In this issue:

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

• More rural people involved in improving village infrastructure
• UNDP Preventive Development Programme continues in South of Kyrgyzstan
• Round table on ICT National Action Plan held in Bishkek
• Self-Help Groups Association in Jalal-Abad Celebrates thee years of activities
• National Workshop on Community Based Organizations

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)

• Call for the Best Video Spot about/for/with Children

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA)

• 11 July - World Population Day
• Islam and Family Planning

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME (UNODC)

• UN ODC and Drug Control Agency (DCA) launched recruitment process

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

Rural people are more and more involved in the initiatives to improve village infrastructure.

Capacity building of the local authorities in local self-governance and decentralization, as well as mobilization of local people to get involved in socio-economic development activities are the main achievements of the UNDP Local Self-Governance Programme. Initially started in three pilot provinces, the programme has now expanded to all six provinces of the country.

In Tash-Moinok and Baitik villages, the local authorities and the villagers are mobilized now to get involved into the local development. The participation of the villagers in decision-making process and development planning through community-based organizations in close partnership with local authorities has born fruit for the local people. As a result, people have completed many infrastructure projects. Reconstruction of school buildings, health centers, drinking water system and other projects have now given a big support to villagers building sound environment for social stability. To date, the UNDP Self-Governance Programme has contributed US $ 40,491 as seed money to the communities aimed to undertake social development activities. Twenty-one social objects have already been completed in Baitik and Tash-Monok.

On July 18 Mr. Osmonakun Ibraimov, State Secretary of the Kyrgyz Republic and the National Director of the Local Self-governance Programme, opened, amidst a big gathering, the sports field and the kindergarten in Tash-Moinok village - one of the programme’s pilot areas. He was overwhelmed observing the enthusiasm of the local people and their capacity to use the local resources for their village development. In his speech, during the opening ceremony, he highlighted the catalytic role of the UNDP programme and its efforts to put the rural people in the center of development. “Everyone can observe the enthusiasm of every rural villager involving in many social activities”, Mr. Ibraimov said during the opening ceremony.

Villagers share their experience widely now – not only their neighbors are coming to get knowledge on successful models of local development, but also representatives of local administrations and civil society from other provinces of Kyrgyzstan.

For additional information please contact: Damira Sulpieva, UNDP Local Self-Governance Component Coordinator. Phone: (996 312) 66 48 64, 66 35 17; e-mail:

UNDP Preventive Development Programme continues in the South of Kyrgysztan.

For the past 3 years UNDP has been addressing conflicts in the Kyrgyz Ferghana Valley through the Preventive Development Initiative. The multiethnic area of the three southern provinces of Kyrgyzstan, Osh, Batken and Jalal-Abad, face numerous economic, political and social challenges. Among them: border-tensions with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, tensions around Uzbek enclaves located in Kyrgyzstan’s Batken Province, competition over resources, lack of potable and irrigation water and an overall break-down of the former soviet social and employment infrastructure. Many of these challenges are channeled among ethnic lines - people take their frustrations out on neighboring villages where another ethnic group is living.

The success of the UNDP initiative and strong partnership with its Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Recovery, the Swedish International Development Agency and the Government of Norway has led to an expansion of UNDP activities in the Ferghana Valley. On July 1, 2003 UNDP launched the new expanded Preventive Development Programme in partnership with the Kyrgyz Security Council.

This programme, with its field office located in the southern city of Osh, aims at supporting peace and stability through five programme components: Early Warning System, Emergency Grants, Awareness Raising and Capacity Building of Communities, local and central authorities on conflict prevention and management, policy advice and support to networking between government, regional authorities and international organization, and a BCPR funded cross-border conflict prevention project in cooperation with UNDP in Tajikistan. Also, in order to strengthen UNDP’s Central Asian conflict prevention initiatives including the Kyrgyz Preventive Development Programme, a BCPR funded Regional Peace and Development Adviser has been recruited and will shortly take up duty in Dushanbe.

For additional information please contact: Mia Rimby, UNDP Programme Officer. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 13 ; e-mail:

A round-table meeting on ICT National Action Plan development was held on 25th July 2003 in Bishkek.

During these discussions, the recommendations for action plan drafts were presented by the UNDP international consultant, Mr. Richard Labelle, and were discussed by participants.

In March 2002, Kyrgyzstan adopted its National ICT Strategy which aims to harness the potential of ICT to ensure development of sustainable, democratic and information society. UNDP has supported the development of the ICT National Action Plan by providing national and international expertise and conducting trainings and seminars in order to ensure effective and rapid transition from a concept of the National Strategy to its implementation.

Currently, 5 working groups are working on action plans in the following areas: e-government, e-economy, and e-education, and support areas in legislation and infrastructure. These working groups consist of government officials, private sector and NGO representatives, and academia. Mr. Richard Labelle was invited to Kyrgyzstan to analyze concepts and action plan drafts and give his recommendations on them.

The discussion was very useful, and final recommendations reflecting proposals at this round table will be distributed soon. The working groups will finalize the action plan by the end of August, taking into account recommendations by Mr. Labelle, to be presented in September.

For more information please contact: Ms. Dinara Rakhmanova, UNDP National Governance Programme Manager. Phone: (996 312) 66 46 34, 66 21 08. Email:

The celebration of its three-year anniversary was held by the Self-Help Group Association “Adilet” in the village Kosh-Almurut of Ala-Buka raion, Jalalabat oblast.

“Since the very beginning of the UNDP Poverty Reduction Programme activities, we wanted only thing – to get a loan. Now everything has changed – our attitude to life, people’s perception. We became more cooperative, learned to plan our future and be more self-reliant. We learnt how to better utilize loans and got support of our community. Now we have a lot to do – we don’t have time to sit and chat about our problems. Instead we participate in the workshops, ashars [collective actions for resolving problems], we study and work on preparation of grant project proposals. We are grateful to the UNDP for uniting people, and bringing them hope for better future” – these are the words of Maluda Chileshova, leader of the Self-Help Group “Kurmanjan-Datka” during the celebration of this event.

The Association has invited for celebration not only villagers, but also representatives of state administration, Rural Advisory Service, NGOs, donor agencies and guests from another villages of the rayon.

For three years of work, the association has done a lot – there are seven groups that are effectively working, by joint efforts and support of UNDP and local administration, people have build a bridge and repaired a village road. Due to the training conducted with the help of SHGA, villagers learn basics of business, cheese making, weaving good quality carpets and getting a good yield from their fields. The association has its regulations for membership. The main thing is a desire to improve the situation and help others, hardworking for village development, striving for knowledge and sharing it with others and jointly work on resolving village problems. This is the reason for the good loan repayment record in Kosh-Almurut, which is 100%. In the nearest future, the Association plans to establish its own micro credit agency, there is already a small enterprise on carpet production and people continue initiating training and village infrastructure improvement.

Note: the UNDP Poverty Reduction Programme started its activities in Aksy since 1999, up to date 9 various infrastructure projects were completed in the rayon, there were 75 SHGs formed, that got loans amounting to more than KGS 8.5 millions. The CBOs established under the Programme are closely cooperating with the Asian Development Bank and Soros Foundation. For village animators of the Programme were awarded by the Aksy raion administration for the good work in the area of social mobilisation and poverty alleviation.

National workshop on Community Based Organizations (CBO) development.

On 25 July 2003, a National Workshop on CBO development was held within the framework of the UNDP regional project “Strengthening CBO Capacity to Empower Communities for Effective Participation in Poverty Reduction Strategies at Local and National Levels, Central Asia and Caucasus”. The objective of the National Workshop was to discuss the results of the situational analysis and the concept paper as well as to elaborate on the recommendations that were developed at provincial round-table meetings. Fifty participants representing government authorities at all levels, civil society and donor agencies attended the Workshop. UNDP enjoyed substantial support from partner organizations in this project: Counterpart-Sheriktesh and INTRAC, while preparing and conducting this activity.

Mr. Leonid Komarover, Head of CDF Secretariat in the Office of the President, opened the workshop. In his speech he underlined the role of civil society in development processes and emphasized the necessity to enhance the dialogue, cooperation and partnership between the government and civil sector.

The workshop was a good opportunity for improving the “CBO and Government” dialogue and exchange opinions and ideas on developing this partnership further. It is a significant achievement for Kyrgyzstan where grassroots organizations have a direct link with policy makers to discuss strategically important issues to ensure responsiveness of national strategies and policies.

There were very hot discussions at the plenary as well as group sessions regarding the participation of civil society in the implementation of and monitoring the National Poverty Reduction Strategy, but due to the constructive proposals of participants and well arranged facilitation it resulted in good recommendations.

The outputs of the workshops were the materials developed during the group work, substantial comments regarding the concept paper and establishment of the team to consolidate all comments and feedback into the national strategy/action plan on empowering communities for effective participation in the NPRS.

For more information please contact: Mr. Esenbek Turusbekov, UNDP Poverty Reduction Programme Component Coordinator. Phone: (996 312) 66 38 85, 66 04 18/ Email:

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)

Call for the Best Video Spot about/for/with Children.

The Kyrgyz National TV and Radio Corporation, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Internews Network in Kyrgyzstan invite adults and children to take part in the Contest for the best video spot about/for/with children as part of celebration of the 11th Anniversary of the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting. The purpose of the Contest is to encourage new ideas and approaches for production of children’s TV programmes in Kyrgyzstan. All the works produced in 2001-2003 are eligible for the following nominations: the best professional video spot for less than 10 minutes (the prize is 30,000 KGS), the best amateur video spot by adults for less than 10 minutes (the prize is 30 000 KGS); and the best amateur video spot for less than 10 minutes by students (the prize is 30 000 KGS).

The Jury has the right to award additional prizes. Criteria for selection include participation of children, relevance to the topic of the contest, originality, innovation, gender-friendliness, technical quality, and esthetic quality.

Announcement of the results of the Contest and the award ceremony will take place on December 14, 2003, on International Children’s Day of Broadcasting at the Studio of the Kyrgyz National TV and Radio Corporation.

Entries should reach UNICEF Office in Bishkek before 30 November, 2003 on VHS format (and, if possible on BETACAM or mini DV) in an envelope with a mark “For Contest” at the address: UN House, 160, Chui Pr., Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 720040.

For more information, please contact Kyrgyz National TV and Radio Corporation: Natalia Jurlova (996 312) 65 67 07; UNICEF: Raiva Toigonbaeva and Galina Solodunova (996 312) 61 12 24, 61 12 25, 61 12 26; Internews Netowrk: Marina Perecrestova (996 312) 68 20 30

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA)

World Population Day – 11 July 2003

“All young people have a right to health, including reproductive health, and the information and services to make this right a reality. This is especially urgent in the fight against HIV/AIDS. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supports national efforts to ensure that young people can make informed, responsible decisions and lead healthy lives.”
Thoraya A. Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA

The World Population Day is marked on 11th July in Kyrgyzstan. The slogan for WPD 2003 is "One Billion Adolescents: the Right to Health, Information and Services”. This year UNFPA office in Kyrgyzstan initiated TV Conference with participation of young people of Kyrgyzstan, Member of Parliament of the KR Ms. Boronbaeva, Ministry of Health representative Mr. Mambetov, Director of the Institute of Equal Rights and Opportunities Ms. Karasaeva, Director General of the National AIDS Center Dr. Shapiro and Manager of the Kyrgyz Alliance of Family Planning Ms. Bozgorpoeva.

The issues discussed during the conference were: New tendencies/policy in the field of reproductive/sexual health and reproductive rights of young people, Impact of the health care reform system on quality of reproductive health services, Raise awareness of the dangers of early childbirth and abortions, The life skills that enable young people to avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are, in the era of HIV/AIDS, a matter of life and death, Support sexuality and HIV/AIDS education, Involving young people in decision-making processes, Ensuring affordable, accessible and youth-friendly services and Safeguard young people’s human rights.

The next action undertaken in the frame of WPD was mass media competition announced by UNFPA to encourage electronic and printed media to elucidate the population related issues, like reproductive health of young people, prevention of STIs, HIV/AIDS, education of young people in family planning issues and etc.

On 11 July 2003 press conference devoted to WPD was organized. The problems of young people and the ways of their solving were discussed by Mr. Alexander Ilyin, UNFPA NPO, Mr. Mitalip Mamytov, Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Zarylbek Kudabaev, Chairperson the National Statistics Committee, Mr. Murataly ajy Jumanov, Grand Mufty of the Kyrgyz Republic and Mr. Boris Shapiro, Director General, National AIDS Center.

It was noted that today the world has the largest youth generation ever - the first generation of young people to grow up with HIV/AIDS. There are more than a billion people between 15 and 24. UNFPA encourages that adolescents and young people have accurate information as well as non-judgmental counseling, and comprehensive and affordable services to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. Each day 14,000 people-half of them aged 15 to 24-are newly infected, and add to the epidemic's staggering impact on health and on the social and economic stability of nations. Prevention, the centerpiece of UNFPA's fight against the disease, is being integrated into reproductive health programming around the world. Prevention includes promoting safer sexual behavior among young people, making sure condoms are readily available and widely and correctly used, empowering women to protect themselves and their children, and encouraging men to make a difference.

Dr. Boris Shapiro said that for effective prevention of AIDS and the increasing number of the HIV-cases, non-governmental and international organizations ought to coordinate their actions. The Kyrgyz Republic is experiencing a rapid growth of HIV/AIDS. As of April 1, 2003, 402 cases of HIV infection were officially registered, 348 of which were registered between 2001 – 2003. Eighty-one percent of HIV infected are males, of which 64% are 29 years of age or younger. The most vulnerable group in terms of HIV/AIDS infection is sexually active youth.

Mr. Alexander Ilyin underlined that the United Nations Population Fund in Kyrgyzstan promotes policy on raising awareness among young people in prevention of HIV/AIDS and reproductive health as well as accessibility to contraceptives and ensuring access to reproductive health services. Young people have the right to information and qualitative reproductive health services. Knowledge about sexuality and reproduction helps young people to make responsible and healthy decisions. UNFPA invites to encourage, help and respect young people’s participation in decision-making process on reproductive health and to protect their human rights.

Islam and Family Planning.

The United Nations Population Fund in Kyrgyzstan in co-operation with the State Commission on Religious Affairs conducted a seminar “Islam and Family Planning” for representatives from Muslim clerical institutions on July 21st – 23rd, 2003 in the UN House.

The purpose of the seminar was to discuss family planning and reproductive health issues. The book “Family Planning in the Legacy of Islam” (author – Abdel Rahim Omran) in the Kyrgyz language was launched at the seminar as well.

Seminars with participation of Muslim clerical community are not the first action undertaken by UNFPA. In September 2001, UNFPA organized a round-table meeting for the clergy of the KR, the objective of which was to discuss male involvement in family planning and reproductive health issues. As a result of three-day discussions, the round-table participants adopted an appeal to the people of Kyrgyzstan on the importance and necessity of such elucidative actions. Imams agreed to participate in educational seminars on family planning and healthy life style. In 2002, some seminars were conducted in different regions of the country with participation of the clergy, public officials and mass media.

This year it was jointly decided to conduct a familiarization seminar and presentation of the book “Family Planning in the Legacy of Islam” for heads and teachers of Muslim clerical institutes, as today there is an exigency of raising awareness of young people in prevention of HIV/AIDS and reproductive health issues.

For more information, please contact: Mr. Alexander Ilyin, UNFPA National Programme Officer. Phone: (996 312) 61 12 02. Email:

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME (UNODC)

UN ODC in conjunction with the recently established National Drug Control Agency (DCA) has launched key professional profiles recruitment process.

Mr. Ian Thomas OLIVER, an international consultant, formerly the Deputy Director of the British Scotland Yard, is providing a consultancy services on determination of the key professional profiles, development of selection and recruitment criteria jointly with concerned ministries and agencies of the Kyrgyz Republic. It is envisaged by the project document that the whole selection and recruitment process is to meet the international standards and would allow reduce the risk of corruption among the DCA staff. In the course of time, the DCA, founding on the basis of state law enforcement agency, will take the place of SCDC with the purpose to avoid duplication.

Collaboration of UN ODC will provide transparency, probity and objectivity of this activity, which is financed by the UN ODC.

For additional information please contact: Mr. Bakhtiar Mambetov, National Coordinator, UN ODC’s Sub-Office for the Kyrgyz Republic. Tel. +996 (312) 66 56 82, 66 05 22, e-mail: