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U.S. Program Improves Lives of Over 300,000 Kyrgyz Citizens

On June 12, Bishkek hosted a conference themed  “Active Communities – Foundation for Development”  to review the success of the five-year Jigerduu Jarandar project. The event was attended by Member of the Jogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz parliament) Elvira Surabaldieva, Kyrgyz Minister of Justice Ayaz Baetov, Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Development, and Migration Chyngyzbek Mamat uulu, USAID/Kyrgyz Republic Acting Mission Director James Lykos, and representatives of civil society organizations and local self-governments. As reported by the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, since 2019, the U.S. government’s Jigerduu Jarandar project – through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) – has positively impacted communities across 19 municipalities in Kyrgyzstan. Committed to fostering active citizenship, the project has benefited over 62,000 residents through the creation of parks, safer sidewalks, improved street lighting, and inclusive playgrounds. The project has also provided free legal aid to 38,000 individuals, supported some 11,000 survivors of gender-based violence, and improved solid waste management systems to the benefit of over 200,000 residents. In praise of the initiative, James Lykos, Acting Mission Director of USAID/Kyrgyz Republic, commented: “The United States is proud to have supported the Kyrgyz government and local communities through the USAID Jigerduu Jarandar project. It has been a joint effort to help citizens make their communities a better and safer place, and better understand and claim their rights.” Minister of Justice Baetov expressed gratitude to the USAID Jigerduu Jarandar project for promoting initiatives in the field of legal assistance and notary services for citizens of Kyrgyzstan.    

UNDP and British Embassy to Help Increase the Capacity of Turkmenistan’s Boards of Lawyers

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the British Embassy in Turkmenistan have signed a Contribution Agreement in support of “Increasing the Capacity of the Boards of Lawyers in Turkmenistan.” The initiative to be implemented jointly by the UNDP and Boards of Lawyers in Turkmenistan, aims to enhance the latter’s capacity to provide legal aid in accordance with international standards including:  UN Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems, Basic Principles Concerning the Role of Lawyers, and Standards of Independence of the Legal Community adopted by the International Bar Association. The project will also assist the Boards of Lawyers in the establishment of a National Chamber of Lawyers in Turkmenistan. The new body will represent and safeguard the interests of lawyers, coordinate the Boards of Lawyers’ activities in Ashgabat and across the country’s regions, ensure high-quality legal assistance, and address issues which impact the legal community's interests. UNDP will also assist in digitizing the Boards of Lawyers' operations in Turkmenistan.