Kyrgyzstan presents National Action Plan on increasing government’s accountability, developed with OSCE support

Kyrgyzstan’ Prime Minister Muhammedkaliy Abylgaziev presented a two-year national action plan (NAP) that aims to increase the accountability of the Government’s work in Bishkek on 23 October 2018. The NAP was developed jointly by the Government and civil society within the framework of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.

With adoption of the National Action Plan  Kyrgyzstan undertakes 18 ambitious commitments to strengthen the government’s reform accountability and combat corruption.

The OSCE Programme Office supported the government’s efforts by helping to establish the OGP Secretariat in Kyrgyzstan, which functions under the OGP National Forum and works in close collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister. The OGP National Forum consists of an equal number of representatives of the government and civil society (38 in total), who jointly developed the OGP commitments and the NAP.

The NAP aims to strengthen the involvement of civil society in policy development and decision making, and improve the quality of public services. The Plan also envisages the introduction of new technologies to increase government transparency and public access to information. It covers thematic areas such as health, education, local self-government, media, international aid, and election reform.

Stressing that  openness of government structures is a pre-requisite of any democratic society, Prime Minister Abylgaziev said: “We will not stay in government forever. Today I am the Prime Minister of this country, but who knows, tomorrow I might join your ranks and become a civil activist and one of you might become a member of the Government or the new Prime Minister. Therefore, it is important  that we listen to each other because we have a common goal - to develop our country.”

Deputy Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, Valeriu Chiveri, said: “Activists and civil society organizations are important allies of the government, and fulfilling the OGP commitments means strengthening the foundation for partnership between the people and the government, open access to ideas and increased support from all sides.” He added that "the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek is honoured to accompany this very important process and remains a reliable partner for bringing it forward."

The Open Government Partnership was established on 20 September 2011, when eight founding governments (Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States) adopted the Open Government Declaration. Last year Kyrgyzstan became the first country in Central Asia to join the Open Government Partnership.