The United Nations (UN) in Kyrgyzstan

The second investment summit was held on July 11-13 in Cholpon Ata on the shores of the Issyk-Kul Lake. The round table conference was conducted at the highest level and involved the President, Prime Minister, Vice Prime Minister, and the special representative of the President for foreign investments. Many other ministers attended, as did the heads of several Parliament commissions, representatives of diplomatic corps, international organizations, including UNDP and the World Bank, and local and foreign private investors. The Summit, under the efficient moderation of Susan Weidner from the United States, showed the intention to push harder toward a new economic policy aimed at eliminating barriers and attracting investment.

The dialogue started one year ago with the first summit, and is continuing with a newly appointed Government. The representative of the President for foreign investment, far from being satisfied with the results achieved up to now, has been pointing out the tasks that still need to be completed. Investors have raised the point on how difficult it is to overcome the current investment attitudes, and President Akayev has spoken of the need to achieve a psychological break from the present mentality at all levels.

The Government, private sector, Parliament and international organizations were all joined by the common aim to propose a solution to create a constructive dialogue toward a new economic policy. Given the present situation, this cannot be effective without private investments. If results are to be achieved towards the proposed by the President Akayev reform, the country needs not only to deregulate the system, change the laws, and eliminate the barriers but must also develop a new approach to investment.

UNDP CENTRAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

Last Thursday Central Governance Programme held a retreat at Ala-Archa Natural Park to train six newly hired experts on functional review methodology. The new staff had been familiarized with activities and results achieved in all components of the Central Governance Programme (Public Administration Reform, Parliament and ICT).

Component coordinators made brief presentations on their activities. David Coombes, Chief Technical Advisor, gave a lecture on the background of modern public administration reforms and talked in detail on the concepts of governance highlighting how politics, policy and administrations are interrelated. Open and informal discussions on the subject followed the presentations.

Contact: Dinara Rakhmanova, Cluster Task Manager; UNDP Central Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 50 55, 66 46 34; email:

UNDP LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

On July 24 – 29, UNDP Local Governance and HIV/AIDS Programmes organized UNV Retreat at the Issyk-Kul Lake. The objective of the Retreat was the UNDP Local Governance and HIV/AIDS Programmes staff development through enhancement of their understanding of conflict resolution methods and HIV/AIDS prevention measures and their familiarization with the Local Governance Programme’s expansion activities (Decentralization Component). The Retreat’s other goals were to review current problems and needs for further effective functioning of both programmes, including discussions on administrative and financial procedures.

Fifty people attended the retreat - those were all staff members of PMUs of both offices and all UNVs of the Political and Administrative Local Governance Programme.

As a result of the retreat and training sessions, all UNVs and staff members of UNDP Local Governance and HIV/AIDS PMUs were expected to be trained on conflict prevention methods, and demonstrate sensitive attitude to HIV/AIDS prevention, and know the Local Governance Programme development prospects.

It is envisaged that UNDP Local Governance and HIV/AIDS Programmes staff members together with UNVs will apply knowledge and information collected on the above-mentioned subjects to Decentralization and Preventive Components of Local Governance Programme, HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme implementation process. In turn, this would promote implementation effectiveness, as well as fair access to, and distribution of, benefits of the UNDP Local Governance and HIV/AIDS development programmes.

The training sessions and workshops were prepared and facilitated by respective UNDP Local Governance and HIV/AIDS Programmes personnel. The first day was devoted to Preventive Development activities. Specialists on preventive development shared their experience on preventive development tools and conflict resolution methods in the South of Kyrgyzstan. A series of discussions encouraged UNVs to share their ideas also.

The second day was fully devoted to the Decentralization Component. PMU staff analysed the Programme implementation and performance, expansion activities and prospects for enhancing decentralization process and Local Governance development issues. As an outcome, recommendations for the Programme activities progress were worked out.

The third day was devoted to the Joint UN Agencies HIV/AIDS programme activities. The participants were briefed on the situation with HIV/AIDS in the country and governmental policies that are being formulated and implemented in HIV/AIDS prevention. The HIV/AIDS Programme staff shared their experience in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention. Group work on strategic planning of UNDP Local Governance and HIV/AIDS Programmes combined efforts followed. The next day the participants discussed joint activities of UNDP Local and Social Governance Programmes. All UNVs and staff members did their best in discussions, making their proposals for further improvement of joint activities. It is expected that the retreat will promote the progress of UNDP Programmes’ activities.

Last week the Appraisal Committee approved Local Governance Programme’s new projects. Out of 22 appropriate 17 projects were approved: ten applications for Micro Capital grants and seven economic projects for AGF grants. Projects for Micro Capital Grants are as follows: repairing of a children hospital, roofing of a culture club, constructing an open stadium and several medical centers, repairing central heating systems in schools and other.

The Appraisal Committee approved the following AG Fund project proposals: live stock fattening, mini poultry farm, goat farming, textile production, and wheat production.

All these projects are based on people’s needs, identified and prioritized by beneficiaries themselves. Having implemented the projects, CBO members would learn to manage those objects.

Contact: Anara Salamatova, Cluster Task Manager, UNDP Local Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 00 80; email:

UNDP SOCIAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

On 29 July – 3 August the UNDP Social Governance Programme conducted strategy development exercise. The draft strategy of Poverty Alleviation Component was developed with overall facilitation of Christine Musisi, BDP Advisor. In its fourth year of implementation, the Poverty Alleviation Component has made considerable achievements, resulting in new challenges that need to be addressed outside the scope of the current programme arrangements and with slight adjustment to the strategy.

Social Governance Programme team of the field and programme staff made additions to the overall goal and developed five more objectives including establishment of a micro finance institution, diversification of business activities of programme beneficiaries, market network development, strengthening cooperation with UNDP Local and Central Governance Programmes, promoting gender equality, and supporting SHGAs capacities to advocate the civil society to participate in policy formulation, implementation and monitoring.

Contact: Esen Turusbekov, Poverty Alleviation Component Coordinator; UNDP Social Governance Programme. Phone: (996 312) 66 38 85, 66 04 18; e-mail:

UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (UN DESA)

Two staff members of the Socio-economic Policy and Development Management Branch (SPDMB) of the Division for Social Development and Policy (DSPD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA), Interregional Adviser Olympios Katsiaouni and Senior Economist Daniel Olden, undertook a mission to Bishkek in late July 2002. The aims of the mission were to support the UNDP country office, other UN-system country offices and pertinent national institutions, in the process of monitoring and reporting on national compliance with the Millennium Development Goals ((MDGs) as agreed by the United Nations General Assembly by resolution 55/2 of 18 September 2000; to discuss with the UNDP country office the possibility of further technical support from UN-DESA to Kyrgyzstan in the MDG process.

The mission met with appropriate staff of the UNDP and UNRC country offices, and presented the DESA mandate and role in the MDG process, and support in evaluating the tenders submitted by prospective national consultants to work on preparing the national MDG report. The mission met with representatives of other UN-system agencies (notably the World Bank and UNICEF), the EU, DFID and pertinent government offices, including the CDF Secretariat, National Statistics Committee and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, to discuss their respective competencies and interests in connection with the MDG process.

The mission was able to achieve some depth in certain key areas in these discussions. It is clear that technical capacity exists in the country in relevant statistical areas. This means that several national and international institutions in the country produce statistics in areas pertinent to the MDGs; the MDG process must therefore ensure that these data from various sources are coordinated and harmonized so that the MDG monitoring and report are based on the best available data. Another area the mission was able to explore is the need to coordinate the management of the MDG process with other initiatives and parallel efforts occurring in the country in related areas, notably: the macroeconomic and poverty advice being developed with UNDP support; the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), being prepared with the support of the international community - the results of which are expected to be shared with other stakeholders in time to support the MDG process; and the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF).

Contact: Arkady Divinsky, Assistant to UN Resident Coordinator. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13; e-mail:

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA)

On July 15-17 the UNFPA Country Office in Kyrgyzstan organized an official presentation of the book "Family Planning in the Legacy of Islam" by Professor Abdel Rahim Omran, the world authority on population, health and Islamic culture and demography. The book translated into Russian and Kyrgyz was a result of four-months efforts of UNFPA staff, translators, national experts in health, and local theologists.

The official presentation of the book took place during the seminar in Jalal-Abad on family planning and Islam. The seminar hosted about 45 participants; among them were the governor of Jalal-Abad oblast, Chief Mufti of the Kyrgyz Republic, kazys of the oblasts, representatives of Osh City narcological and venereal hospitals, as well as representatives of Crisis Centers and local NGOs (including women NGOs).

The presentation of the book was successful and was favorably accepted by the audience. The National TV shot a programme about the seminar and broadcasted it in two languages - Russian and Kyrgyz.

Contact: Alexander Ilyin, UNFPA Programme Officer. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 02; e-mail:

HIV/AIDS

On July 10-12, 2002 HIV/AIDS programme in collaboration with National AIDS Center conducted workshop of multisectoral committee on HIV/AIDS to implement the state programme on prevention of HIV/AIDS in the Kyrgyz Republic. The workshop was held at Dostuk hotel. The representatives of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Ministry of Interior Affairs, Ministry of Defense, National Guard, Ministry of Transportation took part in the workshop. Sixty-four people were involved into working group discussions.

For other three days the four working groups consisting of the ministry representatives worked hard to develop sectoral programmes to implement the state programme. The workshop resulted in elaboration of six sectoral programme drafts to implement the state programme. These drafts will be discussed and approved in all mentioned Ministries.

On July 7-12, 2002, Barcelona (Spain) hosted the XIV International AIDS Conference on Knowledge and Commitment for Action. Around 15 000 participants from all over the world gathered for this event, which was quite a unique opportunity not only to share the experience but also to enhance commitment to halt HIV/AIDS. Leading scientists, community leaders, HIV/AIDS infected, media representatives and policy experts from around the world came together to discuss the existing problems of HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. It helped to translate the latest scientific advances into action. The conference addressed all aspects of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, from science to community responses, and human rights to economics. It presented a renewed opportunity for action to combat HIV/AIDS.

The figures for Barcelona 2002 show that the interest is unprecedented in the history of international AIDS conferences: more than 10 000 abstracts and 9 000 scholarship applications have been received - people were eager to participate, share their knowledge and take action together.

Joint UN Agencies Programme on Expanded Response to HIV/AIDS in the Kyrgyz Republic also participated in the conference. A poster prepared for the Conference and dedicated to the strengthening of the multisectoral approach to HIV/AIDS in the Kyrgyz Republic was presented at the poster session of the conference and was the only one from the Central Asia. The information on the poster invoked special interest of the specialists working in the area of the multisectoral approach to HIV/AIDS. They noticed that the Kyrgyz Republic had a potential to stop the HIV epidemic at the outset.

Contact: Mrs. Larissa Bashmakova, Programme Manager, Joint UN Agencies Programme on Expanded Response to HIV/AIDS in the Kyrgyz Republic, tel./fax: (996 312) 66-36-91, tel.: (996 312) 66 16 17, e-mail:

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM)

On 13 August IOM conducted the press conference on the official opening of “Stop! Traffic!” hot line in Osh. The project aims at increasing knowledge of the potential and present migrants. The most of migrants have rather superficial knowledge of real situations, which they can encounter when traveling abroad. Their knowledge of job placement procedures, rights and immigration rules are not complete and reliable. That is why they endanger themselves to become victims for a well-organized integrated network of traffickers. Therefore, the opened “Stop! Traffic!” hot line in Osh will serve as a preventive mechanism for potential traffickers and will assist migrants in the South of Kyrgyzstan.

Contact: Kakoli Ray, Chief of IOM Mission in Kyrgyzstan. Phone: +(996 312) 65-17-30, 65-17-31. Fax: +(996 312) 65-18-50. Email: