In this issue:

UNITED NATIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN

• Joint Strategy Meeting within the United Nations Development assistance Framework (UNDAF 2005-2010) took place at the UN House

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

• An Art Exhibition “Women, Poverty and Development” opened in Bishkek
• Press Briefing at the UN House
• Round Table with Bishkek Officials

THE WORLD BANK

• Results of the World Bank Mission on GSAC Program

UNITED NATIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN

Joint Strategy Meeting within the United Nations Development assistance Framework (UNDAF 2005-2010) took place at the UN House on 1 March.

The heads of key Ministries of the Kyrgyz Republic, UN Agencies, including the World Bank, chiefs of a number of international and non-government agencies have discussed the draft of the UNDAF and individual country programmes aligned to the Millennium Development Goals, Comprehensive Development Framework and National Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Also present at the meeting were Presidential Chief of Staff Toichubek Kasymov, his deputy Alikbek Jekshenkulov and Deputy Prime Minister Joomart Otorbayev.

«We believe this meeting is a very important step in line of harmonization of efforts of all UNDAF partners", said Jerzy Skuratowicz, UN Resident Coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic, who officially opened the meeting. "The main goal is to review the UNDAF in detail and design specific activities to implement the document. This meeting is designed to establish the dialogue and partnership within this strategic document, which is the most efficient tool in building coalitions and aid coordination in Kyrgyzstan», he said.

«The UNDAF is closely linked to the MDGs, CDF and NPRS, and gives us a good chance to bring together both internal and foreign-aid resources to implement the objectives the country has set in the development area", said Toichubek Kasymov, Presidential Chief of Staff.

UNDP, UNNICEF, UNFPA and the World Bank presented their respective country programmes for 2005-2010 designed on the basis of the UNDAF. The meeting officially endorsed the UNDAF and joint areas of cooperation as well as in the agencies' country programmes.

For more information, please contact Arkady Divinsky, UN Coordination Associate at 61-12-13 and

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

An Art Exhibition “Women, Poverty and Development” opened today, 5 March in Bishkek.

In close partnership with famous Kyrgyz artists UNDP opened this Exhibition on the eve of the International Women’s Day. The exhibition held in Central Asian Art Academy is to attract attention to the problems, which face women of Kyrgyzstan in the difficult transition times. It’ll last till 20 March 2004.

UNDP is among the organization-partners to support Kyrgyzstan in poverty reduction, which is one of the Millennium Development Goals (Goal #1). At that more than sixty percent of the beneficiaries of the Poverty reduction Programme are women. This means that women demonstrate a high social and economic activity in poverty reduction not only through their attempts to improve and welfare of their families but also through caring about kids and helping them to adopt to the difficult economic environment, to get education, and providing a better life for their future.

The whole exposition, which includes the art works of B. Karakeev, K. Skurpela, N. Kongurbaev, E. Saliev, T. Mirrahimov and of the other artists, is united with one theme – life of the women of Kyrgyzstan: their problems and joys.

For more information, please contact Aikan Mukanbetova, UNDP Programme Officer and Gender Focal Point. Tel.: (0 996) 312 61-12-13. Fax: (0 996) 312 61-12-17. Email:

Press Briefing at the UN House 28 February 2004

Professor Jerzy Osiatynski, a UNDP consultant on advocacy of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and Jerzy Skuratowicz, UNDP Resident Representative in Kyrgyzstan, met with journalists to discuss the results of the professor's mission which took place between 25 February and 1 March 2004.

«Consultants come and go, but what is important is what the country and its residents are doing", said Professor Osiatynski.

A well-known expert, former finance minister of Poland and member of the Polish Parliament will consult Kyrgyzstan on implementing the MDGs. As it is widely known, in 2000 at the Millennium Summit the Millennium Declaration was adopted, which defined top priorities for human development for the next 15 years. Kyrgyzstan signed this document among other 188 countries and committed itself to follow the Declaration which reflected the point of view of the international community on the most urgent problems of the planet – peace, security, governance, health, education, women, poverty alleviation, environment and others.

As it was stressed during the briefing, it is obvious that to achieve the goals, which are in concert with the objectives of the Comprehensive Development Framework and National Poverty Reduction Strategy in Kyrgyzstan, extensive efforts are to be required.

«The country has to work hard. All the more, in 2005 the presidents of all countries will have to report at the UN General Assembly on the progress of achieving the MDGs", said Professor Osiatynski.

The international expert highly evaluated the efforts of Kyrgyzstan on poverty alleviation, reduction of infant mortality, access to universal secondary education and encouragement of equality between men and women. At the same time the professor said that it's important not to spread thin on many areas, but focus on the country's top priorities.

Addressing the media, Professor Osiatynski said that the journalist so far underestimate their role in the development process and are to provide an in-depth coverage of what is going on in the country to inform society and incite the actions of government officials.

For more information, please contact Aikan Mukanbetova, UNDP Programme Officer and Gender Focal Point. Tel.: (0 996) 312 61-12-13. Fax: (0 996) 312 61-12-17. Email:

Round Table with Bishkek Officials

On March 2, 2004 UNDP Poverty Reduction Program has conducted round table for the staff of Bishkek City Administration and representatives of Bishkek rayon administrations in charge for the social issues. Agenda of Round Table included the issues related to the activity of various international organizations and civil society in the area of increasing living standards of the most vulnerable groups of population.

UNDP Poverty Reduction Program and other NGOs and international projects – NGO “Arysh”. HABITAT Fund, Every Child, FINCA-Kyrgyzstan have presented their approaches and methodology used to solve different socio-economic problems of local communities - providing an access of the poor to financial services, transforming children’s’ lives through empowering families as well as through settling housing problems.

All participants of the Round Table led by Ms. Nadezhda Melnichuk, Deputy Mayor in generally agreed that the time they spent during open dialogue among government, international communities and civil society was very useful and productive and addressed many problems related to poverty reduction.

As the conclusion of the Round Table the officials of Bishkek City administration have encouraged international community and civil society to extend their activity to Bishkek city where they think the problems with poverty are considered to be the crucial ones.

Participants also pointed out high demand to run such coordination meetings with participation of different actors on regular basis to discuss potential problems and share the ideas on how to increase the welfare of population.

For more information, please contact Aikan Mukanbetova, UNDP Programme Officer and Gender Focal Point. Tel.: (0 996) 312 61-12-13. Fax: (0 996) 312 61-12-17. Email:

THE WORLD BANK

A mission of the World Bank visited Bishkek on February 16-26, 2004 to discuss with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic implementation of the Governance Structural Adjustment Credit (GSAC) program and assess the progress towards meeting the second tranche conditions.

The mission recognized the strong efforts of the Government to implement the program. Although progress has been made in the management of public finances, the mission expressed concern that significant legislation required for satisfaction of the second tranche conditions has yet to be presented to the Jogorku Kenesh. In particular, the mission emphasized the importance of passing and ensuring effective implementation of a draft law on Declaration and Publication of Income and Assets of High State Officials, a revised Civil Service Law and revision of the Law on the Chamber of Accounts.

The mission stated that it was important for the Government to discuss with the Jogorku Kenesh the importance of the three laws for the Kyrgyz people. The Law on Declaration and Publication of the Income and Assets of High State Officials will allow the public to know of the amounts of income and assets of High State Officials and will contribute to reducing corruption. The Civil Service Law will help make civil servants more accountable to the people. The revision of the Law on the Chamber of Accounts will make its activities more transparent and contribute to the modernization of the public finances. Without parliamentary approval of these laws the conditions for receiving the second tranche of the credit will not be met. Therefore, the second tranche disbursement of the GSAC will be delayed for a number of months until these laws are passed.

Moreover, the second tranche conditions include a number of measures to further strengthen the management of public finances, to improve health and education sectors financing and procedures for public procurement. In addition, the GSAC includes measures to improve the private sector business environment by reducing the complexity of regulations governing commercial activity. The mission urged the Government to accelerate work in all these areas.

Country Manager Chris Lovelace said: “The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic has made a firm commitment to increasing the transparency, effectiveness and accountability of the Government to the people. Despite slippages in the GSAC program, the Government indicated its resolve to satisfy the second tranche conditions in a few months. The World Bank strongly supports the efforts of the Government in this direction and believes that improvements in governance are an essential element in the modernization of the Kyrgyz State and in poverty reduction.”

Note: The Government Structural Adjustment Credit in the amount of 20 million USD was provided to support the Government’s program to strengthen the effectiveness of the State. The GSAC has two objectives: a) to improve the transparency and responsiveness of the public sector, and b) to increase efficiency, effectiveness and accountability within the public sector. The GSAC would increase the ability of citizens, civil society and the private sector to demand improvements in State performance. The GSAC programme will also enhance the ability of the State to pursue the objectives of the National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS).

The GSAC was provided on highly concessional terms of the International Development Association (IDA): no interest rate, with 10 years grace period and 40 years for repayment of the principal.