An introductory workshop convened Kyrgyz civil society representatives and human rights specialists to lay the groundwork for more robust and effective human rights monitoring.
As part of the European Union funded project ‘Monitoring for Justice – Strengthening Civil Society in Promoting Human Rights in Kyrgyzstan‘ , led by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a human rights monitoring methodology will be developed by members of Kyrgyz civil society, supported by the Max Planck Foundation and its local Kyrgyz partner organisations, BIOM and ALGA.
To open the discussion, the Foundation emphasised the importance of human rights monitoring, highlighting the various ways in which monitoring can increase compliance with states’ human rights obligations and accountability in governance. Several Kyrgyz speakers elaborated on the country context for the implementation of monitoring regimes, specifically in the domains of environmental rights, women’s rights and privacy.
On this basis, the participants discussed in groups and a broader forum the most pressing human rights issues in Kyrgyzstan, and highlighted current obstacles to monitoring in Kyrgyzstan.
This workshop provided an encouraging first step in developing a stronger and more appropriate human rights monitoring framework. The Foundation looks forward to continuing its support to this new expert forum.