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Press Release
18 March 2024
The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working to strengthen the digitalization of healthcare in Kyrgyzstan
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Speech
15 March 2024
Statement by UN Resident Coordinator on the adoption of amendments to the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic “On Non-Commercial Organizations”
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Press Release
08 March 2024
On the road to gender equality: Kyrgyzstan continues to integrate gender-sensitive indicators into national strategies and plans
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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.
Press Release
05 March 2024
Mental health, digital health and human resources for health in focus during World Health Organization delegation’s visit to Kyrgyzstan
FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2024 Bishkek, KYRGYZSTAN – A delegation from the World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, led by Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of the Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, visited Kyrgyzstan on February 29th for site visits and meetings with key partners on joint priorities for human resources for health, mental health and digital health. The delegation started with a site visit to the Family Medicine Centre in Alamedin rayon, Chuy oblast. The Centre has been testing a new programme for nurses that emphasizes the importance of increased involvement of patients in the management of their diabetes care, as well as in promoting nutrition and healthy lifestyles. “Involving patients in their own treatment process has proven benefits. When patients are allowed to participate in monitoring and treatment, they become more responsible for their own condition, leading to better health outcomes”, said Dr Azzopardi-Muscat. “This is one of the key messages we continue to build on from last year’s high-level conference on trust and transformation for more resilient and sustainable health systems of the future.” The delegation also met with Dr Mederbek Ismailov, First Deputy Minister of Health and Dr. Aijamal Shambetova, Deputy Minister of Health, to discuss the implementation of WHO’s new Country Cooperation Strategy in Kyrgyzstan, signed in November 2023. The discussion focused on human resources for health -retention, recruitment, management and training, mental health, and also on health financing and primary health care strengthening as the most effective approach to deliver health care services to people. Digital health and the WHO Regional Office for Europe’s Flagship on Digitalization was the focus of the delegation’s meeting with Dr Bakyt Dzhangaziev, Deputy Minister on Digitalization, and Chingiz Beksultanov, Director of the Ministry of Health’s e-Health Centre. The meeting highlighted the role of technology in healthcare and explored opportunities for advancing digital health, as Kyrgyzstan is making important advancements in digital health with its ‘Sanarip MED’ digitalization programme.“The ‘Sanarip MED’ program is a promising innovation, supporting the introduction of digital solutions into health services. With a proper approach, digitalization should significantly reduce administrative and reporting burdens for family doctors and family nurses while enhancing the quality of care”, emphasized Dr Liviu Vedrasco, WHO Representative in Kyrgyzstan.The visit concluded with a meeting between the WHO delegation and Ms Antje Grawe, UN Resident Coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic. The discussion focused on collaborative efforts between WHO and the UN in addressing joint public health challenges, including in the area of digital health, and promoting sustainable development.“WHO works alongside Kyrgyzstan as it continues to deliver on its commitments for health and well-being in line with the Roadmap for Health and Well-being in Central Asia. The Roadmap serves as a powerful health instrument, allowing countries to cooperatively respond to the intersecting challenges affecting them, and seizing opportunities for transformative change for their health systems”, said Dr. Azzopardi-Muscat.This visit serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts between Kyrgyzstan, WHO and the UN system in promoting accessible, equitable, and high-quality healthcare for all.
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Press Release
24 January 2023
UN calls for cross-sectoral approach to transform education system in Kyrgyzstan
According to UNICEF’s global report ‘Are children really learning?’, in Kyrgyzstan, more than half of the children aged 10 and attending Grade 3 do not have foundational reading and numeracy skills. It means that in a class of 40 children, only 12 students would be able to read a textbook designed for their age. This learning crisis disproportionally affects the most vulnerable children and is a major driver of inter-generational poverty and inequality. Also, as 38 per cent of the country’s population are currently children under the age of 18, it is estimated that within the next decade, every year, over 350,000 young people will be entering the labour market. Therefore, it is critical to invest in enhancing their employability and specific job skills that prepare them adequately for the local market now.
The UN in the Kyrgyz Republic reiterates its continued support to the realization of Kyrgyzstan’s national commitments, which the Kyrgyz Government articulated during the Transforming Education Summit (TES), convened by the UN Secretary-General in New York in September 2022. These commitments will help accelerate reforms to transform Kyrgyzstan’s education system to make it fitter for the future: more relevant, more inclusive and more adaptive to future challenges. Education plays a critical role in human capital development and can serve to accelerate progress towards national development priorities and all the Sustainable Development Goals. It requires a cross-sectoral approach, and the UN Country Team in the Kyrgyz Republic is committed to supporting such approach, together, in the spirit of this year‘s theme of the International Day of Education: “to invest in people, prioritize education”.
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Press Release
25 January 2023
Switzerland allocates over USD 9 million to support most vulnerable rural communities in climate change and disaster risks resilience
The Government of Switzerland will allocate over USD 9 million for the WFP CSP pillar aimed at building the resilience of the most vulnerable rural communities against climate change and disaster risks. This component is being implemented by WFP in partnership with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The activities will cover Osh, Batken, Jalalabad and Naryn provinces and support around 250,000 most vulnerable households, as well as targeted local authorities and institutions on the national level to build a systemic approach in managing hazards, such as droughts, mudslides, floods, etc. Reliable and timely climate information, disaster-resilient planning and selected infrastructure support will be provided to the beneficiaries.
Disaster risk management activities will also be strengthened to prepare for climate related hazards and reduce their impact on food and nutrition security. The vulnerable communities will be provided with food security and livestock insurance tools and will be trained on build-back-better mechanisms.
The contribution implementation is foreseen for the next five years.
For more information about the project and WFP, please contact: Almaz Tchoroev, Communications Officer,
tel: +996 550 577 597, email: almaz.tchoroev@wfp.org
For more information on Swiss Development Cooperation, please contact: Tursunai Chodurova, Communications Officer, Swiss Embassy/Bishkek, tel: +996 770 710054, email: tursunai.chodurova@eda.admin.ch
***
The Government of Switzerland provides assistance for the development of the Kyrgyz Republic. Since 1994, Switzerland has granted around CHF 500 million to Kyrgyzstan in the form of technical, financial and humanitarian support. For more information, please visit https://www.eda.admin.ch/bishkek.
Follow us on www.facebook.com/SwissEmbassyKyrgyzstan
www.instagram.com/swissembkyrgyz
The United Nations World Food Programme is 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.
Follow us on https://www.facebook.com/WorldFoodProgrammeKyrgyzstan/, https://www.instagram.com/wfp_kyrgyzstan
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Story
20 February 2024
An exhibition of student works "Looking for in Bishkek..." opens in the capital city
The show is a result of a series of art workshops, which happened during the Migration Week on 29 January – 2 February celebrated all over the world. The main theme of the workshops was the place where we all currently happen to live – Bishkek, that used to be a transient waypoint of the Silk Road and is now a vibrant city where different cultures meet.
The workshops brought together youth from different countries and different regions of Kyrgyzstan. While working together on the beautiful artwork, which we all can’t wait to see more closely, students experimented with various materials, techniques, and styles, shared their vision of Bishkek, had an opportunity to work with renown Kyrgyz contemporary artists, and, most importantly, made new friends.
Art is a universal language that brings people together. Art brings people together physically: at workshops and gallery exhibitions like today. Art also brings people together culturally by sharing stories, inspiring reflection and dialogue and forming connections that transcend differences.
United Nations in Kyrgyzstan seeks to ensure that every young person in Kyrgyzstan is empowered to achieve his or her full potential and that young people’s capacities, resilience, and positive contributions as agents of change are fulfilled in line with United Nations Youth Strategy 2030.
The opening ceremony was attended by Antje Grave, UN Resident Coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic, Bermet Moldobaeva, Head of the International Organisation for Migration office in the Kyrgyz Republic, Gulmira Aitmurzaeva, Director of the Association for Health Promotion, artists, students and other guests.
The exhibition "Looking for in Bishkek..." has become a platform for creative learning and strengthening cultural ties between students of Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan and other countries. It presents works by students of the Kyrgyz State Isa Akhunbaev Medical Academy, the Akmatkan Moldogaziev Bishkek Medical College and the International Higher School of Medicine.
The works were made in different techniques and styles. Art workshops were curated by renown Bishkek-based contemporary artists, Aizuura Bakalova, Meder Akhmetov, Munara Abdukakharova and Rakhat Asangulova, and independent art platform, Stage 705. They were organised by the Association for Health Promotion together with the Republican Centre for Health Promotion and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic with financial support from the IOM Development Fund.
The exhibition "Looking for in Bishkek..." will last from 16 to 24 February. This is a unique opportunity for all citizens and guests of the capital to see the works of young creators and to discover the theme of intercultural exchange among students from different countries.
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Story
19 February 2024
Protecting Livelihoods: WFP's Climate Risk Insurance Initiative Offers Lifeline to Vulnerable Kyrgyz Families
Climate change is becoming one of the main drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition in the country, with climate-induced disasters such as droughts, mudflows, and floods increasing by 150 percent in the past 12 years. Glaciers continue to melt due to rising temperatures, which is resulting in more severe flooding during winter and diminished water flow in the summer. Abnormally high temperatures and low precipitation are causing major problems for the semi-nomadic society, leading to significantly lower crop yields and hampering their ability to prepare for the long winter season.
Jumagul Abazkanova from Kurtka village echoes this sentiment, describing how the changing climate has disrupted traditional practices.
“Everything is late. If we sow something, it will not ripe. It will stay until autumn, but in autumn the sun doesn’t heat enough, and the yield doesn’t ripe. Usually, we used to mow hay up to three times, but this year we mowed it only two times or even only once. There is a lack of water because of the lack of glaciers and lack of snow,” adds Jumagul.
To address the difficulties faced by these communities, WFP launched the first Climate Risk Insurance pilot project. This pioneering initiative aims to enhance the resilience of rural communities to extreme weather-related risks. During the pilot period in 2023, a payout was triggered in the Ak-Talaa district due to summer drought, benefiting 792 families below the poverty line with 26.3 metric tons of barley. This support enhances their ability to sustain their livestock during the harsh winter months.
“WFP provided trainings on climate risk insurance for livestock. And through the insurance fodder was provided. It is very good, because the fodder is expensive now. As you see, the climate is changing, people can no longer store as much fodder as before”, says Jipariza Omurkanova, a social affairs specialist at the local government.
This Weather Index-Based Insurance Pilot is an important step forward in building climate resilience in the Kyrgyz Republic. WFP, alongside international partners, is committed to further reducing vulnerability to shocks and strengthening the adaptive capacities of rural communities. The success of this initiative lies not only in its immediate impact on vulnerable families, but also in fostering a more resilient and sustainable future for the Kyrgyz Republic.
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Story
19 February 2024
The Quest for Internet Universality in Kyrgyzstan
Nurzhan Musaeva was a researcher and media lawyer who worked for the Media Development Center (MDC), a civil society organization that promoted freedom of expression and access to information in Kyrgyzstan. She was passionate about the Internet and its potential to empower people and foster democracy. She was also coordinator of the Multi-stakeholders Advisory Board (MAB), a group of experts and representatives from various sectors who collaborated with UNESCO to assess the Internet environment in Kyrgyzstan using the Internet Universality Indicators (IUIs).
The IUIs were a set of 109 basic indicators that measured the extent to which the Internet was based on the principles of Rights, Openness, Accessibility and Multistakeholder participation (ROAM). The IUIs also included 21 contextual indicators that reflected the specific challenges and opportunities of each country. The IUIs were designed to help policymakers, civil society, media, and academia to formulate policies based on international standards and best practices.
Nurzhan role was to collect and verify the data for the IUIs, as well as to write a report that summarized the findings and recommendations. She had to interview various stakeholders, conduct surveys, and focus groups, analyze documents and statistics, and draft the report. She had to work under tight deadlines and face many difficulties, such as lack of reliable data, resistance from some authorities, and technical issues.
But Nurzhan was determined to complete her mission. She believed that the IUIs would provide a comprehensive and objective picture of the Internet situation in Kyrgyzstan, and that the recommendations would help to improve the universality of the Internet in the country. She also hoped that the IUIs would raise awareness and spark dialogue among the stakeholders, and that the MAB would serve as a platform for cooperation and coordination.
She was especially interested in the issues of openness and accessibility of the Internet, as she knew that they were crucial for the development and diversity of the online content and services, as well as for the inclusion and participation of all segments of the society. She was aware that Kyrgyzstan had a high rate of Internet penetration, but that it was unevenly distributed across the regions and the population groups. She also knew that Kyrgyzstan had a vibrant online media and civil society scene, but that it faced many challenges, such as legal restrictions, cyberattacks, and self-censorship.
Nurzhan wanted to highlight the achievements and the gaps, the opportunities and the threats, the best practices, and the areas for improvement. She wanted to make a difference with her work, and to contribute to the quest for Internet universality in Kyrgyzstan.
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Story
19 February 2024
WFP's School Meals Program: A Recipe for Success in Tackling Malnutrition Among Kyrgyz Children
Micronutrient deficiencies pose a significant challenge in the Kyrgyz Republic, affecting 38 percent of children and 36 percent of women of reproductive age with anemia. The escalating rates of overweight and obesity, especially among schoolchildren, emphesize the critical need for interventions in human capital development during the initial 8,000 days of life. Recognizing the impact of well-designed school menus on enhancing dietary diversity and nutrient intake for vulnerable schoolchildren, WFP remains dedicated to optimizing the national school meals program.
In 2023, the Amirkulov school, situated in the remote mountainous Kara-Kulja district, launched the school meals programme, providing hot and nutritious food to 156 primary school children. “Before the launch of the programme at our school, we used to provide only bun and tea to our children. But now we have different types of modern kitchen equipment, allowing us to cook and bake fresh meals every day. WFP also conducted training sessions for cooks, where we learned the technology of cooking diverse meals and received information about hygiene standards and requirements in the canteen”, shares Ibraimova Manzuura, a cook with over 40 years of experience.
With the support of WFP and its partners, the simple 'bun and tea' menu provided to primary schoolchildren by the Government has been upgraded to diverse and nutritious hot meals in over 75 percent of schools nationwide, meeting the energy and nutrition needs of primary schoolchildren. Additionally, through advocacy efforts by WFP and other stakeholders, the Government has doubled the allocated budget for school meals. "Since the initiation of the programme at our school, we have observed a noticeable improvement in the concentration levels of the students during classes. The provision of school meals not only contributes to a healthy learning environment but also enhances the overall performance of the children”, notes Raisa Kaipkulova, the school director.
The School Meals Programme serves as a social protection measure for children from vulnerable families. It ensures that children facing food insecurity at home during challenging times receive nutritious meals at schools. The provision of healthy and diverse school meals plays a crucial role in preventing malnutrition and non-communicable diseases, promoting the overall health of the younger generation. This approach not only addresses immediate nutritional needs but also establishes a foundation for the long-term health and well-being of the children. In 2023, WFP launched nutritious meals in 33 schools, providing 190 metric tons of fortified wheat flour and trained 148 cooks and 157 stakeholders involved in school meals trained on organising hot meals, as well as 923 parents attended 47 seminars on healthy eating and lifestyle.
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Story
14 February 2024
Development of a country initiative on the "Education for Sustainable Development" Framework Programme was discussed in Kyrgyzstan
The National Workshop on the development of the Country Initiative on "Education for Sustainable Development" (ESD) Framework Programme until 2030 organised by the Ministry of Education and Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic with the support of the UNESCO Almaty Regional Office took place on 27 October 2023. The workshop was held at the Scientific Library of the Kyrgyz State University named after Arabaev.
In 2023, the Ministry of Education and Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic officially confirmed its readiness to develop and implement ESD until 2030 at the national level. For this purpose, the National Working Group on ESD under the Ministry of Education and Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic was established and is involved in the development of the ESD Country Initiative in the Kyrgyz Republic.
The workshop was attended by members of the National Working Group on ESD under the Ministry of Education and Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, which included representatives of the educational community, governmental structures, civil and international sector, as well as representatives of other ministries.
The workshop presented the ESD Roadmap to 2030, which includes ESD priority areas, and the results of mapping of ESD projects and initiatives implemented in the Kyrgyz Republic. At the same time, the workshop participants learnt about the strategic directions of the education system of the Kyrgyz Republic and gave their recommendations on ESD integration into the education system. After that, the workshop participants started discussing and preparing the ESD Country Initiative in its five priority areas.
The organisation and conduct of the National Workshop demonstrated the importance of collective efforts to integrate ESD into the education system of the Kyrgyz Republic and highlighted the country's determination to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
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Press Release
18 March 2024
The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working to strengthen the digitalization of healthcare in Kyrgyzstan
In particular, they got acquainted with the immunization information system "iEmdoo" ("iЭмдөө"). During the visit, members of the delegation met with medical workers who actively use digital tools in the daily work of the hospital and the organization of primary health care. They became familiar with the practical application of information systems for birth registration and patient outpatient records.The "iEmdoo" information system was also demonstrated, which allows for personalized records of people receiving vaccines, including planned ones and those carried out for epidemiological reasons. This system, through a digital vaccination card created in the maternity hospital during the first vaccination of a newborn, allows recording information about medical exemptions, possible side effects after vaccination, and other important aspects of the patient’s health throughout life. As noted by the Deputy Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Bakyt Dzhangaziev, data on the vaccination of children is available to their parents through a mobile application, which helps to more actively involve parents in caring for the health of their children. To date, over 2 million digital vaccination cards have been created, which emphasizes the relevance of this information system."This regional project builds up stronger and more resilient health systems in Central Asia. Thanks to the EU support, amounting to 10 million EUR, healthcare sector of Kyrgyzstan is better prepared to respond to global, regional or national health crises", Hans Farhnhammer, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Kyrgyzstan. During the visit, Dr. Liviu Vedrasco, WHO Representative to Kyrgyzstan, noted that in the digital era, Kyrgyzstan's focus on strengthening digital health is a strategic step towards achieving universal health coverage. Using technology, the country is taking bold steps to ensure that healthcare is accessible to every citizen. At the end of the visit, members of the delegation discussed vectors for further cooperation and the implementation of the Target Model for the Development of Digital Healthcare "Sanarip MED" and exchanged valuable views and opinions regarding its effectiveness and development prospects.***Additional information: The visit was organized as part of a 4-year EU-funded project in 5 countries of Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and reinforce the resilience of health systems. Immunization plays a pivotal role in this regard. By supporting Central Asian countries to promote and deliver vaccines safely to the population, infectious diseases can be prevented and controlled more effectively. The EU is investing €10 million into Central Asia’s immunization and health information systems – further modernizing them through digitalization and improving the availability of good-quality data, which is crucial to ensuring high immunization coverage at all times, leaving no one behind.
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Press Release
08 March 2024
On the road to gender equality: Kyrgyzstan continues to integrate gender-sensitive indicators into national strategies and plans
From 5 to 7 March 2024, the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, in collaboration with the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, convened a workshop on strategic planning for improving the production, analysis, and dissemination of gender statistics in Kyrgyzstan. The workshop brought together more than 30 representatives of state bodies and non-governmental organizations - members of an inter-agency working group on gender statistics.Kyrgyzstan's national statistics system has made significant strides in producing 38 of the 51 indicators outlined in the UN Minimum Set of Gender Indicators. In a collaborative effort with UN Women and Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21), the National Statistical Committee conducted an assessment of gender statistics in the Kyrgyz Republic in 2021. The findings from this assessment played a crucial role in shaping the Medium-term Programme for Development of Official Statistics of the Kyrgyz Republic for 2022–2026. In September 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan approved a long-term National Strategy for Gender Equality until 2030 and its National Action Plan for 2022–2024. These policy documents outline specific measures aimed at standardizing national gender statistics and aligning indicators with international obligations (goal 13). These strategic documents aim to emphasize the importance of building a gender-sensitive statistical system and enhance reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals. “Kyrgyzstan needs national standards on gender statistics in line with the international recommendations, which would guide the government institutions on streamlining the work to improving gender statistics,” underlined Marat Kalchabaev, the Referent of the Judicial Statistics Analysis Sector of the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic, during the workshop. The three-day workshop was designed to establish a vision, strategic priorities, and objectives for enhancing the production, dissemination, and uptake of gender data. These are crucial components of the forthcoming National Gender Statistics Roadmap and Equality Indicators Framework, which will monitor the country’s progress towards gender equality. The application of design thinking tools during the workshop fostered a productive dialogue between data producers and users. This was achieved by cultivating empathy and collaboratively identifying solutions to enhance the processes of gender data production and use. “Strategic planning of gender statistics is key to the effective production, dissemination, and use of data to inform decision-makers and close gender gaps through data-driven policies,” highlighted Sara Defomonti, Head of Directorate for Strategic Planning at the Italian National Institute of Statistics, UN Women International Consultant.The workshop enhanced the inter-agency collaboration between the National Statistical Committee and other data producers and users of gender statistics in Kyrgyzstan. It also underscored the critical role of gender data in the formulation of key strategic documents in the realm of gender equality. The event was organized as part of the UN Women regional programme on improving gender statistics in Europe and Central Asia “Making Every Woman and Girl Count”.
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Press Release
21 December 2023
UN Country Team expresses concern about the public exposure of women in anti-prostitution investigations, calls on the authorities to respect women’s dignity and rights.
Background:
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, after its review in November 2021 of the fifth periodic report of the Kyrgyz Republic on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its Concluding Observations welcomed the “directives approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the detection, identification and referral of victims of trafficking in persons and on the confidentiality of personal information of victims”. The Committee, inter alia, recommended the Kyrgyz Republic to “ensure the early identification of victims of trafficking including among disadvantaged groups of women, address the online recruitment of victims, and strengthen training for judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers on victim identification and gender- and child-sensitive investigation and interrogation procedures”.
Link to the CEDAW Concluding Observations:
In Russian and English: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CEDAW%2FC%2FKGZ%2FCO%2F5&Lang=en
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Press Release
14 December 2023
KYRGYZSTAN PLEDGES ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN GENEVA
Kyrgyzstan pledged to:
*On the right to education - expanding access to quality, multilingual, inclusive education for children, especially children with disabilities, representatives of ethnic minorities and children in difficult life situations, as well as improving the educational infrastructure and environment.
*On women's rights - to ensure that the definitions of the types of crimes related to sexual violence are in line with the CEDAW and to take measures to prevent all forms of violence against women, including forced marriage.
*On the rights of people with disabilities - the adoption of the "Accessible Country" program, which includes programs for the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, the development of alternative methods of support for people with mental and psychosocial disorders, and the development of measures to combat violence against people with disabilities, aimed at granting access to public buildings and transport, creating favorable conditions for people with disabilities in political, social and cultural life.
*To fight corruption - to strengthen the potential of government officials, judges and law enforcement officers; intensifying the work on involving those responsible for corruption, including corruption in electoral processes.
*On children's rights - adoption of a family support plan, legal prohibition of corporal punishment of children, introduction of measures on positive parenting and non-violent upbringing of children, conducting regular educational activities on spreading and understanding the principles of the Convention on Children's Rights, strengthening punishment for crimes of sexual violence and sexual exploitation against children, supporting migrant children.
Live video from the Human Rights 75 high-level event is availbable at UN Web TV (translation in Russian is also available).
This year of activities in communities, countries and regions around the world has been both a fitting tribute as well as a forerunner to the Geneva high-level event on 11-12 December 2023.
During these two days, we are witnessing the culmination of all the dialogues, thematic consultations, multistakeholder recommendations, as well as the birth and growth of our pledging tree. The Human rights 75 high-level event is being convened by UN Human Rights and co-hosted by the Government of Switzerland. Participants include Member States, civil society organizations, cities and local governments, human rights defenders, parliamentary representatives, United Nations entities, academics, experts, young people and artists.
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Press Release
05 December 2023
UNHCR is gravely concerned about the disappearance of an asylum-seeker from the Kyrgyz Republic.
During the night of 16 to 17 October, an asylum-seeker disappeared in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic. The individual had applied for asylum and the General Prosecutor of the Kyrgyz Republic had rejected a request for extradition filed in relation to his case. Shortly before his scheduled departure to another country, the asylum-seeker was reportedly taken from his accommodation by individuals claiming to be law enforcement authorities.
UNHCR expressed grave concerns to the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic about his well-being following reports that he was sent back to his country of origin. The Agency requested the authorities to urgently investigate this case. Already in March of this year UNHCR had expressed serious concern about the extradition of another asylum seeker by the Kyrgyz Republic. These incidents occur in the context of a worrying decrease in refugee recognition.
The forced return of a person in need of international protection to a country where they may face serious harm constitutes a violation of the principle of non-refoulement enshrined in the 1951 UN Refugee Convention to which the Kyrgyz Republic is a signatory, as well as its national legislation on refugees. The principle of non-refoulement is the cornerstone of refugee protection enabling individuals forced to flee to find safety.
UNHCR reiterates calls on the Kyrgyz Republic to ensure that no person is expelled or returned against their will to countries where their life or freedom may be threatened on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion, and to ensure fair and efficient asylum procedures that recognise and protect refugees.
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19 February 2024
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