UCA Rector Prof Sohail Naqvi addressing a dialogue on Kyrgyzstan migration policy at Bishkek on Friday. (L to R) Former Vice President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbayeva, State Migration Service chairman Saparbaevich Ibraimzhanov and UN Resident Coordinator Ozonnia Ojielo also present. Photo: UCA
Government representatives, development partners, and experts on March 1st, 2019, shared inputs on the formation of a long-term migration policy for the Kyrgyzstan, said a press release issued by the University of Central Asia (UCA).
The dialogue on developing “Comprehensive Long-Term Evidence-Based Migration Policy for the Kyrgyz Republic”, the second in a series of six such dialogues, was co-organised by the United Nations (UN) and the UCA’s Institute of Public Policy and Administration (IPPA) at Bishkek.
The event served as a platform for discussion among stakeholders, including experts, high-level government representatives, parliamentarians, development partners, researchers, and civil society representatives. The objective was to share inputs on current migration issues, challenges, and opportunities, as well as develop a list of recommendations for a comprehensive, long-term and evidence-based national migration policy.
“Effective use of the positive aspects of migration processes in the Kyrgyz Republic can only be achieved by combining the joint efforts of all state bodies and civil society,” said Bolotbek Saparbaevich Ibraimzhanov, the Chairman of the Kyrgyzstan’s State Migration Service.
“The University of Central Asia aims to play a key and integral role as an anchor for regional development in Kyrgyzstan”, said Dr Sohail Naqvi, Rector of UCA, at the opening session.
“Evidence-based policy research on development issues specific to mountain communities is reflected in the work of UCA’s Institute of Public Policy and Administration, and I am very pleased that today we are tackling the issue of migration, and its social and economic impact,” he added.
At a recent board meeting of the State Migration Service, Altynai Omurbekova, Vice Prime Minister of the Kyrgyzstan, noted that over 700,000 Kyrgyz citizens are living outside the country.
“Despite the work done, there are a number of problems in this area that need to be addressed. First of all, it is necessary to develop a concept of migration policy and approve a programme for support of compatriots abroad,” she stressed.
“It is extremely important that multiple stakeholders work together on developing and implementing a migration policy. This is a cross-cutting issue with positive and negative impacts on social, economic and environmental aspects of development,” stated Ozonnia Ojielo, UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan.
Through the dialogue initiative, UN agencies will continue to provide policy support to the national partners in developing a comprehensive, long-term national migration policy for Kyrgyzstan, he assured.
Participants at the development dialogue on migration.
In his presentation, Dr Roman Mogilevskii, Associate Director of IPPA at UCA, highlighted the challenges and said that “Labour migration provides employment to 20% of the working-age population of the country, and generates remittances to Kyrgyzstan amounting to more than 30% of GDP, making migration the main employment sector and the main source of foreign exchange.”
The dialogues series will be organised over the course of one year to initiate consultation among government, development partners, civil society, private sector and academia on critical sustainable development subjects.
The goal of the dialogues is to help break down traditional sector silos and enhance horizontal and vertical policy coherence, integration, and partnerships to inform policy formulation in Kyrgyzstan. Each dialogue is designed to include presentations of thematic issues by key stakeholders, a Q&A session, and an open substantive discussion that will be published as a thematic policy brief.
