KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography

In this context, the Kyrgyz state views the NGO sector as an instrument used by
foreign countries to advance their interests. This belief is further supported by the fact
that, in 2006, two staff members of the U.S. Embassy were deported from the country. At
the U.S. Embassy these officers were responsible for working with NGOs.
In common speech this bias has been dubbed “grant-eating.” This kind of attitude
toward NGOs creates distrust within public administration and local governments when
public policy decisions have to be made. Meanwhile, at the local level nearly everyone
welcomes cooperation with NGOs, provided that the project at hand addresses specific
issues and unambiguous goals.
Characteristics of the Non-Governmental Sector
Nearly all local and foreign researchers and analysts point out that non-governmental
organizations in Kyrgyzstan compensate for the weakness of government bodies and
political parties. Yet, if an NGO is performing the functions of a political party, this
contradicts the very nature of non-governmental and non-profit entities. The social
element of constituencies is important to political parties but not to NGOs. This is
one reason for the absence of a wide social base among NGOs. Nonetheless, current
legislation classifies both NGOs and political parties as civic organizations.
One type of organizations is currently dominant among Kyrgyzstan’s NGO: these
are the organizations that work primarily to promote democratization and human rights
or to offer training in political technologies. These include the Assembly of the Peoples
of Kyrgyzstan, trade unions, associations of political scientists, bar associations, etc. In
terms of their work methods, some of these focus on political activities.
In the decision-making process, two types of decisions can be identified:
expert decisions and managerial decisions. An expert decision comprises specialist
recommendations on ways of solving a problem at hand. A managerial decision involves
the choosing of alternative solutions to the problem by competent persons. Expert
decisions are usually made on a regular basis by analytical centers, or think tanks, which
as a type of NGOs are only beginning to emerge in Kyrgyzstan.
The heterogeneous definition of “civic organizations” and the absence of systematic
efforts to develop expert decisions can be seen as opportunities for increased effectiveness
of the NGO sector. NGOs wish to collaborate with the government; the government
has also expressed its willingness to cooperate with NGOs (current laws, decrees, and
orders welcome this collaboration, and relevant public statements are being made).
However, those collaboration technologies and parameters that are currently proposed
are all aimed at harmonizing the interests of all stakeholders rather than at addressing
specific problems. The requirement to harmonize government’s policy decisions with all
stakeholders could paralyze the country, which would find itself immersed in endless
discussions as it tries to find the best solution to each problem.
Legislation
Today’s NGOs are capable of working with government bodies within two sets of
laws. The first comprises norms that establish the rights of citizens to access information;
the second deals with norms that regulate interactions between public authorities,
public administration, and local governments on the one hand and NGOs on the other.
The first unit is represented by Kyrgyzstan’s Law on the Guarantees of Free Access to
Information. The second unit contains a larger number of laws, decrees, and orders,
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