In this issue:

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

• Ercan Murat’s assignment to Afghanistan
• NHDR Launching in regions: Issyk-Kul & Naryn

UNDP CENTRAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

• Workshop on functional review of ministries, committees and administrative agencies

UNDP LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

• Visit to UNDP Local Governance Programme site in Naryn oblast
• Monitoring trip to Osh and Batken oblasts

UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

• Visit to UNDP Social Governance Programme site in Naryn oblast

HIV/AIDS

• First Sitting of the Republican Multisectoral Coordinating Committee on AIDS Prevention
• Seminar on implementation of the State Programme on AIDS prevention for 2001-2005

UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)

• Law on Refugees Comes into Effect

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

• Update on Counterpart Consortium/USAID/UNHCR/EU/SOROS Foundation - Supported NGO Activities

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Mr. Ercan Murat’s assignment to Afghanistan. Mr. Ercan Murat, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, met with Askar Akaev, the President of Kyrgyzstan last week before his departure to serve as UN RC and UNDP RR in Afghanistan. During the meeting the President underlined the constant effectiveness of UNDP activities in the country. Mr. Ercan Murat and President Akaev extensively discussed activities of the Central Governance programme in conducting functional analysis of ministries, issues of ICT for development, electronic government initiative and other important areas of UNDP presence in the country.

The forming of a new government and the infrastructure restoration of Afghanistan is of great importance for all world community. Kyrgyzstan is also to contribute to the revival of Afghanistan. The President, in his turn, confirmed the participation of the country in the process of restoration of Afghanistan.

At the press conference held the next day, represented by all leading mass media, Mr. Ercan Murat told journalists about his new assignment and informed that Mr. James Lynch had been appointed acting UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan.

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

In accordance with the established plan of National Human Development Report presentations and with an aim of promoting the NHDR in the regions, UNDP and the team of the Report’s authors arranged the trip to Issyk-Kul and Naryn oblasts. Also, this trip was used as the excellent opportunity for providing better exposure of UNDP programmes in the oblasts by mass media (a journalist from Moskovsky Komsomoletz weekly accompanied the mission in the trip).

The NHDR presentation in Karakol was held in the oblast administration with participation of about 70 people from local village administrations, university teachers, leaders of local NGOs and CBOs, civil society, international organizations’ representatives, regional mass media, UNVs and UNDP Poverty Alleviation and Decentralization programmes’ beneficiaries.

All participants were provided with one copy of the Report in Kyrgyz or Russian while they were being registered for participation in the presentation. It was rewarding to observe that the audience very well received the Report and people requested more copies. The First Deputy Governor of the Issyk-Kul oblast who is also the chief of the apparatus of the Governor’s administration Mr. Asanaliev chaired the presentation.

The Head of Oblast Kenesh Mr. Malikov delivered a speech on the present situation in Issyk-Kul oblast. In his speech he mentioned UNDP Programmes implemented in the oblast and activities of UNVs in poverty alleviation and social mobilization processes.

The presentation with a special emphasis on the data on the oblast indices went very smoothly and people listened very attentively. The presentation was followed by a session of questions and answers. The audience marked that the share of industry in 2000 in the oblast comparing with other oblasts was very high – 56 % of the whole oblast’s economy structure; and the explanation from the authors of the Report was that it happened due to Kumtor Company’s operations in the oblast. At the end of the event the Deputy Governor thanked the authors of the Report and promised that this year the tempo of Issyk-Kul oblast development would be more impressive.

During the presentation in Naryn 117 people attended it representing local governments, rayon and ayil okmotus and keneshes, leaders of local NGOs and CBOs, civil society, university and school teachers, local TV and other media, international organizations etc.

The presentation itself (made as a Power Point Presentation via projector) was followed by immediate reaction and feedback from the participants. They raised various questions with regard to NHDR and UNDP activities as well. As the result of a session of questions and answers, clarifications and explanations, by the end of the meeting the main idea and the purpose of the NHDR were well understood by the audience.

The meeting was held in a very participatory manner and was very well facilitated by the Chairperson, Mr. Salymbekov, the Naryn Governor. The meeting was effective since it also gave to people a good opportunity to discuss directly with the Governor, other related important issues, such as partnerships of civil society with local authorities, the need for business incubator and other.

According to observations, people were waiting for concrete recommendations in what direction to follow, what practical steps should be taken etc. but in the course of discussions the people understood that the Report provided a picture of the present situation in the country with a lot of statistical data, but the recommendations were provided indirectly, and as the Governor noted, the people themselves should be pro-active in the wish to overcome poverty and strive for better life for themselves and their children.

Contact: Asel Sekimova, UNDP Public Relations and Information Management Assistant. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13; e-mail:

UNDP CENTRAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

Workshop on functional review of ministries, committees and administrative agencies

In the light of the speech of the President on January 24, 2002 about further continuation of the administrative reform and in the context of the Action Matrix on Administrative Reform approved by the Government, Presidential Administration, Prime Minister’s Office, and UNDP Central Governance Programme united efforts to organize a half-day workshop on functional reviews of ministries, agencies and state committees on April 2 in the Government House. Representatives of Presidential Administration, Prime Minister’s Office, line ministries, agencies and committees, as well as international organizations participated in the workshop.

The main objective of the administrative reform in Kyrgyzstan is to optimize the system, reduce state expenditures and propose a structure that could satisfy modern demands. The main objective of the workshop, therefore, was to present the concept of the functional review (as a tool of administrative reforms), its mission, main objectives and also present theoretical and practical views on the functional review process both in Kyrgyzstan (Ministries of Education, Health, Agriculture) and other countries. Representatives of Presidential Administration, Ministry of Health, and international organizations made presentations at the workshop. National experts of UNDP Central Governance Program also provided presentations supported by handouts containing brochures on the methodology of Functional Review to help state bodies complete functional reviews during the first half of 2002.

Contact: Dinara Rakhmanova, Cluster Task Manager, UNDP Central Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 21 08, 66 46 34; e-mail:

UNDP LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

UNDP representatives who participated in the NHDR launching in Naryn oblast visited UNDP Local Governance Programme site, Decentralization component at Oro-Bashy village, Kochkor rayon. The village children have to attend the school, which is seven kilometers from their home, therefore, the Local Governance programme supported the initiative of local people on school construction with the grant of 142,468 Kyrgyz soms. The local administration has committed itself to share the construction costs (providing bricks, armature and wires). At the time of the visit the building of a future school was without roof and windows. The International UNV Mizanur Rahman told us that the project was a little behind the schedule due to delay of construction materials. The CBO’s people assured to complete the construction by the end of May 2002. Hopefully, children of Oro-Bashy village will be able to start going to the new school in September this year.

Contact: Aynur Muhamedgalieva, UNDP Programme Associate. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13; e-mail:

Monitoring trip to Osh and Batken oblasts on 31 March – 2 April 2002. The UNDP mission headed by the UNDP Resident Representative Ercan Murat and comprised of Idrissa Kargbo, UNV Coordinator, Ainura Alymbekova, UNDP Programme Associate, Anara Salamatova, Cluster Task Manager and Ruslan Monolbaev visited two pilot village municipalities of Preventive Development component in Batken oblast. Upon the arrival to Osh on 31st of March the team had a meeting at the newly established UN Liaison Office in Osh and was acquainted with the responsible IUNV, Jae Hee Park. The short discussion at the UN Liaison Office concluded with a decision to take into consideration moving to new premises, including re-location into the oblast administration building as it had been agreed with the Osh oblast governor, Mr. Naken Kasiev.

On 1 April the team visited two Micro-capital grant projects in Khalmion AO. The first project was in Abdusamat village on the construction of a new water supply system to provide safe drinking water to approximately 420 family households. The second project focused on the construction of a new school building in Yntymak village of Khalmion AO. The problem of overcrowded classrooms had long been a dilemma for the local authorities but with the completion of the school, there is place to accommodate 360 children now.

Then the team traveled to Uch-Korgon village municipality and visited three project sites, the first one on the rehabilitation of sewerage and water system in Uch-Korgon district hospital, which serves around 55 000 people of Kadamjai district. The second project’s objective is to construct water intake facilities in Verhniy Kakyr village in order to supply safe drinking water to inhabitants of 5 surrounding villages. The third project is involved in the construction of a large irrigation canal “Kara-Kyshtak-Boz” and is intended to subsequently support the local initiative to provide land plots to the villagers.

The meeting of Ercan Murat with the Osh oblast governor, Naken Kasiev took place in the evening of 1 April. The two parties discussed ongoing activities of UNDP in the southern region of Kyrgyzstan and the upcoming departure of Ercan Murat to his new assignment location.

Contact: Ruslan Monolbaev, Preventive Development Component Coordinator, UNDP Local Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 00 80; e-mail:

UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

A field visit to the UNDP Social Governance Programme site, Ak-Moyun village, At-Bashy rayon of Naryn oblast was undertaken on 29 March by UNDP representatives who participated in the NHDR launching in Naryn oblast. The International UNV Nergui Sandag and the activist of the programme Gulmira Janygulova accompanied the UNDP mission. Together with the photographer and the journalist from the Moskovsky Komsomoletz weekly the mission visited three families and talked to the members of self-help groups (SHGs). The poorest families were selected, and the journalist asked them questions on their lives and problems. Exactly that day there was good news in the village: a local credit union was registered as a legal entity and approved by Naryn authorities, which could be considered as an achievement of the Social Governance Programme and UNVs in the field.

Contact: Asel Sekimova, UNDP Public Relations and Information Management Assistant. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13; e-mail:

HIV/AIDS

On March 29, 2002, First Sitting of the Republican Multisectoral Coordinating Committee on AIDS Prevention under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic took place under the chairmanship of Mr. Nikolay Tanaev, First Vice-Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan. The Sitting was attended by almost 80 participants, the members of the committee – ministers and vice-ministers; vice governors of all oblasts of the country, vice-mayor of Bishkek; the mass media, religious leaders, and representatives of the non-government sector, as well as UN Agencies present in Kyrgyzstan. The participants were greeted by Mr. Ercan Murat, UN Resident Coordinator, the Chairman of the UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS, who emphasized the importance of the sitting and significance and perspectives of Government’s activities in this area.

The Multisectoral Coordinating Committee, acknowledged worldwide as an effective tool in solution of HIV/AIDS problem, plays an important role in development of policy and programmes on HIV/AIDS prevention in the country. Consisting of 39 representatives from various sectors, the Committee covers different directions and areas of approaches to HIV/AIDS. UNDP has been supporting the Committee since 1997, initiating its establishment. The Committee functioned as National for the period of 1997-2000, and in 2001 the Government adopted its status as the Republican Multisectoral Coordinating Committee on AIDS prevention under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic. It is envisaged that in the future the Committee will have regular meetings working on uniting efforts of the Government and donors in HIV/AIDS prevention area.

The participants of the First Sitting resolved to adopt the National Plan of activities on HIV/AIDS for 2002-2005, and recommended to develop sectoral programs on AIDS prevention for each ministry.

On March 29-30 a seminar on implementation of the State Programme on AIDS prevention for 2001-2005 was held. The Seminar was organized jointly with National AIDS Center under technical and financial assistance of UNDP and UNAIDS. It was held for the representatives from the departments of health, education, and interior from all oblasts of the Republic, and for the specialists of Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Culture, and Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. Overall 40 participants took part in the seminar. Main focus of the seminar was targeted at the preventive programmes among vulnerable groups, innovative approaches, such as harm reduction and substitute therapy, on establishing links among departments and creation of joint strategies for oblasts, taking into account local peculiarities and public mentality. Resource mobilization and correct coordination of preventive activities were one of the main problems the oblast representatives were concerned with.

Contact: Mrs. Larissa Bashmakova, Coordinator for HIV/AIDS Component, UNDP Social Governance Programme, tel./fax: (996 312) 66-36-91, tel.: (996 312) 66 16 17, e-mail:

UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)

The law "On refugees" has come into effect in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev signed it on 25 March 2002. This law sets out the terms of granting, loss and deprivation of refugee status and the rights, obligations and responsibility of refugees, and it determines the legal, economic and social guarantees for the protection of refugees' rights in Kyrgyzstan. This normative-legal act gives all refugees equal legal status irrespective of race, sex, religion and the country of origin.

The document says that an authorized body shall take a decision on the recognition of a person as refugee within six months following the registration of a petition on granting the status. From the time a petition is registered, the applicant has the right to stay in Kyrgyzstan until a final decision is taken, including the appeal stage. The law provides for the "principle of the unity of a family", that is, the refugee status granted to the head of a family will apply to his spouse, underage children, as well as other persons dependent on him if they live together.

Kyrgyzstan cooperates with the UNHCR and other international organizations in dealing with refugees' problems. The interaction is determined by international agreements and accords. The Legislative Assembly [upper house] of the Kyrgyz parliament adopted the law on 14 February 2002.

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Update on Counterpart Consortium/USAID/UNHCR/EU/SOROS Foundation - Supported NGO Activities

March 24 - 26 the CSSC based in Karakol and funded through grants of USAID, EU, Soros Foundation- Kyrgyzstan, conducted training on Project Design for 27 representatives of NGOs, community-based organizations (CBOs) and initiative groups of Issyk-Kul oblast.

The following issues were examined:

• Criteria of a good statement of problem,
• Needs assessment and collection of information,
• Precise definition of goals and tasks of projects,
• Calculation and substantiation of project budget,
• Monitoring and evaluation of project.

As a result, the participants of the training obtained skills on community project design.

March 26 - 28 the Civil Society Support Center based in Naryn and funded through grants of USAID, Soros Foundation – Kyrgyzstan conducted training: «Participatory Community Appraisal in the frame of economic activity development». Thirteen NGO representatives and eight representatives of the initiative groups in the target communities of the CSSC based in Naryn oblast participated in the seminar. The goal of the training was to train participants to conduct Participatory Community Appraisal (PCA) to identify capacities in the frame of economical activity development.

The following issues were examined:

• Goal and objectives of the program “Community Mobilization”;
• Concept of joint participation;
• Ideology, definition, principles and processes of PCA;
• Methods of PCA;
• Mapping;
• Temporary lines;
• Venn Diagram;
• Matrix;
• Daily time-schedule;
• Circular diagram;
• Seasonal calendars;
• Diagram of links;
• Reporting forms on ÐÑÀ;
• Development of ÐÑÀ plan

After examining theoretical issues for two days, the participants applied received knowledge in practice on the third day. PCA was conducted in the target community «At-Bashat» of Naryn oblast. The participants have expressed their wish to conduct PCA in the other target communities of the CSSC on voluntarily base.

April 2-4 Counterpart Consortium conducted three days training «Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation» with involvement of 11 regional Civil Society Support Centers (CSSC) staff members in the tourist center «Kashka-Suu». The goal of the training was to improve knowledge and skills on planning and conducting participatory monitoring and evaluation of the projects. The following issues were examined during the training:

1) To define terms monitoring and evaluation
2) To identify differences between participatory monitoring and evaluation and «traditional» approach to monitoring
3) To develop indicators of projects
4) To examine a logic framework as a tool of planning participatory monitoring and evaluation
5) To examine criteria of information selection collected during participatory monitoring and evaluation
6) To examine methods of conducting participatory monitoring and evaluation
7) To conduct analysis of possible problems revealed during participatory monitoring and evaluation
8) To examine a format of participatory monitoring and evaluation report
9) To develop a plan of conducting participatory monitoring and evaluation

The third day of the training was devoted to practical work with departure to the communities of CSSC based in Bishkek and Kant for conducting participatory monitoring and evaluation of the community projects.

18 representatives participated in the training; the representative of the regional office of Counterpart Consortium, Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator observed the training. The training was conducted in the framework of Counterpart Consortium « Program of Civil Society and NGO Development in the Central Asia Region», funded by USAID and European Union.

March 28-30, the Civic Society Support Center based in Karakol, implementing activities through grants of USAID, EU, Soros Foundation –Kyrgyzstan, conducted 3-day training “Participatory Community Appraisal” for 20 representatives of NGOs and Community-Based Organizations in Issyk-Kul oblast.

On the third day of the training the participants went to the village “Jele-Dobo” of Jety-Oguz region to conduct Participatory Community Appraisal. The researches were conducted in three groups (men, women, and youth). During the research the following was revealed:
1. In men's group On the first place - cattle breeding as potential type of activity; on the second place – cultivation of potatoes; on the third place - processing of ready raw material.
2. In women’s group On the first place - manufacturing of national craft production as a potential type of activity; on the second place - processing of milk; on the third place – mini-bakery
3. In the youth group

On the first place – creation of credit union as a potential type of activity; on the second place - processing of milk and fruit; on the third place – ice-cream shop. In total 75-80 local inhabitants participated in ÐÑÀ.

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; Internet: http://www.cango.net.kg