In this issue:

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

• Millennium Development Goals – at Local Level: Osh Province Poverty Reduction Strategy
• Network for development: CARNET starts its activity in Kyrgyzstan
• A new UNDP publication: Evaluation of Economic Development in Kyrgyzstan
• Ex-Deputy Resident Representative David Akopyan was awarded by “Dank” (Glory) medal yesterday

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

Millennium Development Goals – at Local Level: Osh Province Poverty Reduction Strategy

What does Osh province need for successful development? What are the existing problems and available resources for solving them? What kind of partnership should there be between the state structures, private sector and civil society in order to radically reduce the poverty level in the foreseeable future?

These are some of the questions answered by the group of national experts who developed the Osh Province Poverty Reduction Strategy through 2005-2010 due to the initiative of the Osh Province State Administration and UNDP support.

“We have managed to achieve the most important – we overcame the barrier of population dependence and helplessness”, Naken Kasiev, Governor of Osh province said at the presentation.

“People have learnt to work independently and have started to believe in their own strength. This allows us to claim that fulfillment of the ambitious goals of the strategy including halving the poverty level by 2010 is within our capacities” - he declared.

The first Kyrgyz Regional Poverty Reduction Strategy is based on the Millennium Development Goals, SDF and PRSP. It takes into consideration the accumulated experiences gained by the province in the area of strategic planning and is developed through broad consultations and discussions with province’s administration leaders and personnel, deputies of the province parliament, local government representatives, community-based and non-governmental organizations, private sector, scientific circles and international organizations.

This has allowed designing the complex document, attached to local conditions, defining priority areas of development of the province and aimed at achieving the key Millennium Development Goal of efficient poverty reduction.

Osh province is one of the most important regions of the country. Its total population is more than a million people. Poverty indicators here are higher than average in the country. Therefore, the Strategy aims at comprehensive economic, social and human development, which should allow bringing the poverty level down to 25% (instead of present 50%) by 2010.

In order to achieve this goal, the document identifies four main priorities, which include ensuring dynamic development of the agro-industrial complex, effective use of human resources, development of the system of secondary and professional education, support to the local initiatives and strengthening of cooperation between the state structures and civil organizations.

More than three thousand community-based and non-governmental organizations uniting over 147 thousand people and having the significant internal funds already represent a real power in Osh province. Actively cooperation with the local governments, donor community and state structures, these organizations take more and more active part in development programs and local decision making processes.

“The most important thing about developing any strategy is that people should participate in this process from the very beginning, they should feel their important role and thereby take the responsibility to follow the strategic documents”, said Jerzy Osyatinsky, UNDP RBEC MDGs Advocate, who is on the mission in Kyrgyzstan currently.

“UNDP effectively cooperates with the Osh Province Administration in solving the most urgent development problems, which is reflected on the process of development of the country as a whole”, said Jerzy Skuratowicz, UNDP Resident Representative.

“We are convinced that only the existence of a clear consistent policy and effective mechanisms of its realization including active participation of the population can ensure the county’s success in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

For more information, please contact Ms. Aikan Mukanbetova, UNDP Programme Office. Tel: 0 (996 312) 61-12-13. Fax: 0 (996 312) 61-12-17. Email: , or Ms. Nuria Choibaeva, Manager of the UNDP Poverty Reduction Programme. Tel: (996 312) 66-38-85, e-mail:

Network for Development: CARNET starts its activity in Kyrgyzstan

A workshop, devoted to the activities of the subregional network CARNet, took place on November 13-15, 2004 in the Pinara Bishkek Hotel.

Sub Regional Information Civil Society Network in Environment and Sustainable Development in Central Asian Countries and Russia CARNet (CARNET-Central Asia and Russia Network) is a volunteer, independent and noncommercial association of organizations, experts, journalists, academic structures – representatives of civil society from Central Asian Countries and Russia.

CARNet network is designed for exchange and wide dissemination of information on civil society activities in implementation of the Regional Action Plan on Environment Protection and Initiative on Ecology and Safety.

Beside, the goal of the network is development of informational mechanisms to impact on decision making to be undertaken by the governments of the counties in the region on prioritized ecological problems.

The workshop was organized in close cooperation with ICT for Development Program and Program on Environment of the Regional UNDP Center in Bratislava, Office UNDP in Kyrgyz Republic, and CARNET-Central Asia and Russia Network.

The Participants of the workshop discussed network activity results for the period from June 2004 to November 2004 and introduced proposals for 2005. They also discussed development of policy of informational interaction and partnership between network members; consolidation of partners efforts for informational support of actions on civil society involvement into implementation of regional action plan on environment protection and Initiative on Ecology and Safety; and finally, development of National Information Boards.

For more information please contact Mr. Zharas Takenov, UNDP International Senior Programme Officer. Phone 61-12-13. Email:

A new UNDP publication: Evaluation of Economic Development in Kyrgyzstan

The research on “Evaluation of Economic Development in Kyrgyzstan” was presented to public at the information agency KyrgyzInfo in Bishkek on November 10, 2004.

The publication aimed at carrying out an independent survey of the country’s economic development throughout 1991-2002 as well as at informing the public about the status of economic development and different economic processes taking place in Kyrgyzstan.

The research was prepared by a groups of expert-economists consisting of Bakyt Koshoeva, Chorobek Imasheva, Lyubov Ten and Almaz Abytov due to the UNDP financial support and the initiative of Budget and Finance Committees of the Kyrgyz Parliament.

Today - in the epoch of transformation of society and reorganization of economic systems, economic prosperity depends on the choice of the right development model strategy and the economic policy pursued by the state, which aim at financial stability and structural adjustment of economics. The experts revealed general dynamics of the basic economic indicators, identified the objectives for achieving sustainable economic development and defined major risks of economic development. The theme of formation of incentive tax policy, its role in the tax system of Kyrgyzstan and the possibilities of its improvement as well as recommendations on its restructuring is reflected is reflected in the research.

The publication is meant for a wide circle of readers interested by the issues of economic development of Kyrgyzstan.

For additional information please contact: Olga Grebennikova, UNDP Public Relations Officer, Tel: 611213; e-mail: or Gulmira Mamatkerimova, Manager of UNDP National Governance programme. Tel: 66 21 08/ext. 102.

Ex-Deputy Resident Representative David Akopyan was awarded by “Dank” (Glory) medal

David Akopyan, former UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, was awarded the medal of “Dank” in the Government House yesterday.

Askar Akaev, President of Kyrgyzstan signed the decree on the bestowal “for contribution to socio-economic development of the republic”. The medal was invested by the State Secretary, Mr. Osmonakun Ibraimov.

David Akopyan worked in Kyrgyzstan from the year of 2001 to 2004. He supervised different programs including those on Poverty Alleviation and Social Mobilization.

The international expert has visited Bishkek during his short vacation. Therefore the “Dank” medal award was a surprise for him.

Presently, the hero of the occasion works in one if the most problematic regions of the planet – Afghanistan.

Information is based on publications in Kyrgyz media.