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World Food Programme awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize 2020: A Reminder that Food Security, Peace and Stability Go Together
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Press Release
12 July 2021
Russian Federation helps World Food Programme to support poor families in Kyrgyzstan
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Press Release
25 June 2021
Russian Federation helps World Food Programme to support poor families in Kyrgyzstan
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Press Release
24 June 2021
Small and medium-sized enterprises of Issyk-Kul region fruit sector strengthen their knowledge on creating food safety management systems
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The Sustainable Development Goals in Kyrgyz Republic
The UN and its partners in Kyrgyzstan are working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice for development that works for all people. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important to act in cooperation.
Speech
12 December 2020
UN Secretary-General António Guterres: Carbon neutrality by 2050 is the world’s most urgent mission
As the world marks the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, a promising movement for carbon neutrality is taking shape. By next month, countries representing more than 65 per cent of harmful greenhouse gasses and more than 70 per cent of the world economy will have committed to achieve net zero emissions by the middle of the century.
At the same time, the main climate indicators are worsening. While the Covid-19 pandemic has temporarily reduced emissions, carbon dioxide levels are still at record highs – and rising. The past decade was the hottest on record; Arctic sea ice in October was the lowest ever, and apocalyptic fires, floods, droughts and storms are increasingly the new normal. Biodiversity is collapsing, deserts are spreading, oceans are warming and choking with plastic waste. Science tells us that unless we cut fossil fuel production by 6 per cent every year between now and 2030, things will get worse. Instead, the word is on track for a 2 per cent annual rise.
Pandemic recovery gives us an unexpected yet vital opportunity to attack climate change, fix our global environment, re-engineer economies and re-imagine our future. Here is what we must do:
First, we need build a truly global coalition for carbon neutrality by 2050.
The European Union has committed to do so. The United Kingdom, Japan, the Republic of Korea and more than 110 countries have done the same. So, too, has the incoming United States administration. China has pledged to get there before 2060.
Every country, city, financial institution and company should adopt plans for net zero -- and act now to get on the right path to that goal, which means cutting global emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared with 2010 levels. In advance of next November’s UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, Governments are obligated by the Paris Agreement to be ever more ambitious every five years and submit strengthened commitments known as Nationally Determined Contributions, and these NDCs must show true ambition for carbon neutrality.
Technology is on our side. It costs more to simply run most of today’s coal plants than it does to build new renewable plants from scratch. Economic analysis 2 confirms the wisdom of this path. According to the International Labour Organization, despite inevitable job losses, the clean energy transition will create 18 million net new jobs by 2030. But we must recognize the human costs of decarbonization, and support workers with social protection, re-skilling and up-skilling so that the transition is just.
Second, we need to align global finance with the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, the world’s blueprint for a better future.
It is time to put a price on carbon; end fossil fuel subsidies and finance; stop building new coal power plants; shift the tax burden from income to carbon, from taxpayers to polluters; make climate-related financial risk disclosures mandatory; and integrate the goal of carbon neutrality into all economic and fiscal decision- making. Banks must align their lending with the net zero objective, and asset owners and managers must decarbonize their portfolios.
Third, we must secure a breakthrough on adaptation and resilience to help those already facing dire impacts of climate change.
That’s not happening enough today: adaptation represents only 20 per cent of climate finance. This hinders our efforts to reduce disaster risk. It also isn’t smart; every $1 invested in adaptation measures could yield almost $4 in benefits. Adaptation and resilience are especially urgent for small island developing states, for which climate change is an existential threat.
Next year gives us a wealth of opportunities to address our planetary emergencies, through major United Nations conferences and other efforts on biodiversity, oceans, transport, energy, cities and food systems. One of our best allies is nature itself: nature-based solutions could provide one-third of the net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Indigenous knowledge can help to point the way. And as humankind devises strategies for preserving the environment and building a green economy, we need more women decision-makers at the table.
COVID and climate have brought us to a threshold. We cannot go back to the old normal of inequality and fragility; instead we must step towards a safer, more sustainable path. This is a complex policy test and an urgent moral test. With decisions today setting our course for decades to come, we must make pandemic recovery and climate action two sides of the same coin.
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18 May 2020
Coronavirus global outbreak
Everyone is talking about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Take part in getting your facts from reliable sources.
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11 January 2021
Interactive TV series about HIV launched in Kyrgyzstan
A new television series for young people in the Kyrgyz language, School Elections, was launched online last week. During six 15–20-minute episodes, a girl, Ayana, who is living with HIV, tells her story of bullying, friendship and the fight for human dignity. The producers of the series hope that Ayana’s example will give hope to young people who face similar challenges.
“We have a simple idea to promote: you may differ from others in your health, appearance or level of wealth. But regardless of this, we all deserve respect, friendship, love and happiness. This series is about kindness and acceptance of others as they are,” said Azim Azimov, Head of Production at the Media Kitchen production studio and the main screenwriter of the series.
Starting on 6 November, new episodes will be aired weekly on YouTube and will also be broadcast on television, Instagram and the teens.kg youth project website. Additionally, each series has one to three interactive episodes—the leading actors invite the viewers to look at the problems raised in the series through the viewers’ eyes, experience each situation for themselves and make their own decisions.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), more than 30% of students around the world experience various forms of bullying at the hands of their classmates. Students who are perceived as “different” are often subjected to bullying for reasons of appearance, health status, including HIV status, sexual orientation and gender identity, social status or the economic situation of the family.
“This series tells people about the complex issue in simple and understandable language, to show how strong-willed and honest young people can overcome ignorance, indifference, cruelty and injustice, inspire others and change life for the better,” said Tigran Yepoyan, UNESCO Regional Adviser on HIV, Education and Health.
“This series is a powerful new instrument for reducing stigma in our society, it not only shows the difficulties of living with HIV, discrimination and bullying but also motivates our adolescents not to be afraid to fight for dignity and justice and move forward towards their dreams,” said Meerim Sarybaeva, UNAIDS Country Director for Kyrgyzstan.
The official soundtrack of the series, which was supported by the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education and UNAIDS, was performed by the singer Ayim Ayilchieva.
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04 June 2021
Sustainable Development Goals Youth Ambassadors in the Kyrgyz Republic 2021
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Youth Ambassadors is a project implemented in the Kyrgyz Republic since 2019 through close cooperation of the UN System in the Kyrgyz Republic and the State Agency for Youth, Physical Culture and Sports in the Kyrgyz Republic.
The goal of the project is to spread the ideas of sustainable development and the SDGs in the Kyrgyz Republic through youth activism. From September 2019 to June 2020 the first cohort of the 34 Youth Ambassadors hosted over a hundred events, having told about sustainable development and the SDGs to over 12 000 people. The report on the activities of the first cohort of the Youth Ambassadors can be found here.
In 2020 the project was split into two stages. In the first stage (the “SDG Academy”) 20 youth activists from the whole country were selected from 300 applications for intensive learning in the field of sustainable development and skills training in communication and designing social projects. The five top performing SDG Academy participants were selected to become SDG Youth Ambassadors.
In May 2021, a new group of five SDG Ambassadors will take up their duties. Their activities include promoting the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda at the level of peers, communities and the whole country and mobilizing volunteers to support the achievement of the SDGs through organizing events of various formats, public dissemination of information about sustainable development and its achievement in the Kyrgyz Republic and participation in events related to sustainable development as speakers and youth experts.
SDG Youth Ambassadors in 2021 are Ms. Miraida Almazbekova, Ms. Aigul Davranova, Ms. Aliia Mamyrkanova, Ms. Eliza Uraimova and Mr. Danil Tsoi.
Ms. Miraida Almazbekova, 18 years old, Batken
+996 706 780 781, miraida20022708@gmail.com
Student of the Kyrgyz-Turkish University "Manas". For three years, she has been actively involved in public events on climate change issues, and also works to eliminate inequalities in education, support those in need, respect human rights, and improve the cleanliness and potential of the city of Batken. Participates in more than seven volunteer groups, including AIESEC, Enactus, Biota and the “Elim Barsykby?” Fund. Together with these organizations, she has implemented many social projects that have helped change the lives of some people. As a future environmental engineer and an SDG Youth Ambassador, Miraida wants to focus on the SDGs related to environmental issues.
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Ms. Aigul Davranova, 21 years old, Bishkek
+996 552 565 668, davranovaaigul@gmail.com
In everyday life, she deals with issues of gender equality, quality education and legal awareness of youth. Now she is implementing the projects “School of Leadership” on leadership skills and “School of Law” on legal literacy for young people, contributing to the development of Kyrgyzstan. She works as a deputy director in the public fund “Country Network of Women Living with HIV” and helps women with HIV-positive status to develop, acquire new skills, and also provides them with legal assistance. Conducted a rapid assessment study on the services and needs of children living with HIV. She first learnt about the SDGs when the United Nations Development Program began recruiting volunteers. Most interested in SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reducing Inequality). As an SDG Ambassador, she plans to raise awareness among the population on issues that could change people's attitudes towards certain issues, such as girls' career choices after high school.
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Ms. Aliia Mamyrkanova, 22 years old, Bishkek
+996 555 722 780, aliyamamyrkanova@gmail.com
Activist. Acts on the principle “think globally, act locally”. She learnt about the SDG concept in 2016, during her studies she organized six social projects, including teaching youth leadership skills and English. She believes that if as many people as possible are made aware of global problems, then they can be solved faster. Most interested in SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reducing Inequalities). As an SDG Ambassador, she plans to spread the ideas of the SDGs in Kyrgyzstan, with an emphasis on working with youth, activists and volunteers.
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Ms. Eliza Uraimova, 18 years old, Osh
+996 755 100 517, uraimovaeliza02@gmail.com
Believes that social cohesion and stability in society play a key role on the path to development, but they can only be achieved through quality education. Through volunteering and activism, she spreads ideas of tolerance and non-discrimination towards women, girls and ethnic minorities. Her main goal in life is to contribute to the development of society. She learned about the SDGs from a friend who inspired her to become a member of the SDG Academy. Of all the SDGs, she is most interested in SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), because she considers them to be key for the prosperity of our society. As an SDG Ambassador, she plans to spread ideas about the SDGs among compatriots, inspiring young people to self-development, and guide others to develop in the field of the SDGs.
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Mr. Danil Tsoi, 19 years old, Bishkek
+996 552 427 844, danil.tsoi.ylsp@gmail.com
3rd year student of the Law Faculty of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University. Involved in volunteering for about two years. Got acquainted with the concept of the SDGs in 2019. He began his career as a volunteer at the United Nations Development Programme, now he runs the Public Platform “Young Leaders for Social Progress (YLSP)”, where, with a team of initiative youth, he is developing and implementing creative initiatives and projects to promote the SDGs in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. He has implemented many youth initiatives and events, being the inspiring force and coordinator of the “Law in Action”, “L-CORP” projects, the #SDGGamesKG event campaign and other social events. He is also the UN Youth Delegate from the Kyrgyz Republic for 2021-2022. Danil actively promotes the SDGs with a focus on goals that are directly or indirectly related to the problems of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, with topical issues of the development of legal institutions and the protection of human rights, as well as quality education of young people and the introduction of new approaches and innovative methods of solving such problems. As an SDG Ambassador, he plans to work on the creation of a volunteer corps, the organization of a regional forum on the SDGs, the development of an interactive SDG game, a youth leadership program and a scientific conference for young scientists.
Reference:
The Sustainable Development Goals are the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda), a comprehensive international document adopted in 2015 by 193 UN member states, including Kyrgyzstan. The Goals cover all of the major challenges of humankind and set multiple targets for achievement by 2030.
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Story
12 January 2021
A woman-politician better understands the problems of children and women
Nuria Temirbek kyzy lives in the village of Ak-Zhar in the At-Bashy rayon of the Naryn oblast. Six years ago, she was a housewife and did not plan to work. Two years later, she became a deputy of the local kenesh and since then has been constantly helping her fellow villagers.
“Women can do anything, they can work and be successful in any area, community, politics, or business,” Nuria believes.
In Kyrgyzstan, it is still common for women in remote regions to have no access to education, as a result of which, after an early marriage, women most often do only housework. Moreover, usually, the merit in families is attributed to men - heads of families, thus forming the idea that only men are engaged in business, politics, or other socially important activities.
Nuria was one of these women until 2014 when she accidentally got into a meeting with representatives of an international organization, with which she came out as an activist - her fellow villagers nominated her. Four UN agencies – UN Women, FAO, WFP, and IFAD – launched the “Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment” Project aimed at improving food security, promoting income-generating activities, increasing participation in public decision-making, and creating a gender-sensitive culture in society. The programme targets vulnerable rural women and those living below the national poverty line of 2700 KGS a month. Since then, within the framework of the projects, she, together with other women, has opened a number of enterprises in her village, where more than 50 women have been able to find work.
“My outlook on life has changed for the better, I learned so much new information, participated in various trainings, and was able to help many people. I started believing in myself and in 2016 put forward my candidacy for the post of member of the local council (kenesh) and won the elections. I used to be sure that a woman should stay at home, raise children, take care of her husband. But it turned out that we are very strong, that we can do everything,” Nuria notes.
Now she not only works in the local kenesh, but also oversees several enterprises opened under the project, in which women sew, do handicrafts, farming, and processing industries.
During the pandemic, on her initiative, funds were allocated from the local budget for the purchase of materials so that seamstresses could sew masks and sell them to the local population at an affordable, almost cost price, and families in need received protective equipment for free.
“I feel different, useful, and strong. At first, my husband was against my activities, because I was often not at home and I had to go to trainings. But then he realized what important work I was doing. Now he supports me. I help people both through the projects and the local council. A woman member of the local parliament differs from a male counterpart in that we better understand the problems that women and children have to face every day, so we try to help solve them,” says Nuria.
She calls on all women not to be afraid to start working and to benefit society because experience shows that a woman can do everything - the main thing is to believe in herself. And you should always remember that with hard work and support from loved ones, any activity will bring success.
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Story
12 January 2021
Rural Women Can Become Successful Entrepreneurs
Ms. Elmira Sazanova, a mother of four children and the owner of a small sewing workshop, lives in one of the villages in the At-Bashy rayon of the Naryn oblast.
“Once I dreamed of only two sewing machines, but now I have my own workshop. You need to dream and believe in success, and, of course, work hard,” says Elmira.
There is not much work for women in remote regions of Kyrgyzstan. Often busy with household chores, raising children, and helping their husbands in the household, women stay at home and do not make efforts to develop their own business. For example, the share of women employed in agriculture in Kyrgyzstan is 39.2% of the total number of employed people, while only 20.6% of operating economic entities in agriculture have women as leaders.
However, Elmira was one of those dreamers, but she always believed in success and strived to achieve her goals. Due to lack of work in the 90s, Elmira began to sew robes on her old typewriter and sell them to her neighbors and friends. Then she realized that she could earn money on this business. Though she needed at least a couple of professional sewing machines for full-fledged work, she did not have the funds to buy them.
Four UN agencies – UN Women, FAO, WFP, and IFAD – launched the “Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment” Project aimed at improving food security, promoting income-generating activities, increasing participation in public decision-making, and creating a gender-sensitive culture in society. The programme targets vulnerable rural women and those living below the national poverty line of 2700 KGS a month.
“In 2014, I found out about this project. They told me that they could help with starting a business. To be honest, I did not believe in this, but I still participated in the project, because I was interested, I went to trainings, received a lot of useful information. We have prepared and sent a project to open a sewing workshop. And then one day the sewing machines arrived. And there were so many! I was surprised and confused: what to do with so many sewing machines, where to get the workers? But I overcame my fear and started working,” recalls Elmira.
Of course, it was not without difficulties. First, I had to look for seamstresses, and then orders. Financial difficulties arose because I needed to pay employee salaries, and the villagers could not afford to constantly buy new clothes.
Families of seamstresses opposed to their work. Even Elmira's husband initially discouraged her from her own business, but she did not give up and continued to work, despite all the difficulties. Now the workshop is functioning stably, and over the years dozens of women have worked in it. Elmira hires even in the absence of experience, explaining that almost every woman can be trained in sewing; the main thing is that she has a desire to learn and work.
Now the workshop serves the local population and also sews small batches of orders coming from the capital city.
“We are very friendly here and help each other. We don't even buy clothes for a long time, we sew everything for ourselves, and when someone needs to go over some place, we can quickly sew a beautiful dress with the whole team. Difficulties first arose during the pandemic when orders stopped. But we had accumulated work and, in principle, we did not stop production, and then we began to sew masks, because as you remember that at first there was a shortage and people could not find masks in pharmacies,” Elmira says.
The women are also supported by the local authorities, who have allocated a building for the workshop. The owner of the enterprise notes that the main thing is to start with small steps, to work hard, and then dreams will surely come true.
In this case, of course, family support is important so that women are not forced to quit their jobs halfway. To do this, it is necessary as a society to promote the idea that women should not only be housewives; it is important to remind society that women can also work, and can do it successfully, benefiting both the family and society as a whole.
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Story
12 January 2021
Rural women make effective decisions to develop their communities
Tursunai Akmatova lives with her family in the village of Baizak in the Naryn region. After graduation, she started work as a teacher in a rural school, but thanks to the project she became a member of the local kenesh.
“I believe that thanks to this project, many women were able to awaken their ‘I’, they believed in themselves and started doing what they love,” says Tursunai.
In recent years, the representation of women in local councils (aiyl keneshes) has greatly decreased, in most cases, men were elected as members, and in some villages, women themselves believed that politics was only for men. Thus, only men were the members in a number of ayil keneshes. Only in 2019, thanks to a change in legislation, a quota was approved - now in local keneshes, at least 30% of deputies must be women.
Four UN agencies – UN Women, FAO, WFP, and IFAD – launched the “Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment” Project aimed at improving food security, promoting income-generating activities, increasing participation in public decision-making, and creating a gender-sensitive culture in society. The programme targets vulnerable rural women and those living below the national poverty line of 2700 KGS a month.
Tursunai Akmatova became a member of the kenesh in 2017, even before the approval of this quota. Thanks to the project, she was able to overcome existing stereotypes and began to contribute to the development of her village, where she was born and raised.
“While participating in this RWEE project, I understood a lot, realized what needs to be said so that we can be heard that women have the same rights and opportunities as men. In 2017, I put forward my candidacy for the local kenesh and was able to win, our society supported me. I was able to develop my leadership skills, I was able to prove that politics is not only for men, that women can and should do it too, ”says Tursunai.
As part of her work in the local kenesh, she tries to contribute to the development of the village, the development of the local community. In addition to social work, she also develops women's entrepreneurship; together with like-minded women, she founded a fund, which already includes 50 women. Together they are engaged in farming, growing vegetables and fruits, and in 2018 donors entrusted them with the management of a new workshop in which they are engaged in the procurement of canned goods to order.
“Over the years, I have been able to achieve a lot and am very grateful to my husband and family, who always support me. My husband is an activist himself and he practically forced me to do all this, although initially I was against it because I already had a job. But then I was so fond of all this, work in the kenesh, a fund, a self-help group. I just cannot imagine my life without all this now, ”Tursunai notes.
During the pandemic, she, together with like-minded people, helped the villagers by distributing food packages and personal protective equipment to needy families. It is difficult to ensure a decent life in remote villages without such initiative women, therefore Tursunai Akmatova urges all compatriots to strive for the best, defend their opinion in society, and try to contribute to the development of both the local community and the country as a whole.
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Story
12 January 2021
Women's entrepreneurship in the village develops the national economy
Ms. Nargiza Tabaldieva, a resident of the Uzgen rayon of Osh oblast, has acquired two new professions at once thanks to the advice of her father-in-law and the project of four UN agencies "Expanding the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women".
The mother of 5 children is now both a pastry chef and a specialist in a tourism project in her village. The most important thing is, as the woman notes, that she can work in her homeland without going abroad.
In remote villages of Kyrgyzstan, women without education find it difficult to find work. In most cases, they have to stay at home or leave with their families to work in other countries. Although there are many business opportunities in the villages themselves, prevailing stereotypes that women should only take care of children and the home do not allow them to step over them and become independent entrepreneurs.
Four UN agencies – UN Women, FAO, WFP, and IFAD – launched the “Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment” Project aimed at improving food security, promoting income-generating activities, increasing participation in public decision-making, and creating a gender-sensitive culture in society. The programme targets vulnerable rural women and those living below the national poverty line of 2700 KGS a month.
“I got married at the age of 18, and have been living with my husband for 15 years and have 5 children. We live with my husband's parents. My father-in-law has always been an activist who participates in various projects, and he suggested that I first take part in a seminar of the “Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment” Project. I went to a meeting and I liked the idea of developing women's entrepreneurship, contributing to the development of the country's economy. My father-in-law and mother-in-law supported me, my mother was also always active and was engaged in a project in the field of tourism. It was her work that we decided to continue,” Nargiza says.
Now there are four groups of women working in the village: one group is engaged in the development of tourism in the summer, and in the winter in a pastry shop, the second group is engaged in handicrafts and sewing production, the third is in the production of dairy products, and the fourth is in cattle breeding and the sale of meat.
Nargiza continued the work of her mother-in-law, together with other women from the village, she rented a plot and built a guest house, where in summer they received foreign tourists and guests from different regions of the country. In winter, Nargiza decided to engage in baking, since she loves cooking sweets since childhood, and now her fellow villagers order cakes and pastries in her workshop.
“To be honest, it was scary to start all this and I thought: can I cope? But when I talked to my family, everyone supported me. The support of my family was very important. I was lucky in this regard because my mother-in-law and father-in-law are people with an active life position, they always worked and they told me that I needed to develop and work. Now I have no regrets at all and am glad that I made up my mind then. Of course, there are difficulties, but I'm not alone, we are a whole group of women and we cope with everything together. During the pandemic it was difficult, there were fewer tourists, respectively, there was less work, but despite all we continue to do our favorite business,” Nargiza notes.
She was convinced from her own experience that with the desire and support, you can create jobs at home, stay at home with your family, and develop your native village. Nargiza calls on all women to unite and strive for the best, not to lose years of life abroad away from children and relatives, but to improve living conditions at home.
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Press Release
12 July 2021
Russian Federation helps World Food Programme to support poor families in Kyrgyzstan
Some 945 tons of Russian-made fortified flour are now heading to WFP warehouses in Osh. They will be used as part of food rations for more than 31,500 vulnerable families living below the poverty in the country.
Each family will be given 150 kg of fortified wheat flour and 15 litres of vegetable oil to meet their basic food needs while they are participating in more than 500 community projects aimed at improving infrastructure and building resilience against future shocks. Some of the projects include rehabilitating irrigation networks and cropland, forest expansion, and construction of bridges and drainage systems.
The Russian Federation is the largest donor to WFP in the Kyrgyz Republic, in both funding and technical support. During the past 10 years, the Government of Russia – through WFP – has supported citizens of Kyrgyzstan at various levels, from emergency relief and recovery to development and social protection.
Thanks to its support, WFP was able to sustain its operations since the start of COVID-19. And the support is especially critical now as Kyrgyz families cope with the social-economic crisis brought by the pandemic.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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Press Release
25 June 2021
Russian Federation helps World Food Programme to support poor families in Kyrgyzstan
Some 365 tons of Russian-made fortified vegetable oil are now heading to WFP warehouses in Bishkek and Osh. They will be used as part of food rations for more than 27,000 families living below the poverty in the country.
Each family will be given 150 kg of fortified wheat flour and 15 litres of vegetable oil to meet their basic food needs while they are participating in more than 500 community projects aimded at improving infrastructure and building resilience against future shocks. Some of the projects include rehabilitating irrigation networks and cropland, forest expansion, and construction of bridges and drainage systems.
The Russian Federation is the largest donor to WFP in the Kyrgyz Republic, in both funding and technical support. During the past 10 years, the Government of Russia – through WFP – has supported citizens of Kyrgyzstan at various levels, from emergency relief and recovery to development and social protection.
Thanks to its support, WFP was able to sustain its operations since the start of COVID-19. And the support is especially critical now as Kyrgyz families cope with the social-economic crisis brought by the pandemic.
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Press Release
24 June 2021
Small and medium-sized enterprises of Issyk-Kul region fruit sector strengthen their knowledge on creating food safety management systems
The training was initiated within the framework of a joint project between UNIDO and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic "Increasing market access for small and medium-sized businesses by strengthening their capacity to comply with standards in fruit value chains" with financial support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. The project is part of UNIDO's Global Quality and Standards Program, which aims to strengthen the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises in quality and adherence to priority production chain standards to support the export competitiveness of developing partner countries. In Kyrgyzstan, the implementation of the project is planned until November 2022.
During the training, the participants learned the basics of food safety and the conditions for implementing international food safety management systems, including standards based on HACCP principles (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). Sania Koptseva, trainer and leading consultant on food safety management systems, noted that the successful implementation of food safety management systems will allow Kyrgyz enterprises to reap a number of benefits, including the creation of a documentary base confirming the production of safe food products, the opportunity of certification of the company's management system in compliance with international standards, entering new foreign markets, increasing the level of consumer confidence in products and increasing the company's competitiveness.
"Ensuring food safety is critical not only for improving health and food security but also for the country's economic development," said Aida Duvanaeva, leading specialist of Compliance Assessment Systems and Halal Industry Regulation Department, Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Asylbek Akhmedsharipov, head of the regional development department of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Issyk-Kul region, emphasized the importance of promoting the competitiveness of export-oriented fruit crops of the Issyk-Kul region. Implementation of the UNIDO's initiative will also ensure the prevention of potential threats to minimize the risk of failure due to non-compliance with technical regulations and control measures.
"Quality management system implementation will improve the management system for all production processes," noted Aydar Zhumaliev, food technologist at Kyrgyzcentrproduct LCC. "Our company is preparing to undergo ISO 22000: 2018 certification. For this purpose, we have developed schemes for the interaction of processes and created a performance assessment system. I am confident that this will increase the competitiveness of the products, stability in the market and the efficiency of the company's business as a whole," he added.
Tursunai Usubalieva, UNIDO National Institutional Liaison Officer, spoke about the priorities and main directions of the Global Quality and Standards Programme in Kyrgyzstan for the period up to 2022. Today, quality and food safety are the key factors in competitiveness in the global food market, she said. The UNIDO program aims to support enterprises in Bishkek, Chui and Issyk-Kul regions to process fruits and berries of the Issyk-Kul region, intending access to external markets.
Compliance with international standards, guidelines and recommendations for safe and guaranteed quality food is a prerequisite for conducting international trade. The project activities aim to build the capacity of beneficiary enterprises and improve their knowledge and skills to comply with the requirements of international standards at all stages of the value chain of target and export-oriented fruit products.
For more details:
Makmal Abylova, UNIDO GQSP Communications Expert, (312) 900545 (office), +996 773 700 344, email: gqsp-kyrgyzstan@unido.org
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Press Release
23 June 2021
1,800 acacia trees to be planted in Osh province by WFP, Japanese partners - DM Solutions and IBS Association Cooperative
On 15 June 2021, the World Food Programme and DM Solutions, IBS Association Cooperative and the Osh Forestry Department will plant acacia trees in Kyzyl-Tuu village in Osh province to improve the soil quality and increase the environmental and economic sustainability of the region, while improving food security and nutrition of local population. As a sustainable agroforestry resource, acacia trees can provide many benefits to farmers, as they nourish the soil by fixing nitrogen levels and restoring fertility. The project is committed to planting 1,800 acacia trees by November 2021.
In the Kyrgyz Republic, the agricultural sector contributes significantly to the national GDP, export revenues and employment opportunities. At the same time, agricultural and forestry landscapes in the region face considerable degradation. Integrating acacia trees into agricultural landscapes by means of agroforestry systems can result in significant environmental and social benefits. Local populations as well as the national government are increasingly aware of their potential to reduce pressure on natural forest exploitation, rehabilitate degraded lands, improve soil quality, stabilize incomes and enable healthy diets.
In addition to tree planting activities, the partnership will source expertise from the Kyrgyz-Japan Friendship Foundation that will provide a series of training workshops on forestry management, acacia cultivation and beekeeping. Project participants will receive five hectares of forestry land from the Osh Forestry Department to cultivate hay for livestock, produce honey and for other agricultural uses. They will receive this land for five years under a no-fee leasing agreement with the possibility of extension. Acacia seedlings and construction materials for the fencing of this land will be provided by DM Solutions and the IBS Association Cooperative.
These strategies will create opportunities for income-generating activities and ensure the sustainability of project results for the residents of the region who largely depend on agricultural production for their livelihoods. Project participants will also be able to improve their households’ economic and social situations while being provided with food rations from WFP for the execution of project works and their participation in training workshops.
In terms of environmental protection, the results of the project will strengthen forests, soil development processes and climate change adaptation measures to address the issue of land degradation and create prevention measures against possible floods and landslides.
“WFP’s work in the Kyrgyz Republic focuses on the creation of sustainable income sources for the poor and vulnerable people and communities,” said Andrea Bagnoli, WFP Representative and Country Director in the Kyrgyz Republic. “This initiative will contribute to sustainable food security and nutrition among the poorest and most food insecure groups by developing their agricultural skills and providing them with tools to manage risks such as natural disasters and climate change thus improving their resilience”.
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Press Release
20 June 2021
On World Refugee Day, UNHCR promotes the inclusion of refugees in health, education and sport in Kyrgyzstan
As of the end of 2020 the Kyrgyz Republic hosted 684 refugees and asylum seekers. Many but not all of them yet have access to medical care, including COVID-19 vaccination, education and work. UNHCR will continue supporting authorities and other partners to achieve a better inclusion of all refugees in healthcare, education, employment and social protection to enable them to fully contribute to the development of their host communities.
“In 2021, we mark World Refugee Day amid a continuing pandemic, which has put a strain on health care, schools and our communities. But the pandemic has also taught us that we are stronger when we stand together. Given the chance to study and work, refugees will continue to contribute to a stronger, safer and more vibrant world,” said Hans Friedrich Schodder, UNHCR Representative for Central Asia.
Despite the pandemic, the number of people fleeing wars, violence, persecution and human rights violations in 2020 rose to nearly 82.4 million people, according to UNHCR’s latest annual Global Trends report released on 18 June. This is a further four per cent increase on top of the already record-high 79.5 million at the end of 2019.
World Refugee Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the experiences of the millions of people forced to flee violence and persecution. But it is also a day to celebrate the fact that, with help from welcoming communities and kind neighbours, people can find the strength to heal, rebuild and even thrive.
This year, World Refugee Day is focused on the power of inclusion in health systems, education and sports. Health care because of importance of working together to recover from the pandemic. Education because of the millions of children whose education was interrupted by the pandemic. And sports because it transcends language and nationality to bring people together. In 2021, a team of 29 refugee athletes will join the Tokyo Games with the support of UNHCR and the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
Contact information:
Zhypariza Zhumagazieva
UNHCR National Office in the Kyrgyz Republic
Email: zhumagaz@unhcr.org
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