In this issue:

UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

• Tourism 2002 Fair in Jalal-Abad

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR DRUG CONTROL AND CRIME PREVENTION (UN ODCCP)

• Closing ceremony of the UN ODCCP project “Strengthening law enforcement capacities and cross border cooperation in the Central Asian Sub region” (Osh Knot) held

UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)

• The first group of Afghan refugees left Kyrgyzstan for Afghanistan

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)

• Special Session on Children of Central Asia held

UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN

• UN Agencies and the American University in Kyrgyzstan (AUK) Pay Tribute To High-School Graduates

MASS MEDIA

• Visit of David Gough, IRIN Humanitarian Affairs Analyst

MAJOR POLITICAL EVENTS IN KYRGYZSTAN (RECENT DEVELOPMENTS)

• New Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan elected 30 May
• French Defense Minister visited Bishkek to present humanitarian aid

UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

The Fair on Tourism is being held in Jalal-Abad, and the two self-help groups within Social Governance Programme are participating in it – from Chek and Shamaldy-Sai villages. Chek will present self-produced cheese and dairy products, and Shamaldy-Sai will come out with national handy crafts. They were preparing intensively for this event not only to present their products, but also to promote the self-help groups and their activities. For UNVs and community people engaged in UNDP programme, it is a new experience of marketing, market exploration and promotion of goods as there is a possibility of concluding contracts in perspective. The most important is that self-help groups decided to participate themselves - they have realized that have to push their products to the market to develop their businesses further.

Contact: Sanjar Tursaliev, Cluster Task Manager, UNDP Social Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 38 85, 66 04 18; e-mail:

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR DRUG CONTROL AND CRIME PREVENTION (UN ODCCP)

Closing ceremony of the UN ODCCP project “Strengthening law enforcement capacities and cross-border cooperation in the Central Asian Sub region” (Osh Knot) was held 24 May in Osh.

The Osh Knot project was launched in May 1997 in the three Central Asian countries – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The objective of the project was to establish drug control cross-border cooperation and to strengthen local drug control capacities in the three border provinces of Osh (Kyrgyzstan), Murghab (Tajikistan) and Andijan (Uzbekistan).

All main intercepts and seizures of illicit drugs in the Osh and Batken regions of Kyrgyzstan, Andijan region of Uzbekistan, Khorog and Murgab districts of Tajikistan were carried out thanks to the use of communication and drug detecting equipment supplied and installed in the framework of the project. This success in combating illicit drug trafficking in the region is undoubtedly the main result of an improved coordination capacity of the law enforcement bodies of the three neighboring countries. As a result of this significant project, the drug interception capacities along the Osh-Knot route have been significantly improved.

During the five-year implementation of the project, sixty officers from various anti drug agencies were trained in drug law enforcement, surveillance, vehicle searches and control delivery techniques. In addition, four participants from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan benefited from a special training in anti drug trafficking methods and operations in Iran. The project also provided and installed drug detection and communication equipment. Notably, a truck searching shelter was built in Kyzlart on the Tajik/Kyrgyz border. Border points at Bordobo and Karamick in Kyrgyzstan were provided with diesel generators and drug detection equipment.

The project thus was successful in setting up well-equipped law enforcement units connected to their HQ’s and counterparts across national borders for better co-ordination of drug control activities and regular information sharing. The regional cross-border communication system established under the project now connects 36 important police and custom checkpoints along the national borders of the three international borders of the region.

Ms. Antonella Deledda, ODCCP Regional Representative, Mr. Kubatbekov, Head of the Kyrgyz State Drug Control Commission, Mr. Dustmetov, Director of the National Information Analytical Center, Deputy of the Head of State Drug Control Commission of Uzbekistan, Mr. Nazarov, Director of Drug Control Agency of Tajikistan, and other officials took part in the closing ceremony of the Osh-Knot project.

Contact: Bakhtiar Mambetov, Project Coordinator; UNODCCP Sub Office for the Kyrgyz Republic. Phone: 66 56 82; Fax: 66 54 67 E-mail:

UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)

INTERFAX news agency, Bishkek, 3 June: The first group of Afghan refugees left Kyrgyzstan for Afghanistan on Monday [3 June].

The Bishkek Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] told Interfax that the first 33 citizens of Afghanistan, who had to leave their homeland in the wake of the civil war and resettle in Kyrgyzstan nearly five years ago, decided to return on their own.

Each refugee will get 150 kilograms of food through UNHCR plus aid in Afghanistan from international organizations for their housing reconstruction.

About 200 more Afghan citizens are expected to return to Afghanistan from Kyrgyzstan by the end of 2002. In all, there are about 2,000 Afghans living in Kyrgyzstan, 800 of which have official refugee status.

Contact: James Lynch, UNHCR Head of Liaison Office. Phone: 61 12 64, 61 12 65, 61 12 66. E-mail:

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)

6-11 May the Special Session on Children of Central Asia was held in Bishkek following the United Nations Special Session on Children held in New York on 8-10 May. In Bishkek, more than sixty children aged 12-18, youth organizations’ representatives from all Central Asian countries took part. Save the Children and UNICEF were the organizers of the Session in Bishkek.

First, the enterprising youth groups of each country have tried to define the burning issues. After doing that, various organizations’ representatives gathered to define and then to solve common problems. According to the results of the "Say YES to Children” campaign, four priority issues were driven – HIV/AIDS, children violence, education and ecology. Among the problems in the sphere of education the participants highlighted problems of learning native language at schools, proposals to elect school governors; provide the possibility for poor children to attend school, and implement inclusive education.

To prevent children from HIV/AIDS infection, they proposed to bring out an informing campaign, as most of the people are not aware of the danger. And another hidden problem is that the Asian mentality that inhibits the right approach to the problem.

After three days of debates the participants have discussed these problems with the government representatives, NGO leaders who influence the youth policy in their countries. The dialogue turned out to be constructive: both sides – children and adults tried to find the ways of future cooperation. For instance, In Kyrgyzstan the Government representative promised children to organize the meeting with the President and the Ministers of Health and Education.

These undertakings prove once again that the Governments and NGOs can work together not only for children but also with them.

Taken from the Times of Central Asia weekly, 23 May 2002

Contact: UNICEF OFFICE in Kyrgyzstan. Phone: 61 12 24, 61 12 25; e-mail:

UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN

The American University in Kyrgyzstan, UN Agencies Pay Tribute To High-School Graduates. On the eve of the International Children's Protection Day, the American University in Kyrgyzstan's (AUK) Charity Association helping orphan and disabled children invited – and the Flamingo entertainment park hosted – students from the Voyenno-Antonovka (a Bishkek suburb) Orphanage to celebrate the graduates of its high school. Not only were the fourteen graduates in the center of attention during a concert and refreshment treatment, but also more than hundred other children from similar institutions in and around Bishkek were entertained by AUK students’ performances and enjoyed riding attractions at the Flamingo park.

The major part of the event was a little gift-giving ceremony, at which James Lynch, acting UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan, wished the graduates every success along their road of adult life. He also applauded the AUK association for the arrangement of the event and "their noble endeavor to support those children happened to be most vulnerable at these harsh times."

That was just a single charity action. The situation with orphans and other miserable children, whose rights should be protected and whose needs must be attended by the society, needs considerable attention. And the whole idea behind this event was that those future leaders, reared at the University, who would make contribution to children protection policies development should be trained and prepared to fulfil the task.

"The family of UN Agencies is proud to be able to make a token contribution to what the University has organized for this year's graduates", Mr. Lynch concluded, giving all graduates the packages of clothes and footwear. The gifts to the graduates were bought for the money allocated from the UN Resident Coordinator's funds.

Contact: Arkady Divinsky, Assistant to UN Resident Coordinator. Phone: 61 12 13; e-mail:

For detailed information please contact AUK at 66 11 20, 66 33 09

MASS MEDIA

David Gough, Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) Humanitarian Affairs Analyst, visited Kyrgyzstan 22-29 May during his tour along the Central Asian countries. The mission of his trip was to get new ideas on what was going on in the region, and collect materials for better informing IRIN audiences on the new developments happening in Central Asia and humanitarian assistance provided by various donors.

Being in Kyrgyzstan, the most of his time the journalist spent in Osh city, the informal southern capital of the country. The correspondent was keen in learning more about Ferghana valley, and while visiting Osh, collected information on the situation in that multi ethnic, densely populated and the most vulnerable because of ethnic conflicts, region. He also used that opportunity to meet with representatives of various international missions represented in Osh and with the Governor of the oblast to discuss the local government’s cooperation with donors.

During his short stay in Bishkek, David Gough accompanied by the National UNV and the UNDP representative visited UNDP implemented Decentralization Programme site in Bash Kara Suu in Chuy oblast, which is thirty kilometers from Bishkek. The local people involved in the implementation of the programme in that pilot village and the head of the local CBO told the journalist peculiarities of their activities, answered his sharp questions and demonstrated the school and the sport hall, as the latter was built with UNDP financial assistance by the local people, beneficiaries of the programme, themselves.

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

MAJOR POLITICAL EVENTS IN KYRGYZSTAN (RECENT DEVELOPMENTS)

BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan's parliament voted on Thursday to appoint Nikolai Tanayev as Prime Minister, a week after the Central Asian state's government resigned amid a political crisis last week.

Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev resigned last Wednesday after a special commission headed by Tanayev found senior officials responsible for the deaths of five civilians in clashes with police in March.

Tanayev, proposed by President Askar Akayev after consultations with major factions, was elected by 36 votes in the lower chamber with five votes against him. The lower house has the final word under Kyrgyz law.

Tanayev, 57, was first deputy prime minister under Bakiyev. Akayev told deputies before the vote he saw Tanayev could unite the divided and poor ex-Soviet nation of five million. "Nikolai Timofeyevich is an ethnic Russian, but he is imbued with Kyrgyz spirit. He will ensure continuity of government and its smooth transition to a qualitatively new level," he said.

Tanayev told journalists after the vote the government would spare no effort to improve the economic situation by the end of the year. "The task is to work, work and work," the new premier, a construction engineer by training, said.

COLD RECEPTION TO TANAYEV

Bloody clashes broke out in the south of the mountainous country when thousands protested in March at the arrest of their deputy in the national parliament, Azimbek Beknazarov.

Despite the government resignation, the country's small but vocal opposition has vowed stage massive protests until the guilty are punished and Beknazarov cleared of his criminal conviction.

It appears unlikely Tanayev's appointment will placate it. "I have no illusions as far as Tanayev's government is concerned. The cabinet promises to be a weak one," opposition deputy Iskhak Masaliyev told Reuters after the vote.

Following the government's resignation, Akayev vowed last week to cooperate closely with all political forces and invited the opposition to participate in a broad government coalition. But opponents ignored the call.

"The authorities have invited the opposition to enter the government, but no one (of opposition members) has accepted this," independent deputy Tursunbai Bakir Uulu said.

Akayev still enjoys vast support in his native north and among a large number of Russian speakers living in this predominantly Turkic nation. But he faces simmering social discontent in the south, separated from the rest of the country by both mountains and culture.

Washington has warm ties with Akayev, who has allowed it to deploy thousands of coalition troops at the main civil airport, Manas, to participate in the U.S.-led anti-terror campaign in nearby Afghanistan. At the same time it remains critical of his worsening record on human rights and democracy.

BISHKEK, June 3, 2002. RIA Novosti correspondent -- French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie arrived on Monday in Bishkek to present humanitarian aid to the armed forces of that country, reported the press service of the Kyrgyz Defence Ministry. According to it, the handing over of the humanitarian aid by representatives of the French military delegation to the command of the Kyrgyz armed forces will take place on Tuesday at the air base of the anti-terrorist coalition which is located at Manas airport of the Kyrgyz capital. The aid cargo consists mainly of logistic support means and munitions.

In the course of her two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, the French Defense Minister also intends to meet the President, Askar Akayev, to discuss prospects for bilateral cooperation in the sphere of defense and also the anti-terrorist operation on Afghanistan’s territory in which the armed forces of France take part in the coalition forces.

Michele Alliot-Marie plans also to discuss a number of issues concerning the French military contingent in the anti-terrorist coalition with Brigadier General Lloyd, commander of the coalition forces deployed in Kyrgyzstan.

This is already the second visit by representatives of the French supreme military command to in the past month. In May, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Jean Pierre Job arrived in Bishkek. It is expected that the French Defense Minister will leave Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday.