Bishkek, 26 April 2024 - The United Nations in Kyrgyzstan is launching a project to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, to be implemented jointly with the Council for the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic. The project aims to promote equal access of persons with disabilities to the realisation of their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and will be implemented in 2024-2025. The overall coordination of the project will be carried out by the Ministry of Labour, Social Security, and Migration of Kyrgyzstan and the UN system in Kyrgyzstan. 

The first meeting of the Council for the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was held today with the participation of representatives of government agencies, the UN system in Kyrgyzstan, civil society, and the community of persons with disabilities.

According to Mr. Tolkunbek Isakov, Deputy Chairman of the Council for Persons with Disabilities under the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, this project is based on the results of the 2023 Situation Analysis of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Kyrgyzstan, which showed the need to improve the quality of management, coordination, planning, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the Council for Persons with Disabilities. "We hope that this project will provide an opportunity to strengthen the capacity of the Council to represent the interests of all groups of persons with disabilities living in Kyrgyzstan. 

The project will focus on improving the effectiveness of the Council for Persons with Disabilities, improving the quality of disability data collection for better planning, and including inclusive approaches to climate change adaptation issues. 

Ms Alexandra Solovieva, UNDP Resident Representative, noted that the project aims to create a more inclusive, open, accessible, and equitable society where persons with disabilities are actively involved in decision-making, including on issues related to national legislation and climate change adaptation. 

Ms. Cristina Brugiolo, UNICEF Deputy Representative, stressed that the project will focus on strengthening the capacity of members of the Sub-Working Group on Child Disability in the Council for Persons with Disabilities through experience exchange visits to other countries, improving data collection on children with disabilities and developing the concept of inclusive education, including early identification and early intervention.

The Head of the UNFPA Country Office in Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Baktybek Kainazarov, emphasised that the project will provide significant support to the National Statistical Committee and other state structures to improve the process of collecting statistical data on persons with disabilities. It is planned to use the Washington Group questionnaire for the collection of disability statistics in cooperation with the structures responsible for data collection. The project aims to conduct research on the socio-economic characteristics of persons/children with disabilities and to collect data on the prevalence of disability in Kyrgyzstan.

A Project Board was established at the meeting to ensure the coordination of programme activities and outcomes with project partners. The Project Board is co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and the Deputy Minister of Labour, Social Security, and Migration. The members of the Board are representatives of UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, government agencies, and organisations of persons with disabilities. The Council will carry out its activities based on the regulations adopted at this session.

The project to promote the rights of persons with disabilities will be implemented by three UN agencies: UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA, under the overall leadership of the UN system in Kyrgyzstan and with the support of the UN Partnership for the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD). 

More information on the project: Advancing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Kyrgyzstan | MPTF Office (undp.org)