Presentation of Final Results of the UN Global Disability Fund Project in Kyrgyzstan

The meeting highlighted significant progress in strengthening national systems, legislation, and services to advance the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities across the country.

The event brought together senior government officials, heads of UN entities, organizations of persons with disabilities, and civil society partners. Participants reviewed key achievements, discussed ongoing challenges, and identified priorities for sustaining and deepening disability inclusion in national development efforts.

 

In her opening remarks, UN Resident Coordinator Antje Grawe emphasized the UN’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in building an inclusive society grounded in the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the pledge to Leave No One Behind. She highlighted the importance of institutional coordination, inclusive policymaking, and active engagement of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes.

Government representatives, including Ainura Orozbaeva, Deputy Minister of Labour, Social Welfare and Migration, and Tolkunbek Isakov, Deputy Chair of the Council for Persons with Disabilities, outlined national priorities for strengthening accessibility, improving service provision, and advancing disability-inclusive development, noting that the project has laid a strong foundation for continued reforms.
 

Senior officials from UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF reaffirmed the UN system’s collective support to national efforts and underscored the central role of partnership in achieving sustainable, system-wide change. Throughout 2024–2025, the project recorded measurable progress across several thematic areas, including:

• integration of disability inclusion, gender equality, and climate considerations into national policy frameworks;
• strengthened support systems for children with disabilities, including early intervention and access to education;
• enhancement of national disability data collection and analysis;
• capacity-building of the Disability Council and organizations of persons with disabilities;
• progress in aligning national legislation with the UNCRPD;
• knowledge exchange initiatives, including study visits to Belarus and Portugal to learn from international best practices.

During the final session, Council members discussed the project’s outcomes, shared recommendations, and adopted a protocol decision on the conclusion of the initiative. They also agreed to timelines for preparing and finalizing the project’s closing report.

The two-year initiative was jointly implemented by UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF under the overall coordination of the UN system in Kyrgyzstan and with support from the UN Global Disability Fund. Its achievements mark a meaningful step toward ensuring that all persons with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan can fully exercise their rights and participate in social, economic, and public life on an equal basis with others.

* The UN Global Disability Fund (GDF), formerly UNPRPD, is a global multi-partner fund established in 2012 to accelerate the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It brings together UN entities, governments, organizations of persons with disabilities and civil society to drive systemic, sustainable disability inclusion through coordinated, country-led programmes. Operating via a Multi-Partner Trust Fund, GDF has mobilized over USD 90 million to date, with major contributions from Finland, Australia, Sweden (SIDA), the United Kingdom (FCDO), Norway, Germany, the European Union, Canada, Ireland and Mexico, as well as seed funding from Germany’s BMZ for specific initiatives.