KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography

Some believe and argue that Kyrgyz civil society organizations have been
strengthened enough, and can interact with the State as an equal partner. Others consider
civil society as inherently inferior and dependent on the state. Such debates take place
in every area of the world, and constitute a discourse that is present and significant at
the international level.
Professor Robert Putnam of Harvard University, who undertook important research
on civil societies in the U.S.A. and Italy, demonstrated that the strength of the state
is directly proportional to the strength of its civil society. In other words, he proved
that a strong society equals a strong state. 22 This briefing is based on the assumption
that the findings of Professor Putnam are correct, and that the success and welfare of a
country should be worked on jointly by the government, business and non-government
sectors.
This briefing generally concludes that in Kyrgyzstan, a significant level of interaction
exists between government and non-government sectors. State institutions and NGOs
have strengthened their institutional capacity since 1991 and are therefore ripe for
meaningful and systematic cooperation in the interests of citizens. One key constraint on
such long-term and strategic cooperation is the absence of institutionalized mechanisms
of inter-sector dialog. In this view, the experience of Poland appears both relevant and
timely.
The following summarizes recommendations for solving the major problem stated
above. Their successful implementation depends on one condition: genuine willingness
of government/NGO institutions to cooperate on the basis of equal partnership.
The legal framework for the government-NGO cooperation must be improved.
The Law on State Social Contracts, to be signed by President, together with the bill on
“Social Partnership” that is now being drafted, must constitute the backbone of any
such legal framework. Parliamentarians and NGOs who are actively involved in this
legislation must ensure that the Law on Social Partnership will have sections and clauses
on concrete mechanisms of partnership. In addition, other laws of the Kyrgyz Republic
must be reviewed to improve and harmonize the normative basis of regulations, so that
the actual application of the law will be feasible and sustainable. As an example, tax
incentives could encourage the business sector to financially support NGOs.
A special department on NGO Affairs must be established as a part of the Ministry
of Labor and Social Protection. This government body would coordinate interactions
among state bodies, as well as interactions with non-governmental organizations.
The Department must develop an action plan to implement Presidential Decree #241,
whose measures enhance, legally formalize and implement in practice all forms of
interaction between government agencies, bodies of local self-government, and civil
society. This Department must also cooperate closely with the anticipated Parliament’s
Commission on NGO Support. Ultimately, there needs to be a division of labor. The
parliamentary commission must be responsible to the legislation on NGOs, and work
directly with NGOs with an expertise to elaborate new laws, while the Department
must be responsible for the executive aspects of inter-sector cooperation, and work on
the systematic implementation of agreed provisions and succession of decisions made
by the previous government officials.
22
“Democracies in Flux: The Evolution of Social Capital in Contemporary Society,” Robert Putnam, UK:
Oxford University Press, 2002.
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