Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (07 May 2013) – Today United Nations Development Programme in Kyrgyzstan handed over 50 sets of laptop computers, digital camera and wireless (USB) modems for district and city departments of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. This equipment is provisioned to receive and transmit daily and operative information on current situation, hazards and occurring emergency situations, including images and audio materials, and provide online access to the Ministry’s general database which is being developed.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (21 February 2013) – The Government of Japan has granted 204 million Japanese Yen ($2.2 million US Dollars) for a project aimed at strengthening disaster response and risk assessment capacities in Kyrgyzstan. The project will also help facilitate an increased dialogue in the area of disaster risk reduction within Central Asian countries. The funding is given through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support the Kyrgyz Republic Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) in implementing activities planned in Country Programme Action Plan 2012-16 signed between UNDP and the Government of Kyrgyzstan.

Democratic Governance 

September 28 – October 10 – The Kyrgyz Republic Ministry of Youth, Labor and Employment organized workshops on developing an implementation matrix of the National Action Plan for Achieving Gender Equality for 2012-2014 in all provinces of the country. Representatives of the government, local municipalities, regional offices of ministries and agencies, as well as civil society discussed and identified the role of territorial governance bodies in implementation of the National Gender Strategy and the National Action Plan (NAP) for Achieving Gender Equality for 2012-2014. They also developed an action plan on NAP at the local level. The workshops were organized with support of the joint EU-UN Nations “Operationalising Good Governance for Social Justice” project and UNDP “Capacity Development Facility” project. Learn more from Ainura Kaparova, CDF project coordinator (aka@dgov.undp.kg).

Democratic Governance

July 21-28 – Experts discussed and tested a unique methodology of conflict-sensitive analysis of bills, which was developed with support of the UNDP project on support to new legal frame work. The methodology is able to reveal potential conflicts that bills can cause in society on stage of their discussion. Lawyers and conflictology experts approbated the methodology on few bills that were actively discussed in society. After discussions experts made some remarks and suggested changes to the methodology. The methodology was developed with support of the UN Peacebuilding Fund. Learn more from Ms. Gulmira Mamatkerimova, Project Manager ( gm@dgov.undp.kg).

New York, 27 September 2012 — Over 40 representatives of UN member states, donors and international development agencies met with the delegation from Kyrgyzstan led by Parliament Speaker Asylbek Jeenbekov, to discuss the current political, economic and social situation in Kyrgyzstan - the first country in Central Asia that has adopted parliamentary democracy in summer 2010.

Democratic Governance

June 11-20 – 40 representatives of the Parliament, Ombudsman’s office, Ministry of Justice and civil society organizations took part in training on legal and human rightsexpertise of laws. The training is aimed at strengthening professional capacity of staff working with examination of bills as well as helping civil society carry out independent examination of bills. Quality legal examination and control will help produce high quality laws. The trainings were organized with support of EU-UNDP New Legal Reform Project and OHCHR UN. Learn more from Ms. Gulmira Mamatkerimova, Project Manager ( gm@dgov.undp.kg).

Naryn, Kyrgyzstan (August 1, 2012) – Aga Khan Foundation CEO Shahid Punjani, UNDP Resident Representative in Kyrgyzstan Alexander Avanessov and UCA Chief Operations Officer Robert Wheeler met with the First Deputy Governor of Naryn province Emil Alymkulov to discuss development issues in the region. They discussed issues of poverty reduction, infrastructure development, agriculture, education, civic engagement, local self-governance and ways to overcome challenges through cooperation between the two organizations and province administration.

Democratic Governance

May 11–17 – An information campaign to launch activities within the new EU-UN “Operationalising Good Governance for Social Justice” Project took place in all seven provinces of the country. Representatives of the UN agencies participating in the project – UNICEF, UN Women, UNESCO and UNDP visited visited several rural municipalities and met representatives of state and local authorities, NGOs and local communities to discuss cooperation within the project in details. Learn more from Asylgul Akimjanova, communications specialist (asyla@socialjustice.undp.kg).

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 22 June 2012—As a major and concrete legacy of the Rio+20 Conference, the Brazilian Government announced the creation of Rio+ Centre, the World Centre for Sustainable Development, at a ceremony this morning attended by Izabella Teixeira, Brazil’s Minister for the Environment and Helen Clark, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator.

The Rio+ Centre will facilitate research, knowledge exchange and promote international debate about sustainable development. It will bring together a broad international consortium of partners, consisting of government agencies, United Nations agencies, local governments (including the state government and municipality of Rio de Janeiro), NGOs, universities, think-tanks and the private sector.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20 June 2012—In a high-level forum at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development today the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented the conceptual groundwork for a  future “Sustainable Human Development Index,” which would recognize the cost of human development to future generations.

The UNDP forum  was prompted by the call made by many in  Rio for a UN-led examination of alternatives to purely economic measurements of national and global progress, said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, who moderated today’s panel discussion.