize their own resources as well as convince the local authorities to support the people in initiating projects addressing their own concerns and needs. In Kara-Archa village, CBO members mobilized a total of 164,430 soms for project implementation with the local authorities showing their support through a donation of bricks from the Aiyl Okmotu and the necessary medical equipment from the District Administration. Likewise, in Bala-Saruu village CBO members mobilized a total of 110,020 soms for project implementation. Both projects were supported by micro-capital grants of the Decentralization Programme.

On August 25, 2000 an opening ceremony attended by the District Akim (mayor), chairperson of the District Kenesh (assembly), province government representatives, village inhabitants and the media was held to inaugurate the new Health Center and Bathhouse. Mr. Askar Jumankaraev, Chairperson of Pokrovka Aiyl Okmotu opened the ceremony with a welcoming speech before turning the floor over to community representatives. The medical assistant of the new Health Center expressed her gratitude to all that, “after 30 years of work in this village as a medical assistant, always moving from one private house to another where there were no elementary conditions for inoculations or dressing wounds, this new building is very gratifying.” The Chairperson of Manas Adminstration, Mr. Musurtobek Aitebaev reiterated his gratitude with his thanks to the CBOs for their efforts in solving their problems through their own and others resources. From Bara-Saruu village the leader of the implementing CBO told the audience that, “the bathhouse is for the health of the population. In carrying out the project we learned to work together to deal with our problems. Community Organizations are necessary not for receiving grants, but for the development of the village by mobilizing its own existing resources”.

Contact: UNDP/UNV Decentralization Program, Kalyan Pandey, Chief Technical Advisor, Government House, 205 Prospekt Chui, Bishkek. Phone: (996 312) 66-00-80, E-mail: General information on the UNDP/UNV Decentralization Program can be found on the UNDP Internet homepage at http://www.undp.kg/ (see'UNDP activities') and DP Internet webpage http://www.dppiu.elcat.kg/

HEALTH CARE

The Situation in Kyrgyzstan with HIV/AIDS Prevention. In Kyrgyzstan, the total number of the HIV infection detected in 2001 has exceeded 100 cases. It is two times more than for the whole period of epidemic development in the country (1987-2000). At present, 156 people are HIV infected. Most of them are injecting drug users (IDU). More than half of the registered cases in 2001 were detected in Osh province. However, the number of HIV infected is also increasing in Bishkek, and in Chui oblast, especially in Jail district.

To prevent the epidemic, the UNDP HIV/AIDS Prevention program conducts interventions among IDUs of Osh. In all, there were 387 clients (302 IDUs in Osh and 85 IDUs in Kara-Suu) covered by the syringe exchange program. Concurrently, the Soros Foundation in Kyrgyzstan helps to provide 737 IDUs of Osh city with clean syringes. That is 17% of the IDUs in the province. According to UNAIDS assessment, in order to achieve the success of the prevention more than 60% of the IDUs should be covered by interventions. In this regard, UNDP HIV/AIDS program is constantly working on the mobilization of the additional resources to support the interventions.

“I care... Do you?” is the slogan for the second year of the two-year World AIDS Campaign intended to create a sustained focus on the role of men in the AIDS epidemic. This slogan was chosen since it is capable of encapsulating discussions on the role of leaders and the needs of young men while being broad enough to discuss other issues relevant to prevention and care, to both genders, and to different age groups. The new Campaign aims to involve men, particularly young men, more fully in the effort against AIDS; to bring about a much-needed focus on men in national responses to the epidemic and to involve leaders both as politicians and in their personal lives in the response to the HIV epidemic.

To prepare for the World AIDS Day in 2001, a joint meeting of UNDP HIV/AIDS, UNFPA and National AIDS Center staff was held for the discussion of the common activities in this area. It was decided to have a specialized action with the participation of prominent leaders of the country, a theater performance, and publication of brochures, posters, and booklets.

Jointly with UNICEF the UNDP HIV/AIDS Prevention prepared twenty-five radio lectures on HIV/AIDS/STD prevention and drug abuse, as well as other connected with it issues. Radio Salam in Batken will broadcast the lectures.

Contact: Mrs. Larissa Bashmakova, National Project Manager, tel./fax: (996 312) 66-36-91, tel.: (996 312) 66 16 17, e-mail:

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.

Update on Counterpart Consortium/USAID/UN/EU-Supported NGO activities. The second stage of the evaluation of the organizational development of the Family Group Practitioner Association (FGPA) was undertaken and the Action Plan on building capacities of organizations was developed in the framework of the implemented "Health NGO Capacity Building Initiative Program", funded by Counterpart Consortium/USAID. Nine participants from the target health NGOs took part in this event.

Thirteen specialists have been conducting meetings devoted to the topic "Your Rights for Land" in the Issyk-Kul oblast. Each specialist covers 10 villagers, in total 130 villages of the Issyk-Kul oblast are involved in this educational program. The approximate number of the participants is 1,040. The library of the Civil Society Support Center (CSSC) in Karakol has been supplied recently with a lot of information material about the project activity on land reforms.

The seminars "Promoting NGOs' activity through mass media" were conducted for representatives of the NGOs of Bishkek, Kant and Kara-Balta in Chui province, Cholpon-Ata in Issyk-Kul province and Kyzil-Adyr in Talas province in the mid of September and early October, 2001. The seminars were initiated by the Civil Society Support Center (Counterpart Consortium/USAID project), established in the International Center "InterBilim". During the seminars the representatives of the various NGOs and state organizations were trained methods of working with mass media. The public will learn about the work of the "third sector" thanks to the press, TV and radio. The attitude of the society to the non-governmental organizations and their activity depend on how the dialogue between mass media and NGOs will be held. The goal of the training was to improve knowledge and skills of various NGOs working with mass media. The discussions were devoted to the several issues: barriers and obstacles, focus audience, selection of mass media, presentation of plot, preparation of press releases, methods of interviewing, press conferences, informational campaigns, strategic planning and work with mass media.

A Training on Financial Management of NGOs was conducted by the Civic Society Support Center in Kara-Kol on October 2-3, 2001. The participants examined such issues as annual budget of an organization, cash flow, profitability of paid services, income and outcome of organization, accounting and financial audit. Twenty representatives of Issyk Kul NGOs focused on such issues as i) financial sustainability of organization; ii) resources of non-commercial organizations; iii) definition of point of the make-out while providing paid services; iv) conception of cash- flow; v) Reports and audit of financial activity. The training was conducted under the CC's Program of Civil Society and NGO Development in the Central Asia Region", funded by USAID.

The Civic Society Support Center (CSSC) in Karakol conducted The Participatory Community Appraisal Meeting on October 2 in the village Mihailovka of Tiup district. Thirty-eight participants attended the meeting. The issues of further collaboration of the CSSC with the community-based organization of Mihailovka as well as issues of mobilization of the community members and the problems of the village were discussed. The villagers paid special attention to the regular lack of water and light in the village.

A training "Management of Non-Commercial Organizations" was conducted within the framework of the Counterpart Consortium (CC) "Health NGO Capacity Building Initiative Program", funded by USAID in the office of CC on September 27-28, 2001. Eighteen representatives of 5 NGOs from Bishkek, Cholpon-Ata NGO "Geneko", Kyzil-Adyr NGO "Tsirina" attended. The given seminar was designed for NGOs which have administration bodies such as Board of Directors or Advisory Council. The goal of the seminar was development of the improved, more efficient system of NGO management.

On September 24-26 a three-day training module for NGOs and Community Based Organizations (CBO) was conducted within the framework of the UNDP project "Strengthening of capacities of non-commercial organizations and community based organizations working in the social sphere" in Osh. Thirteen representatives of non-commercial organizations (NCO) and community based organizations of Osh and Batken took part in the seminar. The participants discussed issues of advocacy/civic participation in the process of making decisions, monitoring and evaluation of the activity of NCO/CBO, conflict control and team building during three days of the module. The training was facilitated by Counterpart Consortium and funded by UNDP Gender in Development Bureau.

The meeting of the target communities of the Civil Society Support Center (CSCS) in Talas was held on September 21, 2001. 11 members of 4 target communities (CBOs "Jany Turmush", "Kairat", "Kum-Aryk", "Manas 1000") of the CSSC in Talas oblast took part in the seminar. The goals and tasks of the meeting were as follows:

  • To train communities to produce narrative and financial reports
  • To train project planning
The following issues were discussed: grant financial records keeping, narrative reports, development of communities, important skills for development, project planning - method of objective oriented project planning, analysis of stakeholders, analysis of problems, analysis of goals, analysis of alternatives and matrix of project planning.

Contact: Counterpart Consortium, Lilia Kuchenova, IU/AUK Program Coordinator, Information Coordinator of NGO, 107 Kievskaya str., 5th floor, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Phone: 996(312) 610 135, 610 022, 664 636 Fax: 996(312) 610 021 Email: Internet: http://www.cango.net.kg/

POPULATION

Workshop on Promotion of International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Actions for Government Officials and Media. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) office in Kyrgyzstan recently held a workshop to promote the implementation of the Programme of Action of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development by increasing awareness of the country’s population concerns. The workshop was also intended to help Kyrgyzstan develop a national population strategy that would deal with such issues as migration, environment and reproductive health. A two-day event in late September attracted more than 30 representatives of Government, non-governmental organizations and the media.

“We have arranged this training to…encourage awareness of demographic factors (population growth, fertility and mortality rates, geographical distribution and migration) …and develop national programmes in the area of population, as well as a population strategy which addresses the linkages between the environment, population growth and sustainable human development,” said the United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNFPA Representative in Kyrgyzstan, Ercan Murat, at the opening ceremony. “The main goal of the UNFPA in Kyrgyzstan is to help the Government of the country achieve a balance between social and economic development and changes in the Kyrgyz population growth.”

Organized by the UNFPA and the Institute of Equal Rights and Opportunities of the Kyrgyz Russian (Slavic) University, Bishkek, the workshop was well received by participants who described it as having significantly increased their knowledge of the issues covered.

Contact: Mr. Alexander Ilyin, UNFPA Programme Officer. Tel.: (996 312) 61-12-13. E-mail: You can find more information on UNFPA activities in Kyrgyzstan on the agency’s website at http://www.unfpa.org.kg/

UNICEF

National Touring Photographic Exhibition Returns to the Bishkek UN House. The Center for the Protection of Children (CPC) and UNICEF touring photographic exhibition returns once again to Bishkek from a tour on holiday resorts in Issyk-Kul. The exhibition was officially open at the UN House for its first public display on 8th October 2001. Ercan Murat, UN Resident Coordinator, Mohinder S. Mudahar, World Bank, Chief, Resident Mission, and Richard Young, Resident Representative, UNICEF spoke at the opening.

The exhibition’s theme now turns to the needs of children who cry out “I want a family”. Children are the nation's tomorrow, like all national treasures to flourish they need love and attention. However, in the Kyrgyz Republic many children drift in different situations without family roots and identity, they symbolically represent the economic dislocation of the country in a drift as well their own dislocation of a life without a family environment. The drastic consequences of the economic transition is poverty, it gradually erodes the rights of children in health and education. More significantly, many parents experiencing poverty and family problems frequently see institutional care a way of resolving their immediate problems, without considering the damaging effects of institutional care on their child. Family love and support is infinitely more preferable to children, even in the face of poverty, than separation. What people forget is that hardship is a time when families give each other strength and face hurdles together, rather than giving up on each other. The Kyrgyz people have a strong tradition of family kinship and supporting each other, and it this tradition that exhibition wants to highlight which can offer many children the hope to have a family, through adoption, guardianship and fostering.

The exhibition will continue to engage individuals, government authorities and civil society not only to look at the problems that children and families experience in all kinds of situations, but also solutions. Solutions that are family and community based, which builds on the strengths and creativity of people and children, and works to keep families together, especially children with physical/mental disabilities.

The exhibition continues to deploy different approaches away from traditional spaces and ways of exhibiting the photographs, as well as activities to engage the viewer to put aside commonly make assumptions and engage in the reality of children and families caught in the poverty from other standpoints, as well as through the eyes of the children themselves. This exhibition has contributed to the creation of a needed space for children to be active participation in solutions to their future, as well as their voices to be heard. In this exhibition babies, toddlers and young children who needs a home are invited, to make visible their presence and stress that they do indeed want a family of their own.

The photographic exhibition at the UN House will be hosted for two weeks, and is open daily to the public. The organizers of this exhibition hope that many individuals, groups, and organizations will visit this exhibition, as well as children from schools and state institutions. Erkinbek Boljurov, the photographer commissioned for this work has brilliantly and sensitively captured the reality and experiences of children and families all over Kyrgyz Republic. New photographs have also been included that have not been exhibited previously.

The touring photographic exhibition is a project headed by the Center for the Protection of Children, and supported by UNICEF and the World Bank. Additional information can be obtained at UNICEF: Gurcharan Virdee, Child Care Consultant, tel: +996 (312) 61-12-24(27), 61-13-11

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