Opening Remarks Antje Grawe, UN Resident Coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic at the Board Meeting of the UN Global Disability Fund Project “Advancing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Kyrgyzstan”

Dear Representatives of Organizations of Persons with disabilities, partners and friends,
Dear colleagues from the United Nations system,

It is a privilege to join you today as we conclude the Joint Programme “Advancing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Kyrgyz Republic”, implemented by UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF with funding from the UN Global Disability Fund.

Today is not only about acknowledging what this Programme has achieved, but also about how its results can be sustained and scaled in the years ahead. As I thank the Government, organizations of persons with disabilities, our other partners and my colleagues from the three UN agencies for your strong commitment, I also would like to underscore that this Joint Programme stands symbolically for the priority attention the United Nations system in Kyrgyzstan attaches to disability inclusion and to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities.

Over the past two years, the Programme has delivered concrete and practical results. It has strengthened organizations of persons with disabilities; supported progress in disability-related legislation; improved disability-sensitive data systems; promoted inclusive education and children’s rights; and expanded the participation of persons with disabilities in national planning processes, including in the area of climate adaptation.

A defining feature of the Programme has been its strong focus on capacity development, and its to stronger coordination and implementation arrangements for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, creating durable foundations that extend well beyond the life of the project. 
Overall, these achievements demonstrate what is possible when government institutions, organizations of persons with disabilities, civil society and the United Nations work in genuine partnership.

Dear participants,
These Programme results are part of a broader and commendable national trajectory. As we heard from the Deputy Minister earlier, Kyrgyzstan has taken important steps to advance the rights of persons with disabilities, including through the adoption of the Law “On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, strengthened accessibility standards, and the enhanced role of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities under the Cabinet of Ministers. Equally significant is the growing and increasingly institutionalized participation of persons with disabilities in policy processes, reflecting a human-rights-based approach shaped by lived experience.

At the same time, the Government has demonstrated openness to evidence, dialogue and learning — qualities that are essential for inclusive development. Building on the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in late 2024, the Second Voluntary National Review in 2025 placed strong emphasis on inclusion, improved data and reaching those furthest behind, including persons with disabilities. The Fourth Universal Periodic Review and the recommendations recently accepted by the Kyrgyz Republic further reinforce this direction, with clear commitments to non-discrimination, accessibility and inclusive participation.

Importantly, this human-centred and data-driven approach is also embedded in the National Development Programme 2030, which adopts a people-centred development model, prioritises strengthened social protection systems and equal access to services, and provides a solid framework for advancing disability inclusion across sectors. These national priorities are fully aligned with global commitments, including the Doha Political Declaration on Social Development, which calls for investing in people and ensuring inclusion for those most at risk of being left behind. In this spirit, the recent post-Doha national dialogue jointly convened by the Government and the United Nations sent another strong signal of leadership and follow-through in translating global commitments into national action.

Dear Colleagues,
As we close this Joint Programme, one message stands out clearly: its achievements are building blocks for long-term, systemic change, to be taken forward through the implementation of the National Development Programme 2030 and its underlying Action Plan, as well as other cross-sectoral policies. The principle “Nothing about us without us” should continue to guide collective efforts, alongside sustained political commitment, investment and partnership.

I thank the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, our UN implementing partners, organizations of persons with disabilities, civil society and all partners who contributed their expertise, time and dedication. Most importantly, I thank persons with disabilities whose leadership and vision have guided this work, and I look forward to taking the achievements to the next building blocks. You can count on the UN family in Kyrgyzstan to continue to walk this path with you to advance the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Thank you.