October 30, 2023, Bishkek - UNDP in Kyrgyzstan is actively promoting human rights in all spheres, and from 2022 also promoting responsible business conduct, with a particular focus on advancing human rights due diligence in global supply chains and implementing the 2011 UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).

UNDPs assign a responsibility to business enterprises to respect all “internationally recognized human rights”. How does a business show respect for human rights?

1. Human rights commitment. Develop a human rights policy and make it public and share it with employees, suppliers, clients and external stakeholders.
2. Human rights due diligence (HRDD): Identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights and environmental impacts to help manage potential and actual risks.
3. Provide a remedy to rights holders when abuses to human rights are uncovered. 

On the eve of the 75^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we are pleased to highlight the main achievements of the UNDP’s Business and Human Rights project in Kyrgyzstan: 

1) A contextual analysis of doing business in Kyrgyzstan from a human rights perspective was conducted. 

2) Representatives of more than 53 Kyrgyz and Japanese companies and their partners acquired skills to identify and assess human rights risks in their activities.

3) UNDP in KR assisted in translating into Russian and Kyrgyz the main guidelines and methodologies for conducting the baseline assessment and developing the national action plan. The project conducted an information campaign on the topic of business and human rights. The project produced several informative videos with the participation of business representatives, key government partners. More than 15 articles, reports on various topics were published to inform the public, private and public sectors with the main provisions of the concept of business and human rights.

4) For the first time, a National Baseline Assessment was conducted on the compliance of the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic and existing business practices with the UNGPs.

5) An inter-agency working group was established under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic to develop the first National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, and a draft National Action Plan was submitted for public discussion.

At the end of 2022, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic initiated the establishment of an inter-agency working group as part of the implementation of paragraph 2 of the Resolution of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic "On the Report of the Ombudsperson of the Kyrgyz Republic "On the observance of human and civil rights and freedoms in the Kyrgyz Republic in 2021" dated June 16, 2022, № 307-VII.  By order of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, an inter-agency working group (hereinafter referred to as the IWG) has been formed to develop a draft National Plan of Action on Business and Human Rights.

The Institute of Ombudsperson of the Kyrgyz Republic and representatives of business associations are actively involved in this process.

The IWG has a task to prepare a draft National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights based on the results of the National Baseline Assessment of the business and human rights agenda. The Department of Business Environment Policy of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, which is the secretariat of the IWG, is charged with the following work:

- to place information on the activities of the inter-agency working group on the official website of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic on a permanent basis;

- to publish on the website of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic the developed draft of the National Action Plan on business and human rights;

- send the agreed decision draft of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in accordance with the established procedure. 

In the second phase of the project UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic assists the IWG in harmonizing the draft National Action Plan with all stakeholders and continues capacity building of Japanese and Kyrgyz companies and their partners on the business and human rights issues.

Detailed video about the UNDP in KR project "Business and Human Rights" Business and Human Rights - YouTube

All UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic videos on "Business and Human Rights" BHR - YouTube

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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is one of the leading development organizations in Kyrgyzstan. Since 1993, we have been working in various areas, including inclusive development, environmental protection, crisis response, gender equality promotion, and collaborative efforts towards sustainable development goals.

For more information, please visit our website: www.undp.org/ru/kyrgyzstan or follow us on social media @undpkg.

Media Contact: Nurzhan Alymkanova, Communications Specialist, UNDP Nurzhan.alymkanova@undp.org