The United Nations (UN) in Kyrgyzstan
» UN in Kyrgyzstan » Country info » Joint Programming and Activities » News & events » UN Day 2005
» The UN Link » MDG » CCA » UNDAF » Jobs » Contacts » Report of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel
   The UN Link / The United Nations System in Kyrgyzstan
# 152
December 12, 2001

In this issue:


POVERTY ALLEVIATION

  • Kyrgyz delegation took part in the Second Forum on Poverty held in Budapest

UNDP CENTRAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

  • Training for Legal and Personnel Staff of the Ministries of Education and Health
  • “Using Resource Agreement to Improve Agency Efficiency” Round Table

UNDP LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

  • Monitoring Visits of UNDP representatives to UNDP Local Governance Programme implementation sites
  • Internal Seminar for UNVs held 6-7 December

MASS MEDIA

  • TV Communication, National TV and UNDP develop a joint project on production of TV programmes about homeless children

POVERTY ALLEVIATION

Kyrgyz delegation consisted of representatives of the Presidential Administration, the Government, UNDP and civil society representatives took part in a Poverty Reduction Conference organized by the World Bank, IMF and UNDP in Budapest on November 27, 2001. There were a total of 200 participants with country delegations from Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, including15 participants from UNDP (RBEC HQ and 7 COs, BDP HQ and Bratislava). Representatives of many donors and international organizations participated in the Conference. Fiscal and budget policy in order to reduce poverty, effective state management, private sector role increase, refugees’ and migration problems and poverty indexes monitoring were discussed at the Conference

The break-out session, organized by UNDP during the meeting on Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) in Central Asia, the Caucasus and Moldova, looked at the relationships between human development, poverty eradication policies and economic growth, and focused on planning for and by people. It was argued that the end goal of development should be the well-being of people, an increase in their choices and capabilities, and that planning instruments, including strategies like the PRSPs, can build towards that goal if principles of equity, empowerment, sustainability and efficiency are taken into consideration within the growth process. Presenters from UNDP, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan focused both on the concepts, practices and policies to illustrate the arguments.

It was noted during the Conference, that the concept of Human Development is especially relevant for the countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Moldova, were relatively high levels of human development are a legacy of a planning system. That promoted basic standards of living, equitable access to services, although people were not the participants of their own growth process. However, with a destruction of the production bases, and lack of prioritization on maintaining the human capital, wide inequalities have surfaced in these societies in the past decade, which now require targeted poverty eradication strategies.

During the most difficult times of the transition period, individuals and households have showed survival strategies that have proven high level of innovations. Development strategies need to cash in on and make use of those skills: people, even poor people, are by themselves the solution to poverty eradication, and are in-kind contribution and assets to the budgets for the countries.

Participants of the Conference agreed that there is a virtuous circle between HD, including equity, and economic growth, and that this virtuous circle also ties in poverty eradication. In the countries of the region, where human and income poverty are new phenomenon that have grown in the past decade, the challenge is to integrate poverty eradication strategies, such as PRSPs, into the larger micro-economic framework and budgetary processes. Serious budgetary limitations have also hampered on the capacity of the state to invest in social and human development.

Experience of Kyrgyzstan to elaborate Sustainable Human Development Strategy and Human Development Network was observed during the Conference. In Kyrgyzstan, SHD Strategy was elaborated in 1997 for the period up to 2015. Its main components were: Social Cohesion, Overcoming Interior and Exterior Isolation, Overcoming Main Threats to Human Security, Development of Environmental Capacity, Development of Human and Social Capacity, Competitive Economy and Democratic Governance. The SHD Strategy as the long-term vision, served the political basis for the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF), which priorities are the economic viability of the state. The NPRS (National Poverty Reduction Strategy) is one of the implementation arms, is the focus of mechanisms for state and society governance, and allows for focused project management. At the same time, a National Human Development Network’s portal (http://www.dialog.kg ) was created by UNDP Kyrgyzstan to motivate consensus on policy-making, arrange for partnerships, facilitate participation of society at large, including from local region and provide monitoring and feedback into the process. The network provides glossaries and definitions, looks at poverty status in Kyrgyzstan, discussed lessons in efficient governance and social development as well as models and implementation mechanisms of pro-poor economic growth. It examines resource assessments, donors’ financial and technical assistance projects, micro-financing schemes analysis, macro-economic development scenarios and monitoring indicators systems. Thus, it supports the institutionalization of partnerships between policy makers, analysts, and beneficiaries, and provides input into the PRSP process through providing information accessibility.

Contact: Ms. Aikan Mukanbetova, Task Manager, UNDP Social Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 38 85, 66 04 18; E-mail: ; or Olga Grebennikova, UNDP Public Affairs Officer. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13; 61 12 11 (180). E-mail:

UNDP CENTRAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

On Monday December 3, 2001 the Training for Legal and Personnel Staff of the Ministries under reorganization (the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health) started at the Academy of Management under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. The training for economic and financial staff of the same ministries started 10 December. The main objectives of the training were:

  • Increase capabilities of structural units in performing their functions;
  • Train staff in new methods of management, approaches and skills relevant to the ministerial reorganization;
  • Provide training for trainers.
These objectives were identified on the basis of special interviews with the heads and leading specialists of economic, legal and personnel units of the both ministries.

On December 6, 2001, UNDP Political and Administrative Central Governance Programme together with USAID conducted the Round Table “Using resource agreement to improve agency efficiency”. The objective of the Round Table was to identify in principle whether the Programme needs to pursue the matter of resource agreement in future, and if positive, then which problems the Programme have to overcome to make it effective. The representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office, Presidential Administration, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection presented their comments and concerns about future implementation of such an agreement.

Contact: Ms. Dinara Rakhmanova, Task Manager, UNDP Central Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 21 08, e-mail:

UNDP LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

In mid-November the ten days monitoring visit was undertaken by UNDP representatives to UNDP Local Governance Programme implementation sites. The main goal of the trip was to get a clear picture of the Political and Administrative Local Governance Programme activities in Talas, Batken, Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts.

During the field trip the monitoring team had meetings with the Governors, Heads of Ayil Okmotus, Heads of Rayon Keneshes, Akims of Rayon Administrations to brief them on the new UNDP programme approach and discuss the expansion of the programme in future. The local authorities expressed their gratitude to the programme that helped them to establish the links with people.

In comparison to 1999, when the Decentralization Programme just began its activities in the pilot Ayil Okmotus, the attitude of the people to the programme nowadays is different. Now with the very little contribution from UNDP, they are able to mobilize funds from other sources. The Community Based Organizations’ (CBO) leaders actively participate to the workshops being organized by the Counterpart Consortium, Soros Foundation, GTZ, etc. CBOs are closely working with other UNDP Poverty Alleviation, Capacity Building of NGOs and CBOs, Support to SME Projects.

People have realized their ownership, and now they are able to solve the problems, which had been remained unsolved for 20 – 30 years. There are more than 100 micro-capital projects are being or have been implemented under the Decentralization and Preventive Development components of the UNDP Local Governance Programme, out of which about 70 were visited. These are mainly the projects on reconstruction and renovation of schools; construction of medical centers, public bathhouses, water wells, drinking, and irrigation water supply systems. The most of the projects in all oblasts and particularly in Batken are on drinking and irrigation water. The monitoring group found out that everybody was well aware on the amounts of their savings, contributions from UNDP, AO, Rayon Kenesh, etc. The funds were managed in a transparent and proper way. People felt accountable for their projects. They realized that jointly, by CBOs, not individually it was easier to solve different problems and also to approach the local authorities. At the last Project Appraisal Committee’s meeting 18 economic projects to be financed by AG Fund were approved, but before the contracts are signed, the team visited them all. The main purpose of the visit was to see whether the CBOs could implement the first economic projects and whether they could be able to repay money. Projects on wool/ wood/oil processing; mills; national applied arts; sewing factory; bakery; sheep/goat/pig breeding were visited. The CBOs convinced that the economic projects would be profitable and that they would be able to repay money in a year period.

The party also took part in the Fourth Preventive Development Forum in Batken organized on 15 November 2001 by the UNDP Kyrgyzstan in partnership with UNFPA, Tolerance International Foundation, ACTED, UNOPS Tadjikistan and Batken Oblast’s Administration.

Contact: Ms. Ainura Alymbekova, UNDP National Programme Associate. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13, 61 12 11 (180). E-mail:

Using the opportunity that all regional national and international UNVs came to Bishkek to celebrate the International UNV Day, UNDP Local Governance Programme organized two-days Internal Seminar in Oruu-Sai village for UNVs 6-7 December. This seminar was held with the objective to discuss with regional workers the main problems encountered and various programme issues to develop one consolidated and comprehensive Strategy for Programme Implementation in 2002. Also representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and Congress of Local Communities, Deputy Minister for Local self-government and Preventive Development Coordinator participated in the seminar. They provided information and background documents regarding the work being done by these institutions at the regional and central levels. It was decided that in future all programme UNVs would work closely with the regional representatives of the ministries. The Strategy for collaborative work will be developed in future to ensure the two-way communication and mutually beneficial collaboration. The seminar was conducted in a very intensive manner, and through the work in small working groups an important feedback was received. All 27 programme UNVs participated very actively and two new international UNVs, namely Ms. Margaret Logoze and Mr. Mizanur Rakhman, who recently joined the Programme, made significant inputs and proposals, which will be taken into consideration in the future Programme implementation.

Contact: Ms. Anara Salamatova, Coordinator for Decentralization Component, UNDP Local Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 00 80, e-mail:

MASS MEDIA

A set of films on homeless children created by Norwegian TV Company will be broadcast on Kyrgyz National TV. To attract the public’s attention to issues concerning children’s rights, and the problem of homeless children in Kyrgyzstan, UNDP together with the Norwegian TV company (TV Communication) produced ten documentary programmes for Kyrgyz National TV. The programmes are made for general public, and are about homeless children. The project was aimed at solving problems of homeless children in a positive and constructive way. The idea was that broadcasting programmes demonstrating that other countries faces similar problems, would give more impulses and influence the attitude towards the street children and social problems of Kyrgyz society.

The team of TV Communication after visiting Bishkek in late October – early November 2001 to produce in cooperation with Zamana studio at Kyrgyz TV the introductions to all ten programmes noted that the cooperation with Kyrgyz counterparts was successful because their colleagues from Bishkek demonstrated high level of professionalism and commitment.

It is important to mention that the team of Norwegian TV was the one who initiated construction of the Center on Homeless Children in Bishkek. When Norwegian journalists came in Bishkek first time in 1997 the number of homeless children in the city shocked them. Then they created a film covering the problem that was broadcast in Norway. As the result of the film, UNDP started a project of constructing the Center for Homeless Children fully funded by the Norwegian Government. During the process of project implementation the Norwegian team visited Bishkek several times to continue the theme and to inform audience in Norway on the progress made to solve the problems of homeless children in Bishkek. And, finally, at the ceremony of inauguration of the Center in October 2000, the director of TV Communication Mr. Bjorn Roar Bye told: ”Those who suffered most, should deserve the best”. A nicely constructed by Norwegian construction company and well equipped Center is a home now for more than 70 children who found themselves on the streets as the fates decree. Professionals take care of them and help children in their social adaptation as to find a new family or come back home when it is possible.

Some of the children from the Centre took part in the recent film’s project, telling audience of their lives at the introduction’s part of the TV program. Both TV Communication and Kyrgyz TV teams are believe that the project will help Kyrgyz people to change their attitude toward homeless children and to see that homeless children are the children having problems only but not criminals or pariahs of the society.

Contact: Ms. Olga Grebennikova, UNDP Public Affairs Officer. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13, 61 12 11 (180); e-mail:


     Millennium Development Goals Progress Report - 2003

     Common Country Assessment - 2003

 
Copyright © UN in Kyrgyzstan, 2006
Hosted by UNDP in Kyrgyzstan
Design © Dmitry Yakhnov, 2006
Web site usage statistics » forum » search