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Date: April 20, 2024 Sat
Time: 6:19 am
kyrgyzstan
Time: 6:19 am
kyrgyzstan
Results for kyrgyzstan
36 total results foundAuthor: Leijonmarck, Erik Title: The Role of Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking in Kyrgyzstan's Ethnic Crisis Summary: On October 10, Kyrgyzstan held parliamentary elections. According to reports, the elections were surprisingly free and fair. Unfortunately, the problem of state criminalization remains. The new government will face a tough task when dealing with this problem. The conflict that erupted in June in southern Kyrgyzstan is generally seen as being driven by external factors, such as Islamic radicals exploiting socio-economic grievances and the extreme politicization of ethnicity and identity. Although these are important factors, the role of organized crime in the outbreak of ethnic conflict should not be overlooked. Behind the conflict lies the interplay between external and domestic factors as well as the link between regional/local organized crime and the corrupt family politics of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Details: Stockholm: Institute for Security & Development Policy, 2010. 3p. Source: Internet Resoruce: Policy Brief, No. 39: Accessed November 1, 2010 at: http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2010_leijonmarck-asyrankulova_the-role-of-organized-crime.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Kyrgyzstan Keywords: Corruption Shelf Number: 120148 |
Author: The World Bank. Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit, Europe and Central Asia Region Title: Kyrgyz Republic Judicial System Diagnostic: Measuring Progress and Identifying Needs Summary: The Joint Country Support Strategy for the Kyrgyz Republic (2007-2010) (JCSS), extended in 2008 to cover the period 2009-2011, identified the weak and inefficient Kyrgyz legal and judicial system as contributing to a poor business environment and weak governance. As a result, JCSS partners identified comprehensive judicial reform as a program focus and a goal of the JCSS (Goal 2.5: Legal Reform) which was enlarged to include independence for the judicial budget. As part of the JCSS, the World Bank program included the preparation of a judicial reform study. In order to implement this program, the World Bank and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) agreed to fund this Judicial System Diagnostic conducted by a World Bank Diagnostic Team complemented by international experts in specific sectors. The Diagnostic’s objective is to provide an analysis of the institutional and operational issues and obstacles that constrain the functioning of Kyrgyzstan’s legal and judicial system. The Diagnostic provides recommendations for overcoming key constraints both at the policy and the implementation levels. The Kyrgyz Government’s Country Development Strategy 2007 -2010 (CDS), updated in 2008 for the period 2009-2011, describes the judicial system as one of the weakest constituents of public administration and aims to reform the system in order to improve its effectiveness and independence. The CDS also attaches a prominent role to improving the judicial system in order to combat corruption and the operation of the shadow economy. Where laws are not working, where entrepreneurs and investors do not trust the courts to enforce contract rights or judicial protection of property rights, it is more profitable for them to work in the shadow economy with its established traditions and mechanisms or to avoid investing in Kyrgyzstan at all. As recently as August 2009, the World Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development found that 42 percent of firms operating in Kyrgyzstan, across a broad spectrum of sectors and sizes, felt that the Kyrgyz court system was a problem for doing business in Kyrgyzstan. This was an increase of 4 percent over the results in 2005 and was greater than the regional average for Europe and Central Asia and for the Southern CIS countries. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2009- 2010 the Kyrgyz Republic fares poorly when international business executives were asked to rate the efficiency of the Kyrgyz judicial system in resolving private business disputes; the Kyrgyz system rated 125 out of 133 countries, reflecting a score of 2.6 on a seven point scale. ES3. In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the focus on the competitiveness of the Kyrgyz Republic’s investment climate has only heightened. As countries look for ways to attract trade and investment, the ability of their judicial system to resolve commercial disputes in a fair, quick and cost-effective manner and offer secure protection of property rights can be a key attraction or a harmful obstacle in the eyes of newly-risk adverse domestic and foreign businesses and investors. A focus on the impact of the Kyrgyz Republic’s judicial system and the rule of law on the investment climate should have been the responsibility of the Central Agency for Development, Investment and Innovation created in 2009 within the Institute of the President (CADII), as it was charged with formulating policies to improve Kyrgyzstan’s business and investment environment and the formulation of national economic development strategies and programs. The CADII was eliminated when state authority passed to the Temporary Government on April 7, 2010 as a result of public unrest. Fulfilling this function will now require the Supreme Court and Judicial Council, in conjunction with the Government, to identify weaknesses in the Kyrgyz judicial system and develop strategies to overcome and address them. The World Bank and SDC believe that this Judicial System Diagnostic will be a useful input as the judicial leadership and the Government undertake to develop the programs and projects necessary to improve the Kyrgyz judicial system. Details: Bishkek: Kyrgyz Republic Country Office, The World Bank, 2011. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Report No. 61906-KG: Accessed September 20, 2011 at: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTECA/Resources/KGJudicialDiagnosticENG2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Kyrgyzstan Keywords: Courts Shelf Number: 122790 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "They Said We Deserved This": Police Violence Against Gay and Bisexual Men in Kyrgyzstan Summary: Although consensual sex between men was decriminalized in Kyrgyzstan in 1998, police target gay and bisexual men for violence and extortion. “They Said We We Deserved This” finds that gay and bisexual men are subjected to a range of abuses at the hands of police in Kyrgyzstan, including physical, sexual, and psychological violence; arbitrary detention; and extortion under the threat of violence or of exposing victims’ sexual orientation to friends and family. Violence, blackmail, and extortion by police, and a lack of accountability for these crimes, are common in Kyrgyzstan. But those who belong to minority groups, including gay and bisexual men, are particularly vulnerable. Pervasive homophobia in society and widespread police corruption contribute to these abuses. Victims are reluctant to report police abuses to the authorities, fearing retaliation or the disclosure of their sexual orientation to their family or employers by the police. Very few cases of ill-treatment and other crimes by police against gay men are investigated and even fewer perpetrators are brought to justice. The failure to hold police to account creates a climate of impunity which encourages further abuse. To put an end to police abuse of gay and bisexual men, the government of Kyrgyzstan should take steps to encourage reporting of complaints of police violence and extortion against gay and bisexual men, including by establishing victim and witness protection mechanisms. Authorities should ensure that all allegations are promptly and effectively investigated. Details: New York: HRW, 2014. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2014 at: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/kyrgyz0114_forUpload.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Kyrgyzstan Keywords: Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals, Crime Against Shelf Number: 132393 |
Author: Zenn, Jacob Title: Preventing Violent Extremism in Kyrgyzstan Summary: - Kyrgyzstan, having twice overthrown autocratic leaders in violent uprisings, in 2005 and again in 2010, is the most politically open and democratic country in Central Asia. - Many Kyrgyz observers remain concerned about the country's future. They fear that underlying socioeconomic conditions and lack of public services-combined with other factors, such as drug trafficking from Afghanistan, political manipulation, regional instability in former Soviet Union countries and Afghanistan, and foreign-imported religious ideologies-create an environment in which violent extremism can flourish. - One of the fault lines occurring among its population of 5.7 million is between those who value the Soviet legacy of secularism, svetski in Russian, and an emerging generation that sees Islam as a core part of its identity. The mistrust between these two constituencies prevents them from addressing a mutually recognized problem: the grassroots radicalization of young men and women, especially in Fergana Valley. - The polarizing influences of hyper-ethnic nationalists and uneducated and often unaccredited religious leaders is particularly worrisome for women, whose status has become marginalized over the past two decades. Extremist notions with regard to limited women's rights are a bellwether for instability down the road. - A long-term strategy to counter violent extremism in Kyrgyzstan requires finding common ground between leaders and influential members of the secular and religious constituencies. Together they can develop strategies to foster a national identity inclusive of diverse religious creeds and ethnic backgrounds and to challenge extremist ideas on religious, moral, and cultural grounds. - To offset pressures from Russia and China, its larger neighbors to the north and east, more coherent efforts are needed to find effective practices in countering violent extremism between Kyrgyzstan and its immediate neighbors, such as Kazakhstan, that involve other regional actors and institutions, including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute for Peace, 2014. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Special Report 355: Accessed November 3, 2014 at: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR355_Preventing-Violent-Extremism-in-Kyrgyzstan.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Kyrgyzstan Keywords: Extremist Groups Shelf Number: 133945 |
Author: Gaspar, Roger Title: Establishment of Interagency Law Enforcement Mobile Groups in Kyrgyzstan: Counter-narcotics enforcement Summary: This project was a three year plan to create small interagency mobile law enforcement groups called MOBITs based in south Kyrgyzstan to increase resources in the difficult border region with Tajikistan to interdict drug trafficking into the country. The concept included certain key ideas: interagency composition to enhance the cooperation between agencies and as a counter corruption component, special vetting and bonus payments to ensure a high level of integrity within the teams and training in special investigation techniques to expand their capacity for operations. The teams were also intended to participate in enhanced intelligence collection and analysis, improve the qualitative and quantitative information and knowledge within Kyrgyzstan on the extent of various types of crime and to engage in collaboration with law enforcement agencies of neighbouring and other countries. How they were to do this was poorly addressed. The teams were provided with vehicles, a separate base and advanced strongholds in the difficult border areas and the project implied a flexible rapid deployment when required and the ability to initiate operations from their own information sources. It appears to have been assumed that the provision of a correctly trained and resourced team was sufficient to achieve a new level of impact against drug trafficking and organised crime but a lack of development of information sources undermined the concept. The formal objectives were: Objective 1: Improve national interdiction results and investigative capacity Output 1 - establishment of joint mobile interdiction teams Output 2 - Enhancement of intelligence analysis/investigative capacity of the joint mobile interdiction teams Objective 2: Ensure integrity and sustainability of joint mobile interdiction teams Output 1 - system in place for the constant monitoring of integrity of mobile teams Output 2 - Mechanism for self-sustainability of joint mobile interdiction teams under development The project commenced in late 2007 after some procedural delays and concluded at the end of 2010. The initial host agency for the MOBIT teams was the Drug Control Agency and under their aegis and that of this project, four teams were constructed, based in Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan with advanced strongholds in Alay, Aidarken and Batken. Equipment and training was funded or provided the donor or CENTCOM on a bi-lateral basis. Initial results of interdiction were slow and at the mid term review in 2009, concern was expressed over performance levels. No issues were, however, raised over integrity. In late 2009, the then President, President Bakiyev abolished the DCA (the host agency) and transferred the MOBIT resources into the Ministry of Interior. As the independence of the Units had been an important aspect of the project and was thus compromised, the project was suspended at the request of the donor. In March, 2010, MOBITs were formally moved into the newly created Chief Department on Counter Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of the Interior and a request for the reinstatement of the project was accepted. Subsequently in August, 2010, President Otunbaeva established the new State Service on Drug Control and the MOBIT resources were to be moved from the MoI to the SSDC. This process of movement was slow and indeed some resources are not yet recovered. Following a further project revision, support was continued until the closure of the project at the end of December, 2010. The impact of the changes in host agency means that at the end of the project, there were no active MOBIT teams. The SSDC is, however, in the process of reconstructing the teams and approximately one third of the personnel have now been inducted. It is no fault of the project that the host agencies were changed. The implication for the evaluation is that most key interlocutors were no longer available and that the evaluation had to proceed by taking stock of what had been achieved under the DCA and MoI and what is planned under the SSDC. The evaluation found justification for the concept of interagency mobile teams that had been specially vetted and secured against corruption and the need for arrangements for a counter narcotics team to operate in the restricted border area. However, the value of confining such a special team to interdictions within the border area is not supported. Such a team is unique within Kyrgyzstan and can have a broader value. In this context it is interesting to note that while under DCA control, they were deployed, inter alia, on controlled deliveries indicating that they were at least from time to time operating in a broader role. The concerns over performance identified at the mid year review in 2009 are valid. MOBIT teams recovered only 6.6% of the total annual national heroin seizures in 2008, 7.7% in 2009 and 19.4% in the first seven months of 2010. Overall, seizures for the whole country fell between 2008 and 2010. This is a disappointing performance in the context of the project objectives for improving national interdiction results and in relation to the MOBITS is considered to be linked to the disappointing outcome of the aspirations of this project to enhance the intelligence and analysis ability of the teams. The objective to enhance the intelligence and analysis ability is entirely in the right direction. Drug trafficking is a highly skilled clandestine activity with few visible opportunities for law enforcement. Investments in the development of new sources of information, dedicated analysts and active management are essential to provide the opportunities for skilled teams such as MOBITs. However, the MOBIT teams are small units, their training has concentrated on special investigative techniques and it is doubtful if they had the capacity for developing the kind of enhanced intelligence collection and analysis envisaged in the project document. This was something better intended for development with the host agency - in which the MOBIT teams should obviously participate. Without better sources of information, it is difficult to see how the MOBIT teams could deliver the higher level of interdiction expected and whilst this was not articulated, it is assumed the principle behind the project concept was that there was either ample information waiting to be acted upon or once the threat of corruption was removed, there would be no shortage of information from which the MOBITs could benefit. Whether this is a correct deduction of the thinking at the time of the project concept, the reality has been that insufficient information appears to be available to lift the MOBIT teams to a new level of performance. Since the SSDC is currently rebuilding the MOBITs as envisaged in the project document, this will be an issue to be addressed. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2011. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 7, 2015 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/evaluation/ProEvals-2009/ProEvals-2010/ProEvals-2011/kgz_i75_establishment_of_interagency_law_enforcement_mobile_groups_in_kyrgyzstan_rev.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Kyrgyzstan Keywords: Corruption Shelf Number: 136346 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "Call Me When He Tries to Kill You": State Response to Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan Summary: Domestic violence affects nearly one-third of women and girls ages 15-49 in Kyrgyzstan. Yet state authorities are failing to provide adequate protection, services, and access to justice for survivors. Based on over 90 interviews, including with 28 survivors of domestic abuse, "Call Me When He Tries to Kill You": State Response to Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan documents ongoing, severe domestic violence, usually perpetrated by husbands or partners. Women described abuse including stabbing, choking, rape, beatings, public humiliation, and blocking access to medical treatment. Kyrgyzstan adopted a domestic violence law in 2003, but, as this report documents, significant gaps remain in its response to such abuse. Many officials push survivors to reconcile with their abusers. Survivors said authorities often refuse to register or investigate complaints, fail to issue or enforce protection orders, and treat domestic violence cases as minor offenses. Other survivors said they withdrew or never filed complaints due to pressure and fear. Inadequate shelter and other services frequently leave survivors feeling that they have nowhere to turn. With a new domestic violence law under consideration, this is a critical time for Kyrgyzstan to tackle this life-threatening problem. Human Rights Watch calls on the government to ensure that new domestic violence legislation strengthens protection and accountability, and to enforce such measures. Police, prosecutors, and judges should investigate and prosecute domestic violence. The government should also ensure that survivors across Kyrgyzstan can access shelter, health, psychosocial, and legal services. Details: New York: HRW, 2015. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2015 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/kyrgyzstan1015_4up.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Kyrgyzstan Keywords: Domestic Violence Shelf Number: 137184 |
Author: Bennett, Will Title: Summary: Osh, Kyrgyzstan is still working through some of the structural drivers of the 2010 conflict that destroyed 2,677 buildings, displaced 80,000 people, and left approximately 500 people dead. The majority were ethnic Uzbeks, victims of the longstanding anger between themselves and the majority ethnic Kyrgyz. It is an event not yet consigned to history. Ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks live in largely segregated areas, mixing infrequently and increasing the potential for mistrust and violence. Justice is difficult to access and of questionable quality in Osh, and this is likely to have ongoing repercussions for peace and security. Much rests upon the ability of recently elected parliamentarians to understand and address people's underlying social, economic and political grievances. This report is based on research carried out in Osh, looking at the links between injustice and violence. One group of interviewees' conclusion that "there is no fairness in Osh" matches the overall findings of this research. Women and minorities suffer most. Inequality is becoming more noticeable. Land shortages cause domestic overcrowding, contributing to poverty and poor health. Kyrgyzstanis are 'tolerant' but not limitlessly so, and the fear is that with each experience of injustice the potential for even further social division, withdrawal, and violence increases. As such, reducing people's daily experiences of injustice is vital for peace in Osh. The report recommends that efforts should be made to address: - social injustices at the heart of youth disaffection and rejection of the state - bureaucratic opacity and people's unawareness of how to access services, including welfare and birth registration - the full social and political inclusion of marginalised groups, including women, ethnic minorities and people living with disabilities - corruption and transparency among security and justice providers to strengthen public access and confidence - land provision for overcrowded families who risk slipping further into poverty - peace and rights education at schools to ensure young people understand their entitlements and responsibilities Details: London: Saferworld, 2016. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2016 at: http://www.saferworld.org.uk/resources/view-resource/1050-ldquoeverything-can-be-tolerated-ndash-except-injusticerdquo Year: 2016 Country: Kyrgyzstan Keywords: Criminal Justice Systems Shelf Number: 138574 |
Author: Amodio, Francesco Title: Bribes vs. Taxes: Market Structure and Incentives Summary: Firms in developing countries often avoid paying taxes by making informal payments to tax officials. These bribes may raise the cost of operating a business, and the price charged to consumers. To decrease these costs, we designed a feedback incentive scheme for business tax inspectors that rewards them according to the anonymous evaluation submitted by inspected firms. We show theoretically that feedback incentives decrease the equilibrium bribe amount, but make firms with more inelastic demand more attractive for inspectors. A tilted scheme that attaches higher weights to the evaluation of smaller firms limits the scope for targeting and decreases the bribe amount to a lesser extent. We evaluate both schemes in a field experiment in the Kyrgyz Republic and find evidence that is consistent with the model predictions. By decreasing bribes, our intervention reduces the average cost for firms and the price they charge to consumers. Since fewer firms substitute bribes for taxes, tax revenues increase. Our study highlights the role of firm heterogeneity and market structure in shaping the relationship between firms and tax inspectors, and provides clear evidence of pass-through of bribes to consumers Details: Bonn: Institute of labor Economics (IZA), 2018. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: IZA Discussion Paper Series, No. 11668: Accessed August 16, 2018 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp11668.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Kyrgyzstan Keywords: Bribes Shelf Number: 151150 |
Author: Tricot O'Farrell, Kloe Title: A threat inflated? The countering and preventing violent extremism agenda in Kyrgyzstan Summary: Often overshadowed by regional headline-grabbing hotspots like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, Central Asian countries like Kyrgyzstan rarely get international attention. The post-Soviet country - once on the ancient Silk Road - rarely makes the news now, but it has its share of challenges. Bisected by the 'northern route' of opioid traffickers, it struggles with pervasive corruption and the threat of political instability, ethnic conflict and now - purportedly - a jihadist underbelly. In response, alongside counter-terror efforts to bolster Central Asian state security services with training and equipment, international policy towards Kyrgyzstan has become increasingly focused on 'countering/preventing violent extremism' (C/PVE). Over the past five years, Saferworld research has documented how international counter-terror and C/PVE efforts have played out in different contexts. In countries like Afghanistan, Kenya, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen, the evidence suggests that these approaches pose a range of risks to sustainable peace. C/PVE can work in favour of peace, but our research suggests that its narrow focus on the recruitment of individual 'violent extremists' is no substitute for more comprehensive strategies that address all the causes of conflict and prioritise peace, rights and development for all. In this long-read article, which draws on interviews with national and international experts and practitioners, the latest scholarly research, and years of community-based programming in-country, our researchers analyse how C/PVE has – and hasn’t – worked in Kyrgyzstan. Details: London: Saferworld, 2019. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2019 at: https://www.saferworld.org.uk/long-reads/a-threat-inflated-the-countering-and-preventing-violent-extremism-agenda-in-kyrgyzstan?utm_source=smartmail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=A+threat+inflated%3F+The+countering+and+preventing+violent+extremism+agenda+in+Kyrgyzstan Year: 2019 Country: Kyrgyzstan Keywords: Counter-Terrorism Shelf Number: 155050 |