25 November 2022/Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – Last week, Partnership Actions for Green Economy (PAGE) in the Kyrgyz Republic held its Project Board meeting to discuss the role of UN PAGE in promoting green economy in the Kyrgyz Republic in light of the SDGs.

The meeting discussed the collective achievements of the key PAGE actors, remaining challenges, and sustainability strategy of the partnership. The event was held with the participation of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, members from relevant ministries, national institutions, private sector, civil society, and PAGE funding partners representatives in the Kyrgyz Republic, including the EU delegation and the Swiss Embassy in Kyrgyzstan.

The dialogue provided a framework to discuss existing policies for the greening of the economy, identify gaps, and formulate appropriate policy actions that will support a circular economy and facilitate an ecological transition. In addition, this dialogue was to raise awareness and bring synergies of complementary activities in the country and provide opportunities to establish linkages. Involved UN PAGE agencies, including UNEP, UNIDO, UNITAR and ILO, presented a comprehensive overview of all its inclusive green economy activities in Kyrgyzstan and key highlights since 2016.

UNDP, as a PAGE leading agency in the KR, has been supporting the Kyrgyz Government in developing Green Economy modeling, in close partnership with GIZ programme in the KR. The knowledge and expertise will be applied in the development of the Green Economy National Programme 2023-2027.   As part of the Green Recovery, UNDP is supporting now the launch of green finance initial steps via targeted activities. Although COVID-19 and back-to-back crises significantly affected the economy of the Kyrgyz Republic, PAGE remained committed to assisting the country in promoting inclusive green economy plans that will create growth, jobs and prosperity for all while reducing pressures on the planet.

Other PAGE agencies work covered such thematic workstreams as green jobs by ILO, green industry promotion by UNIDO, green agricultural subsidies by UNEP and education for green economy by UNITAR.

“We are pleased to join Partnership Actions for Green Economy to advance the 2030 Agenda in Kyrgyzstan. Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, as the main coordinating state body in the implementation of PAGE in the country, ensures inter-agency coordination of all stakeholders in the field of inclusive economic growth and is tasked to integrate inclusive green economy issues in the context of climate change, into long-term and medium-term National strategic documents of the country on sustainable development and green economy policy framework” – said Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Choro Seitov.

The Green Economy Forum was highlighted as one of the key PAGE activities held in 2022 that brought together experts across sustainable business and governance to underline the key role of an inclusive green economy as a vehicle to improve human well-being and build social equity while reducing environmental risks and scarcities.

“I praise the leadership of the Kyrgyz Republic for having a long-term vision and reflecting green economy in several very important policy documents- the Green Economy Programme and the Mid-term National Development Programme. This is important as our work directly impacts the achievement of several SDGs as well as the implementation of the Paris Agreement, which the country ratified in November 2019” – said UNDP DRR in the Kyrgyz Republic Monica Rijal.

Looking ahead, UNDP DRR added that UNDP in partnership with all PAGE agencies and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and other key ministries is looking forward to building on and sustaining PAGE results to implement Green Economy in the Kyrgyz Republic.

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For Information: UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. Under the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), UNDP puts sustainability at the heart of economic policymaking. PAGE brings together the expertise of five UN agencies: UNEP, ILO, UNDP, UNIDO and UNITAR. Together they support nations and regions in transforming economies into drivers of sustainability and social equity, by providing policy advice, assessments, capacity development and analytical tools outputs to 22 partner countries, including Kyrgyzstan. PAGE has been supporting the country in its commitment to advance inclusive sustainable growth, embedded into its long-term National Development Strategy 2040 since 2016. PAGE is also working with the government on sectoral reforms in green industry, sustainable agriculture and jobs and strengthening institutional capacities around inclusive green economy diagnostics, coordination, finance and public procurement.