KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography

a) setting up an expert community to decide on formats and standards underpinning
procedures for the interaction of the state and civil society;
b) inculcate in the public a sustainable and conscious interest in the formulation of
the country’s course, provide for information coverage of public policy-making;
c) institutionalize forms of contribution by the public, and plan for coordination of
interest groups. 19
The only problem with this Decree is that it is not being implemented in practice.
Again, this problem results from the absence of any single government body responsible
to secure its proper and timely implementation, and to take responsibility in case of its
non– or improper implementation.
Lessons to learn:
If we turn our attention to the experience of Poland, we will return to the same Law
on Public Benefit Activity and Volunteerism.
Above all, this law further develops the constitutional “principle of subsidiarity.”
Subsidiarity is “an organizing principle that matters ought to be handled by the smallest
competent authority.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines subsidiarity as the idea
that a central authority should have a subsidiary function, performing only those tasks
which cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or local level.” 20
The most important provision of the law is the obligation by organs of public
administration to cooperate with NGOs in the non-financial sphere. This includes the
importance of consultating with interested organizations on normative acts and the
creation of joint, advisory teams. More generally, it requires both public administration
organs and non-government organizations to work together on annual programs of
cooperation.
Critique of current policies
The Kyrgyz government now has no clear vision of the development of its
cooperation with the third sector of the country. From another perspective, the nongovernment
sector itself is neither integrated nor well-coordinated. For this sector, what
is problematic is the question of representation, i.e., who has the authority to represent
NGOs collectively in cooperative efforts.
Despite some incidents of successful cooperation between NGOs and public
authorities, in general local level cooperation can occur only in individual cases, rather
than as a national trend. 21
Conclusions and policy recommendations
When people discuss civil society, they think about trust and cooperation in a
society. The trust and cooperation between and among all elements of the society are two
fundamental characteristics and indicators of society’s health and democratic maturity.
19
The Decree may be accessed in Russian through the on-line toktom system for a small fee paid
electronically. [http://online.toktom.kg/]
20
Accessed at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity] 27 June 2008.
21
A significant work was done by a group of researchers on this matter. Please see the book “Kyrgyzstan
Case Study Sourcebook: Partnership and Collaboration between Government and Civil Society
Organizations,” AKDN, Counterpart-Sheriktesh, Bishkek, 2007. it may be accessed and downloaded for
free at [http://sheriktesh.org/html/publications_en.html]
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