In this issue:

UNITED NATIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN (UN)

• MDGs Caravan in Kyrgyzstan: Peer to Peer on Development and Millennium Declaration

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

• Program on Preventive Development in the South - in Focus: 1. “Harmonious family – that’s where the Safe World Starts”
• Program on Preventive Development in the South - in Focus: 2. Textbooks in Uzbek for Uzgen Schoolchildren
• Program on Preventive Development in the South - in Focus: 3. Five projects Exceeding a Million Som (around $ 25.000) Budget Soon to Be Implemented in the Cross Border Areas of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION (ILO)

• International Labor Organization (ILO) Mission to Kyrgyzstan Gives Press Briefing to National and International Media

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)

• What and How Should We Do Better to Fulfill the Child’s Right to Life and Quality Health Care?

UNITED NATIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN (UN)

MDGs Caravan in Kyrgyzstan: Peer-to-Peer on Development and Millennium Declaration

Note: In September 2000, the highest representatives of 191 countries, including Kyrgyzstan, adopted the Millennium Declaration. This declaration reflected the view of the world community regarding peace, security, development, environment, human rights, and governance. The Declaration established development goals for all countries, which are now known as Development Millennium Goals. These goals establish concrete, measurable benchmarks of development to be achieved by humanity by 2015. The MDGs are in full conformity to the objectives set by the people of Kyrgyzstan, and which are reflected in the country's strategic programmes of CDF and NPRS.

For additional information, please contact Olga Grebennikova, UNDP Public Relations Officer. Tel.: 61-12-13. Email: You are welcome to visit UNDP in Kyrgyzstan website at http://www.undp.kg where we placed a lots of information on MDG Promotion campaign in Kyrgyzstan

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

Program on Preventive Development in the South - in Focus “Harmonious family – that’s where the Safe World Starts”

This was the motto of the training seminar held for the representatives of local administrations, NGOs, community leaders and religious figures in Osh province on September 17.

It has to be admitted that the representatives of the male sex took an active part in the discussions and presented their vision and perspectives of gender equality development in the southern part of the country.

Training sessions devoted to the analysis of the gender stereotypes, gender traditions and customs, gender discrimination, the issues of human rights and domestic violence together with the discussions on the cultural specifics, gender role distribution and the influence of gender equality on conflict prevention caused a lot of interest and polemics among the participants.

“In our country, the Islam traditions and customs should become the basis of the notion of gender development and the concept of protection of women’s rights”, - said Klara Tynykbekova, Leader of Women’s Religious NGO “Mutakalim”, in the course of discussion. “Shariat idealizes a woman-mother – bred winner and family keeper - and. protects her rights.”

Novelty and actuality of the seminar was much conditioned by the fact that, the influence of gender equality on the process of conflict prevention is studied only to a small extent so far. Therefore, UNDP gives special importance to creation of informational and analytical basis in this direction and initiates dialogue with all the interested participants of the process of conflict prevention.

Textbooks in Uzbek for Uzgen Schoolchildren

Six Uzbek schools in the city of Uzgen, Osh province, have recently received 4 500 textbooks and manuals in Geometry, Chemistry and English language issued in the context of UNDP program on “Preventive Development in the South”.

The UNDP implementing partners are represented by Uzgen City Education Department and the City Administration.

“It is very important that children will be getting education in their own mother tongue”, - said Makhamadrasul Abakzhanov, Mayor of Uzgen, in his speech to the participants of the ceremony. “Solving this problem, we all – the government and well as the population – will look with optimism into the future.”

The problem of getting education in the native language arose when the neighboring republic of Uzbekistan switched to the Roman alphabet and the textbooks stopped to be delivered to the Uzbek schools of the Osh province, Kyrgyzstan. This brought the whole society to gradual growth of social tension, which was revealed by the vulnerability analysis conducted by the UNDP staff in Uzgen.

“This project was successfully implemented thanks to anxiety and readiness of the local administration to cooperate in solving the problem”, - said Usen Shaynazarov, Preventive Development Expert, at the conference.

Apart from releasing the conflict, the population came to realize that recognition of a problem and its joint resolution always brings to positive results. The initiatives coming from people meet the needs of the whole society and lead to settlement of the crisis. As a rule, these initiatives are much supported by local administrations and international organizations.

Note: Vulnerability analysis is conducted within the framework of the UNDP project on Preventive Development by specially trained staff (monitors). Usually, these monitors belong to the community, they observe the situation and submit regular reports to the Project Management Unit in the city of Osh. On the basis of the above-mentioned reports different grant projects are implemented, which help to resolve social tensions and avoid ethnic conflicts motivated by limited access to different resources (water, land, information, education and etc.)

Five projects Exceeding a Million Som (around $ 25.000) Budget Soon to Be Implemented in the Cross Border Areas of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

On September 14, 2004, the first meeting of the Grant Committee was held within the framework of the project on Cross Border Cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Apart from the program staff representing the UNDP offices in both of the countries, the chiefs of the cross border region local administrations as well as the NGO leaders also participated in the committee session.

The grant committee approved the funding of five projects, which includes completion and equipment of the obstetrical medical station in the village of Tojikon-Jamoata,-Vorukh Isphara District, and building of the ambulance room in Selkan Jamoata, Gulkhona Jaburasudov district as well as repairs of the school roof in the village of Akaryk and building of a bridge in Razakov, Leylek Disrtict, Batken province of Kyrgyzstan.

One of the criteria for selecting the project proposals received from the cross border communities was the project’s possible impact on conflict prevention. Project sustainability, existence of project documentation, local administration support and financial cost sharing (by no less than 20%) from the side of community based organizations, NGOs and state administration – were also important factors defining the selection process.

The members of the grant committee mentioned about the high quality of the submitted project proposals and emphasized the growing initiative of population to take joint measures in order to strengthen peace and social harmony in the cross-border regions.

Note: The goal of the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Cross-Border Cooperation Project Component of “Funds to Support Trust Initiatives” is - development of cooperation and partnership in cross-border areas; strengthening of friendship and trust and prevention of conflicts, the likelihood of which is revealed by means of the system of Early Warning Reports. Within the framework of the project, financial supports the work of community-based organizations, NGOs and other partners, directed towards conflict prevention, development of cooperation and partnerships in the cross-border communities that need timely interference. Address zones are selected according to certain criteria, which include existing conflict situations or social tension revealed in the process of preparation of Early Warning Reports and thorough vulnerably analysis. Such factors as cooperation between the population and local administration, financial partnerships with other donors as well as the scale of the given problem including the factors of interethnic relations are also taken into account.

For more information, please contact Abdiraim Jorokulov, Programme Manager at (3222) 5-57-13 or 5-78-37. Email or checkout our official website www.pdp.undp.kg

INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION (ILO)

International Labor Organization (ILO) Mission to Kyrgyzstan Gives Press Briefing to National and International Media

ILO mission represented by Mr. Moazam Mahmod, Senior Technical Specialist on Poverty Reduction at the Policy Integration Department, ILO Geneva, and Ms. Rimma Kalinchenko, ILO Programme Officer in Moscow, visited Bishkek upon the invitation of the Kyrgyz Government.

The mission’s objective was to study the current poverty level in the country as well as the specifics of its spread and growth in order to provide ILO’s recommendations for the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in Kyrgyzstan.

The guests had a number of meetings with the government officials, including Ms Roza Aknazarova, the Minister of Labor and Social Protection, and development agencies - UNDP, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and others.

On September 22, an end-of-mission press briefing was organized at the UN House in Bishkek, during which Mr. Mahmood and Ms. Kalinchenko highlighted the findings of their mission and answered the questions of the representatives of the national and international media. The guests talked of the present economic situation in the country and the importance of creating new jobs and employment opportunities in order to fight poverty and improve the economic status of Kyrgyzstan.

Mr. Mahomood emphasized the significance of fostering small and micro enterprise development, creation of business incubators and providing vocational training to the population in order to increase their chances of getting employed.

Ms. Kalinchenko touched upon another important aspect of the ILO mandate, which is addressing the problems of child labor. She noted that the issue of child labor is quite acute in Kyrgyzstan. Parents believe there was nothing wrong if their child helps the family earn more money. But now things have changed and more and more people tend to understand that children should first get education and reach maturity in a healthy physical state. It is only after, that they can start to bring income into family. In conclusion the ILO experts assured that the International Labor Organization will continue to render its assistance in preparing PRSP for Kyrgyzstan, as well as in other social and labor issues.

More information about the ILO activities in Kyrgyzstan you will find at the Subregional Office bilingual Russian-English website http://www.ilo.ru/

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)

What and How Should We Do Better to Fulfill the Child’s Right to Life and Quality Health Care?

This is the question for the three day VIII Child and Mother’s Health Forum of the Central Asia and Kazakhstan that started in Bishkek on September 22, 2004 with the support of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Starting from 1997, every year medical officials of the five republics – the Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and experts of international organizations come together to exchange their experiences and knowledge; to review current strategies to address morbidity and mortality of children and women, to improve the efficiency of public health policies and the access to mother and child health care, and to mobilize public efforts towards implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

The participants have had the opportunity to listen to the most updated information regarding theoretical and practical acquisitions in safe pregnancy, effective perinatal care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and also ways to increase investments for the health care sector.

UNICEF and WHO experts presented to the public debate thorough analyses of the causes of high rates of child mortality in the region. It was pointed out that the commitment of the Government, other national decision making bodies, medical professionals, committees, individuals is a prerequisite in addressing the problems. Kyrgyzstan, who adopted WHO Live Birth Criteria in 2003, was given as an example to be followed by the other countries in the region. At present, Kyrgyzstan envisages hard work to be done to ensure proper enforcement of the new criteria.

The health of the mother and the child also depends on the behaviours and attitudes of the society and every person. In his greeting words, Juan Aguilar, UNICEF CARK Representative, pointed out: “With the support of UNICEF and other international organizations, Governments should focus on most vulnerable groups by facilitating their free active and meaningful participation. It is of paramount importance to ensure effective relationship among the Government, civil society and private sector through decentralization of powers and responsibilities”.

Like the previous meetings, all the recommendations of the VIII Forum are collected into a report that would serve as a reference document for further actions and preparation towards IX Child and Maternal Health Forum that is to take place in Tajikistan next year.

For additional information, please contact: Galina Solodunova, UNICEF Communications Officer. Phone: (996 312) 611 211 (ext.139); 611 224...7, e-mail: