# 157
February 05, 2002
In this issue:
UNDP CENTRAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME
UNDP LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME
- Replication of social mobilization approach in non-pilot areas
- The Programme Manager’s Live TV broadcast on Kyrgyz State TV
UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME
- The First Gender Statistics Seminar for Government Officials
HIV/AIDS
- A Seminar on HIV Prevention for Militants
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
- Training on advocacy for NGOs in Osh oblast
- Round table on Social partnerships between NGOs and state structures held in Osh
- A meeting with NGOs of Namangan and Andijan oblasts
- A seminar on Project Design for NGOs
UNDP CENTRAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME
31 January – 1 February the mission represented by UNDP Deputy Resident Representative and UNDP Programme Analyst together with the ICT Coordinator of UNDP Central Governance Programme visited Talas city. The mission evaluated work of the Internet Public Access Point, opened in November 2001 and financed jointly by UNDP and IREX; met with the Governor of Talas oblast, representatives of NGO community at the local branch of Counterpart Consortium and independent media outlets and journalists at Talas local TV.
The main objective of the mission was to encourage representatives of the civil society and journalists to use the Internet access point facilities for their professional activities. The center is equipped with seven computers. On the day of the UNDP mission visit, 419 people were registered in the database of the Center and the number is increasing every day. The customers of the Center are the people of all ages representing all social strata, i.e. school children, university lecturers, NGOs leaders and local businessmen. Due to the lack of the number of the computers, customers have to wait for a week or more to use the facilities of the Center.
There is a significant positive impact of the public access point on local society and economy. In regard to the social aspect, a lot of local people acknowledge that the Public Access Center provides them with an opportunity for getting knowledge and information through the Internet. At the same time, the PAP obviously put the positive impact on the local economy as the Public Access Center stimulates the demand for information and knowledge through the Internet. As a consequence, a Turkish businessman in Talas started an Internet cafe, and two local businessmen are planning to open two more. The mission noted a lot of Internet users in the caf? even at the rather high price for services of 35 soms, which makes 73 cents per hour.
The members of the mission met with some of local NGO leaders to discuss the local needs in ICT sphere and future cooperation with them. Some of them have concrete and feasible ideas in this field. The Governor informed that 150 computers were received from Great Britain as a donation and are distributed to rayon administrations.
At present UNDP and IREX are extending the target groups of visitors to the Information Center in Talas to provide representatives of local civil society with access to information resources and enable their active participation in regional and global civic networks. The overall impression after the trip was that people in the rural areas are aware of information technologies and are willing to use IT actively.
Contact: Mr. David Akopyan, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13, e-mail: ; Mr. Koji Kawabe, Programme Analyst, UNDP. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13, e-mail: and Mr. Yevgeny Korneev, ICT Coordinator, Central Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 48 31, e-mail:
UNDP LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME
In Osh oblast Governor Mr. Naken Kasiev is taking a lead in replication of social mobilization approach in non-pilot areas. During the last week in Osh oblast a series of various seminars were held - an oblast level seminar with participation of 150 heads of Ayil Okmotus, a rayon level seminar in Karasu Rayon with participation of 400 representatives of oblast and rayon administrations, and oblast seminar for 100 heads of oblast departments. National UNVs of Decentralization Programme participated as major facilitators and trainers in social mobilization, participatory planning, and decentralization.
Programme's pilot areas are being increasingly used by governmental institutions as the main training ground. By the Order of the Governor Naken Kasiev seven rayons of Osh oblast were divided and will be trained on the basis of two pilot rayons (Alay and Karasuu).
In Issyk-Kul oblast an oblast level workshop on Decentralization Programme’s Briefing and its Annual Plan for 25 representatives of oblast departments and rayon organizations was conducted. Deputy Governor of Issyk-Kul oblast and Chairperson of Oblast Kenesh participated in the Workshop. Seminar was very useful in terms of discussions and issues covered by programme UNVs; and now partners at the oblast level are well aware about all programme components, progress achieved and future plans.
On 30 January the Programme’s Task Manager Mr. Koshoev had 30 minutes live TV broadcast on Kyrgyz State TV. He highlighted main programme achievements in pilot areas, mentioned about positive experience of CBOs in resource mobilization and answered questions of TV viewers. He also provided his comments on newly adopted Law on Local Self-Government and Local State Administration.
Contact: Ms. Anara Salamatova, Decentralization Component Coordinator, UNDP Local Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 00 80, e-mail:
UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME
The First Gender Statistics Seminar for government officials from ministries and respective agencies was organized on 29-30 January 2002 by UNDP Social Governance Programme in close cooperation with the National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. The objective of the seminar was to promote effective use of the gender statistics by ministerial staff during processes of policy planning and monitoring, and to stimulate gender disaggregation of all internal data in ministries. Experts-statisticians from the National Statistics Committee made presentations on current status of gender indicators in all related sectors, among them on segregation in type of educational specialization of women and men, main health indexes for both sexes, women’s representation in power levels and public administration bodies, poverty rates by sex of family head, time use, and general population quotients (including women’s and men’s ratio, births and deaths rates, life expectancy, etc).
The seminar was concluded with discussions that we have to continue work for further improvement of gender statistics and to ensure that domestic indicators are applicable with international standards. The Head of Social Statistics Unit of the National Statistics Committee talked about UNECE website on Gender Statistics where the web page on the Kyrgyz Republic has to be developed, and in this regard there is a number of problems and challenges for national gender statistics development, mainly related to difficulties with definitions of a family head, elders, youth, men’s fertility, work, productive work, domestic work, informal sector, unemployment, partial employment, poverty, social capital, etc. The problem is also to measure data on households, informal marriages, economic activity, refugees, decision-making level, time use, income, distribution of resources within families, education outreach, access to healthcare services, violence, trafficking, etc. The problems mentioned have to be addressed by the Secretariat of National Council on Women, Family and Gender Development within new National Action Plan for 2002-2006 and as part of international commitments of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Contact: Ms. Anara Musabaeva, Acting Cluster Task Manager, UNDP Social Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 04 18, 66 38 85; e-mail:
HIV/AIDS
On February 1, 2002, HIV/AIDS Component, Ministry of Defense and National AIDS Center, held a seminar on HIV prevention for the officers responsible for personnel education and medical staff of the eight military divisions situated around Bishkek city. The officers and medical staff received training on interactive techniques used in HIV prevention among militants, got specially prepared methodological materials together with the package of educational materials, and had a discussion on the creation of a sectoral programme on HIV/AIDS prevention.
This seminar continues the series of trainings among militants that has been initiated by UNDP since 2000. The initiative was strongly supported by the Ministry of Defense, which fully supports and assists in the conduction of trainings. It is envisaged to provide all military divisions with the methodological materials on HIV prevention and continue with education of the military personnel.
Contact: Mrs. Larissa Bashmakova, Coordinator for HIV/AIDS Component, UNDP Social Governance Programme, tel.: (996 312) 66 16 17, e-mail:
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
On January 22-24 on the initiative of the Civil Society Support Center (CSSC) based in Osh the training on advocacy was conducted in the building of the Regional library for eight representatives of the various NGOs in Osh oblast.
The basic objectives of the training were as follows:
- To improve knowledge and skills of the participants on lobbying public interests and protection of the rights
- To explain concept of advocacy and advocacy strategy
- To improve skills on planning advocacy campaigns
- Characteristics and elements of advocacy
- Politics and authority
- Political consciousness and critical thinking
- Development of advocacy
- Planning of advocacy campaigns
- Results of advocacy activity
The training was conducted within the framework of the Counterpart Consortium “Program of Civil Society and NGO Development in the Central Asia Region” funded by USAID and European Union.
The Round table “Social partnership between NGOs and state structures” was held 29 January in Osh. 24 representatives including 7 heads of the regional village administrations, 3 mass media representatives, 14 representatives of the various NGOs, including Civil Society Support Center based in Osh participated in it.
The goal of the Round table was to strengthen mutual cooperation between non - governmental sector and state structures.
The participants discussed the following issues:
- Concept of social partnership
- Principles and conditions of social partnership
- Forms of social partnership
- Analysis of social partnership opportunities from the point of view of NGOs and state structures
As a result of this Round Table the heads of the village administrations and NGOs drafted a plan of joint activities for strengthening partnerships.
On January 25 the Round Table with participation of NGOs was held in the office of the Civil Society Support center based in Naryn. 15 NGO representatives and a representative of the oblast administration took part in it. At the round table the following issues were discussed: Soros - Kyrgyzstan Foundation program “NGO Support” and cooperation with the program; Center providing free access to Internet and its activities; discussion of the President’s speech at the national forum devoted to the issue of overcoming poverty; a marathon devoted to the year of mountains and alleviation of poverty “My heart is in the mountains”. The funds raised from this marathon would be used for the programme of poverty alleviation.
On January 25, in Namangan city a meeting with the NGOs of Namangan and Andijan oblasts was held in the oblast library with the participation of the manager of the CSSC based in Kerben. The meeting was initiated with the purpose of establishing partnership relations and development of the ecological project in the Regional Ecological Center, and also to discuss joint work with communities in Aksy region trans boundary zone. The Uzbek colleagues informed that they are ready for collaboration but they do not have experience working with the projects. The representatives of the CSSC also suggested the idea of community formation in the trans boarder zone; and the idea was approved by the Uzbek NGOs. The CSSC is ready to consult and train communities formed at Uzbekistan territory as well as do monitoring and evaluation of the projects.
The training on NGOs Financial Management was conducted by the Center’s trainers in the CSSC based in Karakol on 24-25 January for 23 NGO’s representatives, Community Based Organizations of Issyk-Kul oblast within the program of Soros-Kyrgyzstan Foundation.
During two days the participants examined the basic concepts of financial management, discussed the plans of model organization, and also types and categories of organizational expenses, discussed the NGO incomes, budget of an organization, reporting and audit.
Contact: Counterpart Consortium, Lilia Kuchenova, IU/AUK Program Coordinator, NGO Information Coordinator, 107 Kievskaya str., 5th floor, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Phone: (996 312) 61 01 35, 61 00 22, 66 46 36; fax: (996 312) 61 00 21; e-mail: Internet: http://www.cango.net.kg
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