4 May 2026
Urgent Appeal from the Human Rights Movement “Bir Duino–Kyrgyzstan” and partners

Dear representatives of the Asian Development Bank, dear colleagues and partners,

The team of Bir Duino–Kyrgyzstan expresses serious concern that on 3 May 2026, during the opening of the 59th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), the Director of the human rights organization “Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan,” Tolekan Ismailova, despite being officially registered and having received her badge, was stopped at the entrance to the Congress Hall by security personnel.

Tolekan and her colleagues spent three hours waiting while security staff cited updates to the participant identification system, requested her passport twice, and repeatedly left for consultations. As a result, she was denied access to the Congress Hall, despite her official accreditation and the preparation of advocacy recommendations for ADB representatives and decision-makers.

Later, during the second session of the program, the human rights defender raised concerns about the situation of civic space in Central Asia, noting that civil society organizations are facing unprecedented pressure, including restrictive legislation targeting NGOs[1], independent media[2], and vulnerable groups. She also highlighted that her colleagues had experienced similar difficulties in accessing ADB events on May 1 and 2, and called on ADB leadership to address cases of pressure on human rights defenders and ensure safe and meaningful participation of civil society in international processes.

Tolekan emphasized that independent organizations, including trade unions, play a critical role in ensuring fair working conditions, social justice, and accountability, as well as in advancing human rights and inclusion within development projects.

In the context of large-scale infrastructure and investment projects supported by ADB, workers often face risks such as unsafe working conditions, lack of formal contracts, wage violations, and limited access to grievance mechanisms. Independent and effective trade unions are essential to prevent these risks, ensure collective representation, and protect workers’ dignity[3].

In this regard, the Asian Development Bank should actively promote the protection of the fundamental right to freedom of association, ensure that contractors comply with international labor standards, and integrate safeguards for labor rights at all stages of project implementation, including accessible, transparent, and gender-responsive grievance mechanisms.

Bir Duino also stresses the importance of openly discussing, together with local communities and authorities, concrete cases where ADB-supported projects have faced serious challenges, in order to draw lessons and improve future approaches.

For example, in Bishkek, the modernization of the trolleybus system has generated significant public concern due to a lack of transparency in decision-making[4], insufficient dialogue with residents—including women, persons with disabilities, and minority groups—and an underestimation of environmental and social impacts.[5]

Similarly, the Kambar-Ata HPP-1 project presents a number of complex risks, including environmental sustainability concerns, potential impacts on local communities, resettlement issues, limited access to information, and insufficient public participation. These examples demonstrate that without inclusive dialogue, transparency, and effective safeguards, even strategically important projects may face public resistance, reputational risks, and long-term sustainability challenges.[6]

Today, development is not only about infrastructure, economic indicators, or financial growth. Above all, it is about people—their rights, dignity, safety, and their ability to participate in decisions that directly affect their lives and future.

Therefore, Bir Duino emphasizes that inclusive dialogue must be established as a core principle of ADB-supported projects. Such dialogue must not be formalistic; it must ensure real, safe, and continuous participation of women leaders, local communities, vulnerable groups, including minorities, persons with disabilities, youth, and residents of remote and climate-affected areas.

These groups should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries, but as equal participants and partners in development (the principle of “nothing about us without us”).

Central Asia is a region with a rich history, a young population, and significant diversity. However, it is also a region facing serious environmental risks linked to the legacy of Soviet-era resource exploitation. In the Kyrgyz Republic alone, there are more than 92 uranium tailings sites, including one in Mailuu-Suu, considered among the most hazardous globally.

In this context, development projects must incorporate principles of environmental and social justice, including gender considerations and the vulnerability of communities to climate-related risks.

Equally important is the state of civic space in Central Asia. In recent years, there has been a clear trend toward its shrinking, with increasing restrictions on civil society, independent media, and human rights defenders[7].

Without a free and independent civil society, transparency, accountability, and the sustainability of development projects cannot be ensured.

This raises a key question: what are the main challenges facing ADB projects in Central Asia?

These challenges include:

• limited civic participation and shrinking civic space;
• insufficient inclusion mechanisms, particularly for women and vulnerable groups;
• weak accountability and local governance systems;
• environmental and climate risks, including uranium tailings;
• growing socio-economic inequality;
• selective justice;
• unlawful persecution of activists, media, and human rights defenders.

Lessons learned from past experience show that development cannot be implemented through a top-down approach. Projects that fail to take into account the voices of local communities often face resistance, conflict, and sustainability risks.

Another key lesson is that trust is a fundamental resource for development. Without trust, even the largest investments fail to deliver expected outcomes.

It is also essential to recognize that inclusion is not a one-time action, but a continuous process that must be embedded throughout all stages of project implementation.

In conclusion, allow us to present five key recommendations:

First, to institutionalize mechanisms of inclusive dialogue at all stages of projects—with mandatory, safe, and meaningful participation of civil society.

Second, to integrate indicators in the field of human rights, gender equality, and the state of civic space into project risk assessment and monitoring systems, including conducting gender analysis and taking into account intersecting forms of discrimination.

Third, to strengthen environmental standards and disaster risk reduction measures, taking into account the impact on vulnerable groups and women.

Fourth, to recognize, support, and protect civil society and human rights defenders as key partners.

Fifth, to ensure transparency and equal access to information in accessible formats and in understandable languages for all groups of the population.

In conclusion, we emphasize: sustainable development is impossible without respect for human rights, gender equality, and inclusion.

The Asian Development Bank has a unique opportunity to form a new model of development—an inclusive, human rights-based, transparent, and sustainable one.

The future of Central Asia depends on our ability to hear people, respect their rights, and build development together with them with the provision of a safe, favorable environment, protection and promotion of civic space in the Central Asian countries[8].

For further information, please contact:
Executive Director of Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan
Murat Karypov, birduinokyrgyzstan@gmail.com

Gender exper Lira Asylbek birduinokyrgyzstan@gmail.com