Press Release

UN Resident Coordinator Visits Naryn Oblast, Discusses Local Development Priorities

26 April 2023

On April 24-25, 2023, Antje Grawe, the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC), visited Naryn oblast together with Dr Barkat Fazal, the Diplomatic Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Christine Jaulmes, the UNICEF Representative, Altaaf Hasham, the AKDN Management Programme and Liaison Officer, and Baktybek Kainazarov, the UNFPA Head of Office. During her two-day visit, the UNRC met with local officials, UCA representatives, youth as well as women and girls from Naryn and beneficiaries of UN-supported programs and projects, in the areas including gender equality, climate action, youth empowerment, improved access to markets for local farmers, nutritious meals for school children and others.

The UNRC began her visit with a tour of the University of Central Asia (UCA), where she discussed opportunities to strengthen collaboration between the UN and UCA, with AKDN and University representatives. Together with Dr Fazal and the other members of the delegation, she also met with Altynbek Ergeshev, the President's Plenipotentiary Representative in Naryn, to discuss local development priorities and ways in which the UN can support these efforts. The UNRC then visited the UCA School for Professional and Continuing Education and the Naryn Centre for Entrepreneurship, which offer education and training opportunities for local residents. The UNRC also visited the "Bektemir-Ata" cooperative in the village of Orto-Nura, an IFAD-funded project that improves farmers' capacity to access new markets.

On the second day of the visit, the UNRC opened, together with the H.E. Mr Ergeshev, a youth forum organized by several UN agencies and partners and hosted by the UCA which brough together around 30-40 youth from Naryn oblast to generate recommendations and innovative ideas for the ECOSOC Youth Forum held in New York on 25-26 April. The recommendations were presented to the Youth Forum the following day.

The UN team further visited the Naryn Family Group Practitioners #1, supported by UNICEF, observing progress made in immunizing the local population, including children.

In Ornok village, Naryn district, the UNRC visited a WFP-supported school meals program and met with the school director to discuss the importance of providing nutritious meals to school children in the region.

Finally, the UN team visited two EU-UN Spotlight Initiative-supported projects: a schoolgirls club in Kara Too village and a recreation center for teachers in Kochkor, both aimed at creating safe spaces for girls and women. The UNRC discussed specific challenges faced by women and girls including gender-based violence, early marriage and bride kidnapping as well as women and girls-led initiatives aimed at eliminating these harmful practices and strengthening gender equality and respect for human rights.

UNRC Antje Grawe expressed appreciation for the hard work and dedication of all the partners and UN staff working in Naryn. She emphasized the importance of continuing to support local development efforts to ensure a better future for all in the region.