Strengthening Human Rights in the Kyrgyz Republic

Speeches Shim

Duration: September 2013 - March 2017

Implementing Partner: Freedom House Kyrgyzstan

Funding level: $2,175,533

Key Partners:

Activity Locations: Kyrgyz Republic (all regions)

MAJOR FOCUS AREAS

Working closely with local and international human rights groups and intergovernmental bodies, Freedom House encourages collective action, works with a wide range of actors to increase human rights awareness within the state sector and society at large, and advocates for reforms that institutionalize protection of human rights. With over 10 years’ experience in the Kyrgyz Republic, Freedom House champions the rights of all citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic through public events, holidays, and civic educational opportunities.

Freedom House works closely with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to strengthen the National Center for the Prevention of Torture and the Ombudsman’s Institute through training on international standards and best practices. This work enables national human rights institutions to address citizens’ complaints and protect every citizen’s rights and freedoms.

Freedom House has partnered with several civil society organizations to work in fields where reform is possible and necessary, including protection of vulnerable populations and monitoring of Ministry of Interior reforms.

The project also assists these core partners in strengthening their management and organizational capacities, enabling them to become more effective, sustainable, and capable of driving the human rights agenda in the Kyrgyz Republic.

 

EXPECTED RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

During May and June 2016 Freedom House trained 10 employees of the Ombudsman’s Institute and 40 employees of the National Center for the Prevention of Torture. Employees of the Ombudsman’s Institute also underwent training on monitoring trials. Future work with the OI will include training on the five types of obligatory legislative analysis (anti-corruption, environmental, gender, human rights, and legal) and the organization’s mission, status, and activities.

Jointly with project partner Youth Human Rights Group, Freedom House also trained the National Center for the Prevention of Torture staff on monitoring visits to places of deprivation and restriction of freedom. The training focused not only on the appropriate characteristics of conducting special visits, but also on the long-term development of the visit methodology. The center plans about 1200 visits during 2016-2017 based on this methodology.

Freedom House improves the professionalism and sustainability of partner civil society organizations strengthening their capacity and assisting in monitoring and advocacy to promote human rights issues. A core partner since 2014, Liberal Youth Alliance: Free Generation, works to advance reforms in the Ministry of Interior. Beginning in 2015, core partner Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan has monitored freedoms of association and assembly in order to improve observance of these freedoms by government. Youth of Osh, a core partner in the south of Kyrgyzstan, is developing amendments and additions to the bill “On the bases of the State Youth Policy”.

Voice of Freedom covers issues of human rights in Kyrgyzstan with print and online editions. With Freedom House’s support, Voice of Freedom has published 60 articles on human rights and distributed 6,000 printed copies of its newspaper nationwide.

Freedom House has held six public celebrations since June 2015, with over 5,226 attendees to celebrate national and international human rights holidays.

Freedom House’s human rights schools educate youth on human rights and develop a new generation of human rights defenders in Kyrgyzstan. Thus far, 165 young people have gone through the training.

Since January 2016 Freedom House has implemented ten short-term projects directed toward protecting freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, advancing the rights of children and women, and the health of persons with disabilities.

 

Web-sites:

www.reforma.kg
www.freedomhouse.org