"Community Leaders from Local to Global: Partnering Power, Civil Society and Inclusive Business in the Kyrgyz Republic to Advance Reform in a Changing World".

15 November 2021.

Novotel Hotel (Grand Hall, 16 Manas Ave.)

Participants of the national dialogue "Community Leaders from Local to Global: Partnership of Government, Inclusive Business and Civil Society of the Kyrgyz Republic for Promoting Reforms in a Changing World" being committed to promoting multi-stakeholder cooperation with the wide involvement of state agencies and civil society, and based on the expert discussions consider it important to send a final resolution to the Kyrgyz authorities with the initiative to pay special attention to the key recommendations developed by the local community leaders.  

Preamble

We, participants of the national dialogue express our readiness and encourage the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Sadyr Nurgojoevich Japarov and officials of our country to take further joint actions aimed at reducing the gaps between local communities living in risk and disaster areas and politicians at all levels "from bottom to top" methodology from local to global.

It is important to emphasise that the recommendations have been developed through the "Vision from the Frontline" partnership. which has been ongoing for more than three years since 2018 at the local community level, local self-governance bodies, involving key government agencies that are members of the National Advisory Committee, taking into account the new strategy of the Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR).

"All Kyrgyz people, and especially government officials, should know that the state is made up of 3 leading sectors: government, business and civil society. And the success or failure of each country depends on how these three important structures cooperate and interact with each other. Unsuccessful countries tend to be those where there is strife between them, or where power suppresses or subjugates business or civil society. Conversely, prosperous countries tend to be those where all three sectors work in partnership, because each can do much for the development of the state and each has a wide arsenal of capabilities, resources, people and ideas. With this in mind, we hope that the Kyrgyz Republic will finally succeed in doing what previous regimes did not succeed in doing for almost 30 years. We only need to learn to hear and understand each other, because we all have one country, one homeland, which we would like to serve", said Professor Zainidin Kurmanov, political scientist, at the opening of the National Dialogue.

In this regard, we forward to you the key recommendations proposed by the participants of the National Dialogue to develop and implement further practical steps to address risks and disasters at the national level:

Public Security Sector: on systemic and emerging risks and challenges, including environmental disasters in the Kyrgyz Republic. Ms. Jamila Kaparova, Head of Ensan Diamond, Ms. Maluda Tynayeva, Expert, Mr. Maksuda Alibayeva, Regional Specialist of Aiyl Demilgesi in Osh. Maksuda Alibaeva, Head of Secretariat of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic Almabek Aidakeev, Nurjan Isayeva, Min Kush Community Leader, Minovar Umarova, Mailuu Suu Community Leader, Murat Karypov, Coordinator of Bir Duino - Kyrgyzstan, Maria Kolesnikova, Director of the Movegreen Environmental Foundation.

Recommendations:

1. To promote the soonest establishment of national human rights institutions, compliant with the Paris Principles on Human Rights protection to work effectively from the community to the national and global levels;

2. Develop a National Action Plan for Prevention of Emergencies, Risks and Disasters in Kyrgyzstan, with participation of the MoES, to bridge the gap between communities living in risk zones and authorities at all decision-making levels, from local to global, including environmental disasters;

3. Promote the development of citizen monitoring and assessment of the situation with uranium tailings and border conflicts in Batken Province, with the involvement of civil society, experts and community leaders, and take early action to minimise the risks and threats of cross-border conflicts by installing monitoring systems along the entire KR border, while completing the demarcation and delimitation of the state borders of the KR in cooperation with local communities;

4. Instruct responsible authorities in the Kyrgyz Republic to implement a corrective programme to improve national legislation on risk and disaster management, taking into account international best practices and GNDR's experience from local to global levels;

5. Take measures to reduce domestic violence by funding local governments and Family Violence Prevention Committees (FVPCs) to provide local support to women's councils;

6. Promote stronger public-private partnerships to address emerging environmental and socio-economic risks and disasters in the context of global trends in the world through the GNDR strategy, which proposes enhancing the role of communities in decision-making processes, taking into account the voices of remote regional leaders living in potential risk zones. The key importance of the GNDR strategy lies in the structural change at local, national and international levels, where local governments, CSOs, businesses, communities most at risk have the capacity, resources and capability to make decisions to strengthen their own resilience to risk and disasters. It is important for most-at-risk communities to be able to participate in decision-making processes, as they are the ones most at risk.

7. Develop an action plan for the rehabilitation of the rights of the victims of armed aggression, including psychological assistance for victims of cross-border conflicts, based on the principles of international humanitarian law and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

8. Promote the adoption of a National Action Plan on Community Resilience to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction in Water Resources Management, with civil monitoring on assessment and accountability of public authorities for 2019-2025, at a total cost of $43.6 million; 

9. Support the development of a "Business and Human Rights" track in the Kyrgyz Republic involving international financial institutions, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Asian Development Bank, business associations and local communities to improve the effectiveness of grant projects and inform communities about the level of donor assistance provided in cooperation with the Business Ombudsman Institute of the Kyrgyz Republic;

10. To initiate the establishment of a National Advisory Council with the participation of the Kyrgyz Security Council to conduct expert working meetings on an annual basis to develop action plans for risk and disaster prevention in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Sector "Gender Imbalance: On the importance of promoting equal access to politics and resources, Women and Elections. Women's Entrepreneurship". Kasymalieva Aida Kamchybekovna, Acting. The participants were the following persons: Aiten Rustamova, Regional Director, EBRD for Kyrgyzstan, Azarbekov Askhat Narynbekovich, Head of Ombudsman's Office of the Kyrgyz Republic, Nurgul Janaeva, Forum of women NGOs, Olga Janaeva, Director of NGO "Union of Rural Women ALGA", Aiten Rustamova, Regional Director, EBRD for Kyrgyzstan, Polotova Jyldyz Arstanbekovna, Deputy Minister of Social Development, Akylay Kojomberdiyeva, Ministry of Economy, Head of Operational Development Department, participant in development and approval of the State Programme for Support to Women Entrepreneurship.

Main challenges in promoting gender equality:

Gender mainstreaming in policies and action plans of key documents of the country is defined in the Beijing Platform for Action as a fundamental condition for effective promotion of de facto equality. Over the past five years, there has been some progress in the adoption of laws and programmes to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. However, issues of poor implementation of these laws and programmes and the resulting reduced opportunities for women and girls to actually exercise their rights remain pertinent.

Recommendations:

1) Integrate international strategies to promote women's leadership into national action plans to address gender imbalances at all levels of government;

2. develop specific indicators on the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to promote gender equality and increase women's participation in decision-making;

3. The design of local action plans and regional development programmes to ensure equal opportunities and full representation of women community leaders in decision-making processes in political, economic and public life in Kyrgyzstan based on the principles of UN General Assembly Resolution 1325;

4. Develop a National Support Programme "Business and Human Rights" to promote women's entrepreneurship and employment of women at the local community level, followed by opening state centres for innovative development of women's entrepreneurship with the involvement of local community leaders and activists;

5. Promote the development and adoption of a new concept on combating illicit trafficking in human beings in the Kyrgyz Republic for the period 2021-2025, especially in the area of modern slavery against women and girls with the participation of experts and community leaders.

Sector "Ensuring equal access to services: Food security, access to health, social services and civic participation in decision-making from community to global levels". Zainidin Kurmanov, Doctor of History, Professor, Publicist, Babayeva Ryskul Belekovna, Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mukhamedshina Lydia Nazimovna, Chief Specialist of the Oktyabrsky District Administration of Bishkek, Amanova Aysulu Azhakmatovna, Head of Strategic Planning Department of the Ministry of Economy of the Kyrgyz Republic "On the KR National Action Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals".

Recommendations:

1. That the President of the Kyrgyz Republic veto the Trade Union Bill and reinstate the legal status on freedom of association in the Kyrgyz Republic in order to promote civic activism from the local to the global level;

2. To develop national programmes to increase the level of public confidence in state authorities and LSG bodies through capacity building of state and LSG staff, raising public awareness, and promoting openness, transparency and accountability of state bodies to the citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic;

3. to effectively integrate national commitments of the Kyrgyz Republic within the framework of international donor agreements into local development plans and regional development programmes with specific indicators to raise awareness of international donor projects among communities;

4. Establish a Human Resource Pool with adapted educational programmes for local staff development. Improve human resource policies and terms of reference;

Community leaders and participants in the national dialogue "Community leaders from local to global: partnership of government, civil society and inclusive business of the Kyrgyz Republic to promote reforms in a changing world".

Bishkek, 15 November 2021, Novotel Hotel.

If you have any questions, please contact the coordinator of Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan Murat Karypov by phone: 0555422222, Email: m.karypov@gmail.com and birduinokyrgyzstan@gmail.com