First CIS School meals forum in the Kyrgyz Republic.

BISHKEK –Kyrgyz Republic hosts the first Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) School Meals Forum under the title «School feeding – a vector of general development» to share best practices in effective implementation of school meals programmes, which entails providing hot, diverse and nutrious meals to school children.

The event, initiated by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, is aimed at exchanging experience in the field of school meals. The forum will allow discussing and finding solutions to the problems of improving the efficiency and quality of nutrition for schoolchildren, including through the involvement of parents and private businesses.

Thanks to the initiative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, the topic of school meals as a subject of common interest for the first time took an important place in a number of official events of the current presidency of the country in the CIS.

"The issue of school meals goes beyond simply providing a growing body with nutrients. It is also, as the experience of many countries shows, an effective tool of state support to agriculture and the development of local communities. For this reason, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic considers the issue of school meals not only as a social task, but also as a significant factor of investment and stimulating economic growth", said Edil Baisalov, deputy Chairperson of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The forum will be attended by the Heads of authorities of CIS member states and other interested countries, representatives of leading international institutions in this field, specialized education experts and the private sector.

The final stage of the forum will be the adoption of a Joint Declaration on the annual holding of the "International CIS School Meals Forum". It is expected that the forum will become a traditional platform for meetings and exchange of views on improving efficiency in the implementation of school meals programmes.

"The topic of nutrition of schoolchildren is undoubtedly relevant and will be of interest to the CIS member states, which are taking measures to ensure high-quality, safe and balanced nutrition. During the forum, representatives of line ministries will be able to present the experience of organizing school meals in their countries and make proposals for cooperation in this area in the CIS," said Denis Trefilov, Deputy Secretary General of the CIS.

"School meals a bedrock of educational opportunity ensuring that children have sufficient and quality nutrition to think, learn, and flourish intellectually. The school feeding program not only nurtures the human capital of today and tomorrow, but also lay foundations for prosperity of Kyrgyzstan's communities. This aligns with the Kyrgyz Government’s SDG Summit pledges to alleviate poverty and reduce inequalities," said Antje Grawe, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in the Kyrgyz Republic.

“The main goal of the national school meals programme is to provide primary school children with healthy hot meals, since it greatly contributes to an effective learning environment and improves academic performance of children,” said the Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva. “Over the past years, school meals programme has generated employment opportunities and has become an important social safety net, especially for poor families living in rural areas” added the minister.

Since 2010, school meals programme is being successfully implemented in a number of CIS countries by the UN  World Food Programme (WFP), Mercy Corps, and other partners with financial support from the Governments,  donors and technical support of the Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute (SIFI).

“In this forum, we will have the opportunity to strengthen cooperation towards our common goal of improving the health and nutrition of school-aged children in the Kyrgyz Republic. WFP with partners will continue strengthening the country capacity on the national school meals programme to promote nutritious diets, emphasizing the strong connection between schools and local farmers, leading to more sustainable food systems,” said Kojiro Nakai, WFP Representative and Country Director in the Kyrgyz Republic.

"School meals programmes help in solving many socio-economic problems. This includes strengthening the health of children, improving their education, supporting families and developing rural areas and local agricultural production. An integrated approach helps to achieve many sustainable development goals, from the fight against hunger to economic growth and strengthening partnership at the interstate level," said Vladimir Chernigov, President of the Russian Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute.

With the support of WFP and Mercy Corps, the National School Meals Programme in the country has introduced hot and nutritious meals to over 75% of schools in the country and reached approximately 500,000 primary school children. Every year the schools are provided with food and kitchen equipment; the infrastructure of school canteens is improved; and training for school cooks on the safe preparation of school meals is provided.