In this issue:

UNDP CENTRAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

• UNDP and Soros Foundation continue to support the Public Access Point in Osh

UNDP LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

• A seminar for the heads of local state administrations and local authorities

UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

• A workshop with Kyrgyz Agricultural Finance Corporation (KAFC) conducted

UNDP CENTRAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

UNDP and Soros Foundation continue to support the Public Access Point in Osh. In late December 2001 the Soros Foundation together with UNDP Central Governance Programme signed an agreement on continuation of support to the Public Access Point in Osh. The Internet Access point in Osh Public Library was opened by UNDP in August 2000 in the framework of UNDP Public Administration Reform Project. The goals of the Center include providing access of the general public to Internet facilities, training of journalists, NGOs and civil society representatives to access information located in Internet by the ministries, Jogorku Kenesh and other state authorities. Soros Foundation supports the initiative by paying for the access to Internet. This time Soros Foundation allocated $ 2000 for the payment for Internet services. This provides the Center with an opportunity to offer free services to students, unemployed, pensioners etc.

In addition to the Center in Osh, UNDP continues to expand the Public Access Points in the regions. There are already two other Centers opened in Bishkek and Talas together with IREX Expansion of Access to Internet project. In 2002 it is planned to open three more centers in Naryn, Jalal-Abad and Batken.

Contact: Ms. Dinara Rakhmanova, Cluster Task Manager, UNDP Central Governance Programme at tel.: +996 (312) 66-21-08, fax: +996 (312) 66-05-73. Email:

UNDP LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

On 15–16 January, the Minister on Local Self-Government and the Congress of Local Communities with support of the President’s Administration conducted a seminar for the heads of local state administrations and local authorities. The participants were from the President’s Administration, the Prime minister’s office, deputies of Parliament, ministers, chiefs of government departments, heads of regional state administrations, heads of local authorities, NGOs representatives, UNDP, UN Volunteers, Urban Institute, Soros Foundation, Save the Children and others.

The goal of the seminar was to improve development of new mechanisms on the further strengthening of local governments, training heads of local authorities to help them competently manage their areas. In light of the recently held local elections heads of local authorities need to get training to fulfill their duties more competently. The chiefs of municipalities must know the legal base and be able to differentiate power in terms of financial and economic regulation, tax, budget system and management of the municipal property.

The President of Kyrgyzstan in his opening speech at the National Forum on Reduction of Poverty held the same day stressed the importance of all newly elected heads of local self-governments participation in poverty reduction process. He highlighted that this particular area of responsibility will be assigned to the bodies of local state administrations and self-government.

A lot of work has been done by UNDP Decentralization Programme to the present moment, such as providing significant input into the process of formation of the legal base in functioning of local authorities. A number of the Decrees of the President of Kyrgyz Republic, decrees of the government, regulating activity of bodies of local self-governments were adopted in 2000-2001. Along with the supporting of up-stream reforms at the central level the targets of Decentralization Program consist of down-stream activity of involving rural citizens into their own problems solving process. Implementation of social mobilization is a priority-driven, long-term task, both for bodies of local state administrations and for bodies of local authority. Nowadays there is a set of examples, when even in the remotest and least developed regions, where social mobilization is introduced, essential problems of local communities are effectively solved. Among such enthusiastic people the President marked during the Forum the head of Korul ayil okmotu from Alay rayon of Osh oblast Almaz Osmonov, who was awarded Dank Medal by the President earlier this year for his input into villages’ development in close cooperation with local community and donor organizations. During the last 5 years infrastructure of ayil okmotu was significantly improved and help was provided to many needy families. All this has been done with the support of UNDP Decentralization programme.

Having such vivid examples, it was stressed during the Forum that the bodies of local governments should develop the program of economic development for their respective regions taking into account peculiarities of the regions they live in. They should also make all efforts to preserve and develop the social infrastructure of local communities.

The results of two events, Seminar on Self-Governance and the Forum on Poverty Reduction were that the top government officials assigned local governments tasks, which should be executed in close collaboration with all public associations, donor organizations, and local communities in the nearest future to expand social mobilization process in the country. It was clearly stated that now the issues of poverty reduction and development of territories directly depend on initiative and desire of the heads of local authorities.

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

UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

On 16-19 January, the Poverty Alleviation Component of UNDP Social Governance Programme conducted a workshop with Kyrgyz Agricultural Finance Corporation (KAFC), its financial partner. The major goal of the workshop was to develop a joint strategy for dealing with loan delinquencies, which will be incorporated both in the Programme Implementation Manual of the Poverty Component as well as in the Group Lending Manual of KAFC. A special working group comprising KAFC and Social Governance Programme staff was established to finalize the strategy and recommendations. Other outputs were discussion of the status of co-operation, and recommendations for further improvement. The participants found the workshop to be very effective and useful in terms of exchanging experience and ideas, and it was, therefore, agreed to conduct such joint meetings on a more frequent basis.

Contact: Ms. Anara Musabaeva, Acting Task Manager, UNDP Social Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 38 85, 66 04 18; e-mail: