JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance ('GSP+') assessment of the Kyrgyz Republic covering the period 2016 - 2017 Accompanying the document Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council Report on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences during the period 2016 - 2017
Date: 2018-01-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, European Commission
Subjects: EU market, Kyrgyzstan, common commercial policy, environmental protection, generalised preferences, governance, human rights, international convention, sustainable development, tariff preference

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY Brussels, 19.1.2018  SWD(2018) 27 final  JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  The EU Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance ('GSP+') assessment of the Kyrgyz Republic covering the period 2016 - 2017 Accompanying the document Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council Report on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences during the period 2016 - 2017  {COM(2018) 36 final} - {SWD(2018) 23 final} - {SWD(2018) 24 final} - {SWD(2018) 25 final} - {SWD(2018) 26 final} - {SWD(2018) 28 final} - {SWD(2018) 29 final} - {SWD(2018) 30 final} - {SWD(2018) 31 final} - {SWD(2018) 32 final}  
 
 
Kyrgyzstan GSP+ Assessment  

1. Country Overview 

The  Kyrgyz  Republic  has  a  parliamentary  system  of  governance  and  is  known  for  its 
democratic  aspirations.  The  political  system  is  genuinely  pluralistic,  with  a  number  of 
political parties competing for influence among the electorate. The law provides for freedom 
of  expression  and  media.  Citizens  are  generally  free  to  exercise  these  rights.  Among  the 
vibrant  civil  society  there  are  a  number  of  active  organisations  standing  up  for  the 
strengthening of democratic rights and freedoms.  

During the 25 years of its independence, the country has experienced two revolutions: in 2005 
and 2010. In both cases, after accusations of abuse of power and of taking personal advantage 
of  the  resources  of  the  country,  the  incumbent  President  was  forced  to  leave  his  post.  The 
2010 Revolution was followed a few months later by violent clashes between the Kyrgyz and 
Uzbek  communities  in  the  South,  where  several  hundred  people  lost  their  lives.  These 
traumatic  events  also  served  as  catalysts  for  the  development  of  the  political  system  in  the 
country.  The  Constitution  adopted  in  2010  aimed  at  strengthening  democracy  and  human 
rights. The country has since achieved significant progress in this regard, even though many 
challenges remain and setbacks can occur. The international donor community, including the 
EU, has provided significant support for the process of democratic transition in Kyrgyzstan.  

In  December  2016,  a  national  referendum  on  constitutional  reform  was  held  in  conjunction 
with  municipal  elections.  Among  other  objectives,  the  constitutional  changes  aimed  to 
reinforce  the  role  of  the  Prime  Minister.  With  an  overall  voter  turnout  of  38.8%,  an 
overwhelming majority (79.6%) voted in favour of the amendments. On 15 October 2017, a 
new  President  was  elected  in  the  first  round  of  peaceful,  competitive  and  orderly  elections, 
receiving 54.2% of votes, with a voter turnout of 55.9% according to preliminary results. The 
country's  authorities  have  invested  in  improving  the  electoral  process  and  introducing  new 
technologies  that  have  been  successfully  tested  in  the  2015  Parliamentary  elections.  The 
electoral reform overall increased the transparency of elections, while shortcomings identified 
by an international observer mission led by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and 
Human Rights will need to be addressed.  

Since its independence in 1991, the Kyrgyz Republic pursues an open foreign and economic 
policy based on market economy principles. In 1998, it was the first country in Central Asia 
to join the World Trade Organisation. In 2015, Kyrgyzstan became a member of the Eurasian 
Economic Union.  

The Kyrgyz Republic is one of the poorest countries in the region, with nominal annual GDP 
per  capita  adjusted  by  purchasing  power  parity  (PPP)  reaching  3,292  USD.  Remittances 
account for approximately 30% of GDP. They mostly stem from Kyrgyz nationals working in 
Russia. In exercising its duties, the government faces budgetary constraints. The division of 
the  country  into  Northern  and  Southern  parts  by  geographical  factors  implies  also  some 
political, economic and cultural differences between these regions. The country is to a certain 
extent  vulnerable  to  external  economic  shocks.  Growth  is  driven  largely  by  agriculture, 
services  and  outputs  from  the  Kumtor  gold  mine.  Political  stabilisation  since  2010  has 
benefited the investment climate, which is nevertheless marred by widespread corruption and 
a weak judiciary.  

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The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which is in force since 1999, provides the legal 
framework for cooperation between the EU and the Kyrgyz Republic, while the EU-Central 
Asia  Strategy  for  a  New  Partnership  sets  the  political  framework  for  EU-Kyrgyz  relations. 
Both  parties  have  expressed  an  interest  in  further  strengthening  and  upgrading  bilateral 
relations.  The  EU  supports  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  through  substantial  bilateral  assistance.  In 
2014-2020  EUR  184  million  will  be  invested  mostly  on  the  rule  of  law,  education  and 
integrated  rural  development. 1  Additional  regional  and  thematic  funds  help  addressing 
regional challenges related to security, the environment and management of natural resources. 
Specific technical assistance is provided also in relation to GSP+.  

The Kyrgyz Republic joined the GSP+ in January 2016. In June 2016, a first round of GSP+ 
monitoring took place in Kyrgyzstan, back-to-back with the 7th EU-Kyrgyzstan Human Rights 
Dialogue.  The  purpose  of  the  visit  was  to  inform  Kyrgyz  authorities  and  businesses  about 
GSP+ and to gather insights about the human and labour rights situation in Kyrgyzstan for the 
present Report.  

2. Compliance with GSP+ Obligations 

2.1.  UN Human Rights Conventions (Conventions 1-7) 

Status of ratification and reporting 

During  the  reporting  period,  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  maintained  ratification  of  all  seven  UN 
human  rights  conventions  relevant  to  GSP+,  without  reservations.  All  required reports  have 
been submitted. 

Status of implementation of the conventions 

The  Kyrgyz  Republic  continues  to  improve  its  legal  framework  with  regards  to  the  human 
rights  conventions.  Good  progress  in  the  legal  framework  can  be  noted  in  particular  with 
regard  to  elimination  of  discrimination  against  women  as  well  as  children's  rights.  Still,  in 
order  to  achieve  a  substantial  improvement,  work  remains  to  be  done  in  effectively 
implementing the legal framework and monitoring the situation on the ground. In particular, 
allegations  of  ethnic  discrimination,  torture  and  mistreatment  in  detention  facilities  and  the 
practice of bride-kidnapping need to be thoroughly addressed. 

International  Convention  on  the  Elimination  of  All  Forms  of  Racial 
Discrimination (CERD) 

The Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic prohibits discriminatory practices, inter alia, on the 
grounds of race, ethnicity, language or religion. Ethnic minorities account for around 27% of 
the total population. Ethnic Uzbeks, 15% of the population, live predominately in the south of 
the country. Tensions between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks culminated in the violent clashes of 2010.  

The Kyrgyz Government has taken measures to ensure peaceful coexistence between different 
ethnic groups, for example by adopting the National Strategy for Sustainable Development of 
the Kyrgyz Republic for 2013-2017 and the Concept of Strengthening the Unity of the People 

1 A Mid-term review is currently on-going and it is suggested to reallocate EUR 10 million from the Multiannual Indicative 
Programme between the European Union and the Kyrgyz Republic to the Regional Indicative Programme for Central Asia. 
This would bring the bilateral assistance within the Multiannual Indicative Programme between the European Union and the 
Kyrgyz Republic to EUR 174 million. 

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and Inter-Ethnic Relations. As part of the implementation of the concept, the State Agency for 
Local Government and Inter-Ethnic Relations was established. It is tasked with strengthening 
inter-ethnic  harmony  and  detecting  and  preventing  inter-ethnic  conflicts.  The  agency  has 
established an early warning system for the prevention of ethnic conflicts which includes the 
opening of public offices in multi-ethnic areas and a monitoring centre.  

Some  specific  areas  still  require  more  consistent  and  resourceful  measures.  For  instance, 
ethnic minorities' participation in public life, public office and elected bodies continues to be 
disproportionately  low  despite  a  policy  that  gives  priority  to  members  of  underrepresented 
ethnic  groups  if  there  are  multiple  equally  qualified  candidates  for  a  civil  servant  position. 
The  Constitution  guarantees  equal  rights  and  opportunities  for  citizens  applying  to  become 
civil  servants,  but  the  proportion  of  national  minorities  in  State  institutions  overall  is  2% 
according  to  estimates  by  the  Office  of  the  United  Nations  High  Commissioner  for  Human 
Rights  (OHCHR).  Members  of  specific  minority  groups  also  seem  to  be  more  prone  to 
harassment and violations of their rights, including during law enforcement and prosecution.  

There  is  a range  of  measures  in  place  to  prevent  discrimination  and  mistreatment  related  to 
religious issues and to ensure awareness of officials, law enforcement workers and the public 
of religious affairs. However, there have been a number of reports of community violence and 
mistreatment by the police against minority religious groups. This points to the need to review 
or reinforce the measures to prevent such acts.  

The Government policy is to establish Kyrgyz as the State language while minority languages 
are to be preserved as well. Since 2014, Uzbek is excluded from the National Literacy Test 
(required to enter universities). Some reports suggest that the number of ethnic Uzbeks who 
sit the National Literacy Test has decreased significantly over the last years. Also, the number 
of Uzbek schools has declined from 133 in 2009 to 43 in June 2017. In many of these schools, 
Uzbek  language  is  still  taught,  but  has  lost  its  formal  status  due  to  the  addition  of  other 
languages (usually Russian and Kyrgyz). The Ministry of Education has facilitated measures 
for voluntary additional instruction of minority  languages in addition to what is provided in 
the  curriculum.  A  practical  problem  seems  to  be  the  lack  of  textbooks  and  other  learning 
materials in minority languages.  

While  there  are  no  laws  preventing  media  outlets  in  minority  languages,  a  number  of  such 
media  outlets  have  either  ceased  to  exist  or  have  changed  to  Kyrgyz  recently.  There  is  no 
comprehensive  data  available  regarding  the  quantitative  development  of  minority  languages 
media in recent years. 

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) 

Due to the above-mentioned existence of important ethnic minorities and the history of ethnic 
clashes,  it  is  important  to  pay  careful  attention  to  reconciliation,  strengthening  of  ethnic 
harmony and countering stigmatisation and negative stereotypes.  

The Constitution prohibits the death penalty, torture and other inhuman, cruel and degrading 
treatment  or  punishment  and  guarantees  the  right  to  compensation  from  the  State  for  harm 
caused by illegal actions by authorities. The Act on National Security Agencies of the Kyrgyz 
Republic obliges security agencies to respect human rights and freedoms; restrictions of rights 
and  freedoms  must  be  proportionate.  In  2013,  Kyrgyzstan  established  the  Human  Rights 
Coordination Council affiliated to the Government and the National Centre for the Prevention 
of  Torture  and  Other  Cruel,  Inhuman  or  Degrading  Treatment  or  Punishment.  In  2015,  a 

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special  unit  was  established  in  the  General  Prosecutor's  Office  in  charge  of  human  rights 
monitoring.   

The  Act  on  Combating  Terrorism  sets  the  frame  for  special  measures  taken  by  law 
enforcement when fighting terrorism. The measures are regulated by the Criminal Code of the 
Kyrgyz Republic. As anti-terrorism operations by Kyrgyz authorities continue, it is important 
to ensure that adequate measures are applied in practice, in accordance with the provisions of 
the Covenant.    

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) 

The  Constitution  of  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  prohibits  discrimination  with  no  reservation.  Still, 
Kyrgyzstan lacks a comprehensive anti-discrimination law that would provide a definition of 
direct and indirect discrimination.  

The EU and other international organisations have in the past expressed their serious concerns 
on  a  draft  law  imposing  administrative  sanctions  on  persons  who  foster  positive  attitudes 
towards  'non-traditional  sexual  relations'  and  welcomed  the  fact  that  the  law  has  not  been 
processed  further.  It  nevertheless  remains  on  the  agenda  of  the  Parliament  in  an  idle  mode. 
The  situation  of  the  LGBT  community  remains  difficult.  Representatives  of  the  LGBT 
community reportedly suffer from intimidation and violence, including mistreatment by law 
enforcement officials.  

It can be considered a positive development that a draft law which would have required non-
Governmental  organisations  that  receive  foreign  funding  to  register  as  'foreign  agents'  was 
rejected by the Kyrgyz Parliament in 2016.  

Bride  kidnapping  is  still  a  phenomenon  affecting  both  women  and  underage  girls  in 
Kyrgyzstan. Despite its criminalisation and increased severity of punishment since 2013, only 
a few perpetrators have been convicted between 2008 and 2016. According to records of the 
Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies, in 2016, 180 cases of forced marriage, underage marriage, 
bride kidnapping or obstruction of marriage were registered. Of these, 31 criminal cases were 
initiated,  of which 25 cases were sent  to court. In  October 2016, the Parliament approved a 
law prohibiting traditional wedding ceremonies ('nikeh') with underage girls. The authorities 
carry  out  awareness-raising  campaigns  about  the  illegality  of  bride  kidnapping  and  take 
measures  to  reduce  patriarchal  attitudes  as  well  as  gender-based  violence.  However,  further 
efforts in this regard are required to achieve a significant shift in public attitude and eliminate 
these practices.  

Convention  on  the  Elimination  of  All  Forms  of  Discrimination  Against 
Women (CEDAW) 

In 2016, Kyrgyzstan ranked 81 out of 144 in the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap 
Index.  Average  wages  for  women  are  substantially  lower  than  for  men,  and  the  level  of 
unemployment  is  higher  among  women,  especially  those  of  ethnic  minorities,  who  are 
vulnerable  to  exploitation.  In  addition  to  the  lack  of  economic  and  social  independence  of 
women  and  the  prevalence  of  poverty,  young  women  in  rural  areas  often  face  pressure  to 
marry and domestic violence is widespread. Participation of women in public life is affected 
by traditional and patriarchal attitudes.  

The  authorities  have  taken  important  steps  to  improve  the  situation  of  women.  The 
Constitution  and  the  Law  on  State  Guarantees  on  the  Provision  of  Equal  Rights  and  Equal 

4 

 
Opportunities for Men and Women ensure gender equality and include provisions prohibiting 
sex discrimination. The Kyrgyz Republic acceded to the Beijing Platform for Action, signed 
the Millennium Declaration and adopted fundamental legal acts such as the Act on Social and 
Legal Protection against Violence in the Family. This new law, which was adopted in April 
2017, aims to improve the coordination among State bodies to prevent and prosecute domestic 
violence and to take care of victims through provision of assistance in ad hoc shelters.  

In 2012, the Government adopted a National Strategy on Achievement of Gender Equality by 
2020.  This  National  Strategy  is  implemented  through  biennial  action  plans.  The  National 
Action Plan for Gender Equality for 2015-2017 is implemented under the overall coordination 
of the Vice Prime Minister of Social Affairs. The Ministry of Social Development is the main 
body  responsible  for  monitoring  and  evaluating  the  implementation  progress.  It  is  also 
foreseen  that  this  body  will  be  responsible  for  resource  mobilisation,  coordination  of  donor 
funds, coordination of central, sectoral and regional executive bodies, and the establishment 
of conditions for both the private sector and civil society to participate in implementing the 
national strategy. Both the National Strategy and Plan establish the following priority areas: 
1)  women's  economic  empowerment,  2)  developing  a  system  of  functional  education,  3) 
eliminating  gender  discrimination  and  improving  access  to  justice,  4)  gender  parity  in 
decision-making and expanding women's political participation. Attention is paid to particular 
social  groups  such  as  rural  women,  young  people,  the  elderly  and  persons  with  disabilities. 
Together with  international donors, the EU has contributed to  achieving these  priorities,  for 
instance through a project on Promoting Gender Justice and Empowerment of Young Women' 
worth  EUR  300,000  under  the  European  Instrument  for  Democracy  and  Human  Rights 
(EIDHR).  

In  the  framework  of  the  Action  Plan  for  the  Implementation  of  the  Programme  of  the 
Government to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2013-2016, 
cooperation  with  the  International  Organisation  for  Migration  (IOM)  in  Central  Asia  was 
established.  Kyrgyz  judges  and  other  Government  agencies  received  training  on  how  to 
protect the victims of trafficking.  

In 2016, the CEDAW Committee noted Kyrgyzstan's achievements in its 4th periodic report 
and  gave  recommendations  for  improvement.  Several  factors  undermine  investigations, 
convictions  and  subsequently  a  reduction  of  violence  against  women.  A  large  number  of 
incidents  remain  unreported.  Initiated  criminal  cases  are  frequently  discontinued  as  victims 
refuse  to  press  charges.  Measures  are  lacking  to  protect  victims  from  pressure  by  relatives. 
Furthermore,  Kyrgyz  women  have  little  confidence  in  law  enforcement  bodies,  have  to  pay 
themselves for the required medical examination and, according to NGO reports, courts often 
delay the cases for various reasons.  

In April 2017, the Government approved the Country Action Plan on the Implementation of 
the  CEDAW  Committee  Concluding  Observations  to  the  Fourth  Periodic  Report  of  the 
Kyrgyz Republic. The CEDAW Action Plan was developed in a participatory way enabling 
NGOs to submit alternative reports. UN Women provided technical and facilitation support to 
the process.  

Convention  against  Torture  and  Other  Cruel,  Inhuman  or  Degrading 
Treatment or Punishment (CAT) 

The Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic is the fundamental legal act which prohibits use of 
torture.  According  to  the  Constitution  and  the  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure,  no  one  can  be 
sentenced  solely  on  the  basis  of  their  own  confession.  There  is  an  increasingly  solid  legal 

5 

 
framework  to  prevent  torture.  However,  many  complaints  about  torture  and  forced 
confessions  are  still  being  made.  Further  training  for  law  enforcement  personnel  seems 
necessary to increase awareness about human rights. 

Whenever  a  complaint  of  torture  is  filed,  a  mandatory  medical  examination  of  the  alleged 
victim  is  conducted  in  accordance  with  the  Istanbul  Protocol.  The  Ministry  of  Health  has 
developed  and  approved  a  comprehensive  Practical  Guide  to  Document  All  Types  of 
Violence,  Torture,  Cruel  and  Inhuman  Treatment,  also  on  the  basis  of  the  principles  of  the 
Istanbul Protocol. In 2010, the Ministry of Interior adopted a decree to ensure prevention of 
illegal acts against persons held in centres of temporary detention. In 2012, the Criminal Code 
of the Kyrgyz Republic was amended in order to increase the seriousness of punishment for 
torture  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  CAT.  The  judicial  practice  in  criminal  cases 
regarding  torture  and  cruel  treatment  is  monitored  constantly  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
Kyrgyz Republic.  

In 2012, a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), in the form of the National Centre of the 
Kyrgyz  Republic  for  the  Prevention  of  Torture  and  Other  Cruel,  Inhuman  or  Degrading 
Treatment  or  Punishment  was  established.  It  is  tasked  with  further  improving  the  legal 
framework  in  this  sphere  and  maintains  direct  contact  with  the  relevant  United  Nations 
Subcommittee. In 2014, the Government approved a Plan to Combat Torture as well as other 
cruel,  inhuman  or  degrading  treatment  or  punishment  in  the  Kyrgyz  Republic.  The  Plan 
includes  measures  to  improve  the  legal  framework  and  to  conduct  awareness-raising 
activities. In March 2014, the Ministry of Interior adopted a directive to guarantee that access 
to pre-detention facilities is ensured for representatives of the NPM. In 2015 and 2017, further 
measures  were  adopted  to  strengthen  video  surveillance.  Furthermore,  Kyrgyzstan  has  been 
visited by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Subcommittee 
on Prevention of Torture and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and it has accepted their 
recommendations  for  implementation.  The  Ombudsman  of  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  conducts 
annual  campaigns  dedicated  to  the  international  day  of  support  to  victims  of  torture.  The 
Ombudsman  also  conducts  regular  and  unannounced  checks  on  detention  facilities  and  has 
improved  cooperation  with  the  Organization  for  Security  and  Co-operation  (OSCE)  and  the 
International  Committee  of  the  Red  Cross  (ICRC).  However,  according  to  data  from  the 
General Prosecutor's Office (GPO), only a small proportion of reported cases of torture have 
been  sent  to  court.  The  Ombudsman  reports  that  in  most  cases  the  claimants  retract  their 
submissions about torture or submit their claims too late.  

In 2016, the Security Council transferred the powers of conducting criminal investigations on 
police  officers  from  the  GPO  to  the  State  Committee  for  National  Security  (GKNB).  This 
eliminated  a  possible  conflict  of  interest  within  the  GPO  that  was  in  charge  both  of 
investigating  torture  crimes  and  of  overseeing  investigative  procedures.  However,  NGOs 
accuse  the  GKNB  of  perpetrating  torture  itself  and  thus  fear  inefficient  investigations  of 
torture cases. 

A  reform  of  the  judicial  system  has  been  underway  since  2010.  The  main  objective  of  the 
reform  is  to  develop  an  effective  judicial  system  and  to  restore  public  confidence  in  it  by 
ensuring the right to  fair trial based on the rule of law and in accordance with  international 
standards. Furthermore, the independence of judges as well as their impartiality, objectivity, 
honesty, integrity and competence need to be ensured.  

Strengthening  the  rule  of  law  is  one  of  the  focal  sectors  of  EU  development  cooperation  in 
Kyrgyzstan. The EU contributes to the achievement of the above objective through its Rule of 

6 

 
Law Programmes (EUR 13.5 million for 2014-2017 and additionally EUR 13 million for the 
follow-up phase 2018-2022). Specific EIDHR projects have supported prevention of torture, 
improving  the  work  of  the  National  Torture  Prevention  Centre  and  enabled  the  medical 
personnel located at the places of detention to use the Guidelines on Effective Investigation 
and Documentation of Torture (Istanbul Protocol). 

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 

The  adoption  of  the  Children's  Code  of  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  in  2010  (last  amendment  in 
2017)  has  enabled  the  incorporation  of  the  CRC  into  the  Kyrgyz  legislation  without 
exceptions  and  reservations.  In  2014,  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  submitted  a  combined  third  and 
fourth periodic report on the implementation  of the CRC and received 21 recommendations 
from the Committee. Also in 2014, a Commission on all Social Issues of Local Government 
was  established  which  coordinates  actions  of  local  Government  bodies  and  the  central 
Government.  In  2015,  a  Contingency  Plan  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruel  Treatment  and 
Violence against Children was adopted which led to the establishment of 528 offices for the 
prevention of cruel treatment and violence against children in all regions of the country. The 
Action Plan for the Prevention of Cruel Treatment and Violence against Children 2015- 2017 
was approved in 2015. In 2015, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development established a 
24-hour 'Helpline for children 111'. 

In 2014, to address the issues of bride kidnapping, underage marriages and pregnancies, the 
Ministry of Health introduced the Guidelines for Teachers on Extracurricular Activities for a 
Healthy Lifestyle with Students from Grades 6-11, taking up moral and sexual education of 
teenagers.  Work  is  underway  on  a  new  draft  decision  of  the  Government  to  improve 
regulations on abortion for underage girls. With the support of the United Nations Population 
Fund  (UNFPA),  12  youth-friendly  offices  were  set  up  where  adolescents  can  get  advice  on 
reproductive health. 

The Centre for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, established by a Government decision 
in  2013,  takes  care  of  children  in  need  of  immediate  protection.  In  2016,  the  Ministry  of 
Labour and Social Development approved a decree on the monitoring of residential child care 
institutions. The monitoring did not reveal cases of violence against children. Issues related to 
children's  rights  have  also  been  reflected  by  the  Ombudsman  in  his  annual  report.  Despite 
these  efforts,  further  improvement  is  required  especially  with  regard  to  ill-treatment  of 
children by law enforcement officials and child abuse.  

Between 2014 and 2016, an EU-funded project 'Stop Silence about Violence against Children' 
was carried out to promote zero-tolerance of violence against children.  

Future actions and priorities 

Several steps have been identified by the Government to further foster inter-ethnic relations. 
Regarding  the  status  of  minority  languages  in  schools,  the  Government  envisages  multi-
language  education  in  all  minority  schools  in  the  country  in  the  long-term.  To  manage  this 
transition,  funds  will  need  to  be  allocated.  This  could  provide  a  balanced  approach  of 
preserving  both  minority  and  State  languages.  In  terms  of  interethnic  harmony,  the 
Government  has  identified  the  following  crucial  problems:  underdeveloped  socio-economic 
infrastructure,  high  ethnic  segregation  in  villages,  little  public  awareness  regarding  positive 
aspects associated with other ethnic groups, corruption and illegal actions of law enforcement 
bodies. The Government plans to engage on these issues in the future, but concrete measures 
are not yet known. 

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In line with the National Strategy on Achievement of Gender Equality by 2020, there will be a 
new Action Plan on Gender Equality in 2018. The Government develops proposals for special 
measures  to  ensure  gender  representation  in  political  positions  and  conducts  awareness 
campaigns  about  the  importance  of  women's  participation  in  decision-making.  The 
Ombudsman  of  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  is  taking  part  in  the  development  and  review  of  the 
minimum standards for authorities when handling incidents of domestic violence. 

Conclusions 

The  Kyrgyz  Government  has  taken  various  measures  to  tackle  shortcomings  identified  by 

monitoring bodies of the UN human rights conventions in recent years. The Government has 

put  in  place  a  substantial  legal  framework  to  address  the  most  important  issues.  The  main 

challenge  for  the  Kyrgyz  Republic,  however,  lies  in  the  implementation  of  the  established 

legal framework. Successful implementation is often hindered by inactivity or non-compliance 

with the law by local investigators, law enforcement bodies and courts. Changing traditional 

mentalities and increasing awareness of human rights among these institutions will be crucial 

for the Kyrgyz Republic in the future and will require the Government's perseverance. 

2.2.  ILO Labour Rights Conventions (Conventions 8-15) 

Status of ratification and reporting 

Over  the  reporting  period,  Kyrgyzstan  has  maintained  the  ratification  of  all  eight  ILO 
fundamental  conventions.  Serious  failure  in  reporting  obligations  had  been  an  outstanding 
issue and the country was singled out by the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of 
Standards  and  Recommendations  (CEACR)  at  the  2016  International  Labour  Conference 
(ILC). However, improvement was noted in the last report published at the ILC in 2017 with 
most requested reports having been submitted. The quality of reporting remains problematic 
as the reports do not fully reply to the comments of the CEACR, notably on ILO Conventions 
29,  100,  105,  111,  138  and  182,  that  are  therefore  repeated.  In  general,  information  on  the 
implementation in practice is lacking.  

Status of implementation of the conventions 

The Kyrgyz Government has established an overall sound legal framework with respect to the 
eight fundamental ILO labour conventions. In particular with regard to the two conventions 
on  child  labour,  the  Government  has  adopted  several  measures  in  recent  years  which 
constitute  real  progress  in  the  legal  and  institutional  framework.  However,  several  CEACR 
direct  requests  of  2015  and  2017  have  not  yet  been  addressed  by  the  Government.  Besides 
working  on  these  requests,  the  main  focus  of  the  Government  must  be  to  ensure  the 
enforcement of legal standards across the country. 

Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining (Conventions 87 and 98) 

Despite some remaining shortcomings, the overall legislative framework in this area is  quite 
solid.  Difficulties  in  the  implementation  are  largely  due  to  the  weakness  of  trade-unions  at 
enterprise level, which in turn is caused by the lack of tradition and experience in building up 
trade unions as collective bodies representing the rights of the employees. 

8 

 
There remain concerns about restrictions to the right to strike. The excessively high quorum 
requirement could impede the possibilities to call for a strike, especially in larger enterprises. 
The outright ban on strikes in the air, railway and water transport and communication services 
in the Labour Code should be modified in a way that respects both the need to maintain basic 
services and the right to organise and call for strikes. The legislation also lacks clarity on the 
right to organise for employees of public administrations and enterprises. 

Collective bargaining is regulated by legislation. At national level, the permanent nation-wide 
tripartite  commission  is  in  charge  of  the  regulation  of  social  and  labour  relations.  Such 
commissions may be established at territorial level as well as at branch level. However, there 
remain  concerns 
trade  unions  are  undermined  by  elected 
representatives in the collective bargaining process. 

the  representative 

that 

Abolition of Forced Labour (Conventions 29 and 105) 

The Kyrgyz Republic is rather a source of trafficking, forced labour and labour exploitation 
(including sex exploitation) of its nationals abroad (in the case of men, Russia and Kazakhstan 
in  particular).  Nevertheless,  forced  labour  is  also  reported  within  the  country,  especially  in 
agriculture (including forced child labour), forestry, construction and textile industries as well 
as in domestic service and forced child care (see 2016 US State Department's Trafficking in 
Persons Report). 

Action to improve coordination, implementation and monitoring of anti-trafficking efforts has 
picked-up  since  2015,  triggered  by  an  evaluation  by  the  Parliament..  A  regular  dialogue 
between public authorities and with civil society was initiated through a permanent platform 
and  a  monitoring  working  group  was  set-up.  The  2013-2016  National  Action  Plan  for 
Combatting  Trafficking  in  Human  Beings  remains,  however,  largely  unimplemented. 
According to the 2016 US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report, Kyrgyzstan still 
does  not  fully  meet  the  minimum  standards  for  the  elimination  of  human  trafficking. 
Substantial  improvement  is  needed  in  investigation  and  prosecution  that  are  seriously 
undermined by systemic corruption. According to the information provided by the authorities, 
there were no criminal cases on the use of forced labour handled by the courts between 2015 
and  the  first  half  of  2016,  which  suggests  further  deficiencies  in  the  supervision  and 
enforcement system. 

Gaps remain regarding the compliance of national legislation with the ILO conventions. The 
Constitution  prohibits  forced  labour,  except  in  cases  of  war,  natural  disasters  and  other 
emergencies.  The  CEACR  repeatedly  requested  additional  information  on  how  emergency 
cases  are  governed  to  guarantee  that  calling-up  compulsory  labour  is  strictly  limited.  The 
definition of forced labour allows mandatory alternative (civilian) services during compulsory 
military  service,  which  is  not  in  line  with  ILO  Convention  29.  As  for  concerns  on  the 
implementation  of  ILO  Convention  105,  these  include  the  need  to  ensure  that  no  prison 
sentence entailing compulsory labour can be imposed on persons who express political views 
as well as penal sanctions applicable to officials in case of 'negligence'.  

Minimum Age for Work and Worst Forms of Child Labour (Conventions 138 
and 182) 

Kyrgyzstan  acknowledges  that  child  labour  persists  especially  in  agriculture  (notably  in 
tobacco,  rice  and  cotton  fields),  street  markets,  the  service  sector  and  construction  sites. 
According to the latest ILO report on Working Children in Kyrgyzstan, there were more than 
580,000 working children in the country in 2014 or 39% of the 5-17 age group. Child labour 

9 

 
(27.8%  of  the  same  age  group)  has  declined,  but  hazardous  work  has  grown  significantly 
(from 12.5% in 2007 to 18.6% in 2014) – particularly amongst the younger children (aged 6-
13  years),  for  whom  it  grew  from  7.4%  in  2007  to  23.4%  in  2014.  Working  children  are 
mostly  found  in  family  businesses,  which  is  a  widespread  tradition  in  agriculture,  and 
explained  by  the  lack  of  resources  of  small  producers  to  employ  additional  workers. 
Kyrgyzstan  features  on  the  US  Department  of  Labour's  List  of  Goods  Produced  by  Child 
Labour. 

A legal framework is in place that sets the minimum age for employment at 16 years and the 
conditions  for  the  work  of  children  under  this  age,  as  well  as  the  restrictions  on  work  by 
persons  under  18  involving  harmful  and/or  hazardous  working  conditions.  A  Government 
decision is under preparation to update the related list of hazardous work. The legislation also 
prohibits  forced  labour  of  children,  makes  trafficking  in  persons  under  18  an  aggravated 
offence and regulates compulsory education and child protection in general. The compliance 
with  child  labour  legislation  is  monitored  by  the  State  Inspectorate  for  the  Ecological  and 
Technical Safety. However, prior warning of inspection checks set in the legislation restricts 
the  possibility  to  effectively  supervise  employment  of  persons  under  18.  Identifying  and 
sanctioning (family) employers is also difficult and the gap between rural and urban areas in 
terms of incidence  of child  labour  and hazardous work has  increased. The Inspectorate also 
delivers trainings (with other State agencies) on labour legislation and protection to managers 
and  specialists  from  both  the  public  and  private  sector  (over  200  participants  per  year)  and 
promotes awareness-raising actions on child labour legal provisions.  

Regular checks on all aspects of the wellbeing of children, including the prevention of child 
labour,  are  conducted  under  the  order  of  the  Special  Prosecutor  General,  with  specific 
attention to children at risk. During the first half of 2016, public prosecution bodies conducted 
61 inspections in local agencies responsible for internal affairs, social security and health care. 
Violations discovered were sanctioned. 

Action is taken to address child labour, including measures to promote cooperation of small 
agricultural  producers.  Projects  were  implemented  for  example  in  tobacco  fields  and  one 
regional child labour free zone was created. A child labour monitoring system coupled with a 
special learning programme is being piloted in cooperation with the ILO's Programme on the 
Elimination  of  Child  Labour  in  Central  Asia.  An  Interdepartmental  Plan  to  prevent  worst 
forms  of  child  labour  for  2016-2018  was  approved.  Several  State  programmes  address 
children  at  risk:  Programme  on  the  Social  Protection  of  the  Population  2015-2017,  State 
Programme  on  Justice  for  Children  2014-2018  and  the  Action  Plan  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruel Treatment and Violence against Children 2015-2017. Several centres were established 
to provide services for children in difficult situations. The Ombudsman Institute is also active 
in this field. At local level, social services and authorities cooperate to identify families and 
children  at  risk  and  address  them  with  individual  plans.  Insufficient  budget  has  limited  the 
outreach  of  programmes  for  the  elimination  of  child  labour  and  its  worst  forms.  Actions  to 
prevent  and  combat  child  labour  focus  on  awareness  campaigns  and  would  deserve  a  more 
systemic approach.  

Trafficked  children  are  particularly  exposed  to  the  worst  forms  of  child  labour  and  the 
CEACR repeated its concern about the lack of data in that respect. In  addition to the 2013-
2016 Programme for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, the Government has approved 
an Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Children for 2016. 

10 

 
Elimination of Discrimination (Conventions 100 and 111) 

The country's ranking on the Global Gender Gap Index (81 in 2016 against 67 in 2014) has 
deteriorated  due  to  the  widening  gender  gaps  in  labour  market  participation  and  earned 
income. The decline in women's labour market participation (now below 50% against 58% in 
1990) has been much stronger in Kyrgyzstan than in other Central Asian countries. Less than 
half of working women are in wage employment despite a rapid and strong expansion of the 
private  sector.  Female  employment  comprises  more  than  half  of  total  employment  in 
agriculture,  with  a  substantial  share (around  20%)  in  unpaid  family  work.  However,  female 
employment  patterns  are  evolving  and  women  are  becoming  increasingly  present  in 
managerial and professional occupations in both the public and the private sector (a third of 
SME managers are women).  

National  legislation  prohibits  discrimination  on  a  wide  range  of  grounds  also  in  respect  of 
employment  and  occupation  and  provides  for  equal  remuneration  of  men  and  women.  The 
legislation  is  broadly  compatible  with  the  ILO  conventions  but  needs  to  better  reflect  the 
principle of equal pay for work of equal value and define gender-based indirect discrimination 
at all stages of the employment process.  

There are concerns regarding the application of the principle of equal pay in practice, in both 
the public and the private sectors, and notably with regard to payments in kind and additional 
payments. The State Inspectorate for Ecological and Technical Safety conducts regular checks 
at  workplaces,  also  on  questions  of  equal  pay  regardless  of  gender.  The  absence  of  any 
complaint  regarding  equal  pay  for  men  and  women  to  the  Ombudsman  or  the  State 
Inspectorate for Ecological and Technical Safety during 2012-2016 could suggest deficiencies 
in  the  application.  Measures  should  also  be  taken  to  promote  women's  access  to  male-
dominated sectors and to better value female-dominated occupations.  

Since  2012,  the  National  Council  on  Women,  Family  and  Gender  Development,  which 
includes social partners, has been working as a coordinating, advisory and consultative body 
for the development and implementation of public policy on gender issues. The application of 
women's labour rights is being enhanced. The results of a monitoring exercise conducted in 
2016-2017  by  the  Ombudsman's  Office  are  currently  being  discussed  in  Parliament  and  the 
Government is expected to formulate recommendations.  

Future actions and priorities 

The Government will formulate new recommendations on women's labour rights based on the 
latest  Ombudsman  report.  Furthermore,  a  Normative  Act  is  currently  being  drafted  by  the 
Interagency Working Group on Empowering Women in the labour market. Awareness-raising 
efforts  helping  to  overcome  existing  stereotypes  will  continue.  The  Government  states  that 
further  efforts  are  needed  in  the  future  to  continue  and  improve  the  fight  against  human 
trafficking. Further problems such as growing irregular migration in the context of difficulties 
in cooperation with other countries are to be addressed as well. 

Regarding  child  labour,  the  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Social  Development  is  currently 
developing a draft decision to update the list of hazardous work prohibited for persons under 
the age of 18. The Government is aware of the current ineffectiveness of on-site inspections 
of businesses in the fight against child labour due to the requirement of prior notification and 
might  address  this  problem  in  the  future.  Further  priorities  in  the  context  of  protection  of 
children from harmful effects of child labour cover systematic special training of personnel to 

11 

 
identify  abusive  practices,  effective  registration  of  employed  children  and  systematic 
collection of statistical data. 

Conclusions 

Overall, national legislation on labour rights offers a good level of protection and guaranteed 

rights.  In  particular,  with  regard  to  the  ILO  conventions  on  child  labour  and  equal 

remuneration of men and women, Kyrgyzstan has adopted several measures in recent years 

which  constitute  real  progress  in  the  legal  and  institutional  framework.  Institutions  are  in 

place  as  well  as  law  enforcement  systems.  The  Government  is  taking  action  on  the  most 

pressing issues such as child labour and gender equality in employment. Nevertheless, further 

improvement of the legal framework is needed to advance compliance with the conventions in 

these two areas as well as with respect to the freedom of association.  

A  crucial  problem  remains  the  large  informal  sector  (up  to  70%  of  the  economy),  which 

escapes oversight of labour rights and is a fertile ground for child labour and gender-based 

discrimination.  The  biggest  challenge  for  Kyrgyzstan  in  the  future  will  be  to  change  the 

situation  on  the  ground.  In  order  to  reduce  the  informal  sector,  structural  problems  of  the 

economy have to be gradually addressed, such as unemployment and low work productivity in 

the countryside.  

2.3.  UN Conventions on Environmental Protection and Climate 

Change (Conventions 16-23) 

Status of ratification and reporting 

Over the reporting period, the Kyrgyz Republic maintained ratification of all GSP+ relevant 
conventions  on  environmental  protection  and  climate  change.  Several  reports  are  missing. 
Regarding  CITES,  the  annual  reports  for  2015  and  2016  and  all  biennial  reports  are  due. 
Regarding  the  Basel  Convention,  reports  for  2002,  2005,  2006,  2007,  2008,  2014  and  2015 
are due. Regarding the Stockholm Convention, two national reports are not yet submitted and 
National Implementation Plans addressing amendments of COP4 and COP5 are due.  

Status of implementation of the conventions 

As  a  country  highly  affected  by  the  negative  consequences  of  climate  change  and  other 
ecological  damages,  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  has  demonstrated  great  interest  in  measures 
tackling environmental protection and climate change. With the help of international partners, 
Kyrgyzstan  fulfils  most  of  the  conventions  to  a  great  extent  with  no  or  only  a  few  salient 
shortcomings.  The  Government  will  need  to  continue  working  closely  with  its  international 
partners to overcome challenges related to funds and technical equipment. 

12 

 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and 
Fauna (CITES) 

Kyrgyzstan's  national  legislation  is  ranked  as  category  2  under  CITES,  meaning  that 
Kyrgyzstan's  national  legislation  generally  does  not  to  meet  all  requirements  for  the 
implementation of CITES. The CITES legislation is enacted. The Kyrgyz Republic adopted a 
number of regulatory legislative acts for the implementation of CITES: Rules of Wild Animal 
Hunting Tours for Foreign Hunters in the Kyrgyz Republic in 2003, the Act on Hunting and 
the  Hunting  Economy  and  the  Regulation  on  the  State  Inspection  on  Environmental  and 
Technical  Safety  of  2012.  In  order  to  achieve  category  1  status,  an  agreement  on  a  revised 
legislative analysis with the Secretariat is needed.  

Basel Convention 

Kyrgyzstan  has  not  yet  implemented  the  Ban  Amendment  to  the  Basel  Convention.  The 
responsible national body is the State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry. The 
Kyrgyz Government has not yet submitted all the required national reports: the ones for 2002, 
2005,  2006,  2007,  2008,  2014  and  2015  are  due.  According  to  the  Government,  reports  for 
2014 and 2015 are being prepared.  

The legal framework is shaped by the Law on Environmental Protection (1999), the Law on 
Waste  from  Production  and  Consumption  (2001),  the  State  Programme  on  Industrial  and 
Consumer Waste of the Kyrgyz Republic (2005), the Government Decision on the Position of 
the  State  Cadastre  of  Waste  and  Conduct  Certification  of  Hazardous  Wastes  (2005),  the 
Concept  of  Ecological  Security  of  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  (2007),  the  Common  Technical 
Regulation  on  Environmental  Safety  in  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  (2009),  the  Law  on  Licensing 
System  in  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  (2013)  and  the  Resolution  on  the  Approval  of  Lists  of 
Exported  and  Imported  Specific  Goods  Subject  to  Licensing  Organizations,  Experts  and 
Licensors (2015). 

In 2016, Kyrgyzstan hosted a regional EU-funded workshop on enhancing capacities for the 
environmentally sound management of waste of electrical and electronic equipment.  

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 

In 2016, Kyrgyzstan submitted its revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. In 
order  to  fulfil its  obligations  laid  out  in  the  CBD,  the  Government  developed  and  approved 
the Action Plan for Priorities in Conservation of Biological Diversity in the Kyrgyz Republic 
for  2014-2020.  Additionally,  the  State  Agency  for  Environmental  Protection  and  Forestry 
established  an  interdepartmental  working  group  responsible  for  the  coordination  and 
implementation of the Action Plan. In 2015-2016, three natural parks containing endangered 
species have been established; another one is in the planning stage. 

In order to preserve the biodiversity of native breeds of farm animals, there are plans to create 
genetic  pool  farms  in  the  country  in  accordance  with  the  Act  on  Breeding  in  Animal 
Husbandry of the Kyrgyz Republic of 2009. Furthermore, the State Centre for Variety Testing 
and  Plant  Genetic  Resources  at  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  Food  and  Land  Reclamation 
continues  to  work  on  the  conservation  of  genetic  material  from  plants.  A  project  entitled 
Support  for  the  Development  of  Seed  Industry  in  Kyrgyzstan  has  been  completed  in  the 
Kyrgyz Republic with financial support from the Swedish International Cooperation Agency 
(SIDA). A bank of genetic plant resources was established in Kyrgyzstan and a collection of 
varieties of cultivated plants and their wild 'relatives' was launched. 

13 

 
The  Government  identifies  poaching  (illegal  hunting  and  fishing)  as  the  greatest  danger  to 
vulnerable  species.  Authorities  conduct  raids,  but  state  that  more  efforts  are  needed  in  the 
future  to  tighten  environmental  legislation  and  increase  penalties.  In  accordance  with  the 
Kyrgyz legislation, no right to use mineral resources is granted regarding subsoil plots located 
on  the  territory  of  protected  natural  areas.  Before  commencing  their  operations,  natural  or 
legal persons who have been granted the right to use subsoil assets are required to carry out an 
Environmental  Impact  Assessment  (EIA)  of  the  proposed  activities  in  accordance  with  the 
established procedure. They are also required to develop measures to protect the environment, 
to  obtain  a  positive  opinion  on  project  documentation  and  the  EIA  from  an  official 
environmental expert. 

Furthermore, the Government acknowledges the need for improvement in the following areas: 
the  volume  of  the  targeted  funding  (especially  to  grassroots  work)  should  be  increased, 
overlapping  functions  of  Government  bodies  regarding  supervision  should  be  eliminated, 
relevant  Government  agencies  should  be  staffed  with  better  qualified  personnel  and  the 
quality of education in biology and environment needs to be improved at all levels – starting 
from school age. Finally, a number of existing legal acts need to be fixed (Act on Pastures and 
Act  on  Administrative  Liability)  to  expand  the  network  of  protected  natural  areas.  The 
Government also recognizes that a number of ecosystems have been disrupted in the past. 

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants 

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have never been produced on the territory of the Kyrgyz 
Republic  and  are  not  being  used  at  present.  Thus,  hazards  may  only  come  from  waste 
products  stored  inappropriately.  Their  safe  disposal  is  the  main  challenge  faced  by  the 
country.  

Kyrgyzstan does not have the relevant facilities to dispose of POPs, and there is no possibility 
to  export  POPs  for  destruction  in  the  EU,  because  Kazakhstan  and  Russia  have  banned  the 
transit of POPs through their territories. Removal by air is very expensive. Likewise, there is 
no  centralised  storage  for  POPs.  Remediation  of  soil  contaminated  with  obsolete  pesticides 
(OPs)  is  needed.  Comprehensive  measures  are  necessary  to  reduce  unintentional  POP 
emissions. 

Most storage facilities are now owned by private actors, and one of the reasons for improper 
storage is the imperfect legal framework in this regard. In order to ensure proper monitoring 
of  POPs,  well-equipped  laboratories  with  experienced  personnel  would  be  needed. 
Additionally, an adequate level of funding is required to analyse samples that have adequate 
quality and quantity characteristics. In cooperation with international partners, the OPs stored 
in  Kyrgyzstan  have  been  recorded  and  were  found  to  amount  to  5,000  tons.  Other 
international  projects  have  covered  repackaging  of  OPs  in  storage  facilities,  sample-based 
examination  of  soil  contaminated  with  OPs,  awareness-raising  efforts,  analysis  of  legal  and 
regulatory  framework,  works  to  improve  the  safety  at  different  burial  grounds,  and  stock-
taking of polychlorinated material.  

The  Coordinating  Committee  to  promote  sound  management  of  chemicals,  including  those 
containing  polychlorinated  biphenyls,  was  established  in  2012.  The  authority  as  the  main 
organisational  working  body  of  the  Committee  is  currently  shifted  from  the  Ministry  of 
Agriculture to the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry. 

Currently,  a  strategy  for  medical  waste  management,  including  POPs,  is  being  developed 
within  the  GEF-UNDP  project  entitled  Protecting  Health  and  the  Environment  from 

14 

 
Unintentional  POP  and  Mercury  Emissions,  Resulting  from  Improper  Handling  of  Medical 
Waste in Kyrgyzstan. Furthermore, a strategy for the management, monitoring and control of 
all  types  of  waste,  including  POPs,  is  going  to  be  developed.  Due  to  lacking  financial 
resources,  no  specific  work  or  research  is  being  carried  out  to  study  the  health  impact  of 
substances containing POPs. 

The public health service monitors the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the country 
and controls the content of pesticide residues in the environment, including water, soil, food 
products  and  air,  as  well  as  industrial  facilities,  and  is  well-equipped  for  this  purpose.  The 
country  has  a  total  of  49  disease  prevention  and  sanitary  inspection  centres,  each  of  them 
equipped  with  a  sanitary  and  microbiological  laboratory.  Accreditation  for  compliance  with 
ISO/IEC 17025 has been achieved by 14 sanitary laboratories, of which, ten conduct tests to 
detect residual amounts of organochlorine pesticides. 

The  Kyrgyz  Republic  has  taken  measures  to  improve  its  monitoring  and  control  of  POPs. 
New  equipment  was  acquired,  and  staff  underwent  special  trainings  to  be  able  to  detect 
polychlorinated  biphenyls  (PCBs)  in  food,  water  and  transformer  oils.  Furthermore,  the 
Russian State Standards GOST for human food, animal food, industrial raw materials, water 
and soil quality were implemented, just as the American Standard Test Method (ASTM) for 
the Analysis of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Insulating Liquids by Gas Chromatography. 

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety 

The  Kyrgyz  Republic  ratified  the  Cartagena  Protocol  in  2005;  the  Nagoya-Kuala  Lumpur 
Supplementary  Protocol  from  2010  has  not  yet  been  ratified.  In  line  with  the  reporting 
requirements,  the  Kyrgyz  authorities  submitted  their  third  national  report  in  2015.  The 
competent national authority is the State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry of 
the Kyrgyz Republic. Further ministries and national institutions engaged in the work covered 
by the Protocol are the Ministry of Agriculture (State Seed Inspectorate, State Commission on 
Agricultural  Crop  Testing,  State  Commission  on  Plant  Quarantine),  the  Ministry  of  Health 
Care (Sanitary and Epidemiological Control Service, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, 
Department of Medicines Supply and Medical Equipment), the Institute of Biotechnology of 
the National Academy of Sciences and the State Customs Service.  

The development of the legal framework continues and aims to close some remaining gaps. 
The  existing  legal  framework  is  based,  inter  alia,  on  the  following  documents:  the 
Government  Resolution  on  Approving  the  Concept  of  Ecological  Safety  in  the  Kyrgyz 
Republic (2007), the Law on the Protection of the Health of Citizens in the Kyrgyz Republic 
(2005),  the  Government  Decision  on  the  Approval  of  the  National  Controlled  List  of 
Controlled Products of the Kyrgyz Republic (2014), the Technical Regulation on the Safety of 
Feed  and  Feed  Additives  (2014),  developed  in  accordance  with  the  Law  on  the  Basics  of 
Technical Regulation in the Kyrgyz Republic (2013), the Resolution on the Approval of the 
Technical Regulations on the Safety of Medical Implants (2013) and the National Strategy for 
the  Development  of  Livestock  Breeding  in  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  for  2011-2015.  The 
comprehensive Law on Biosafety is still in the drafting stage. 

Two  laboratories  of  the  Department  for  Disease  Prevention  and  State  Sanitary  and 
Epidemiological Surveillance of the Ministry of Health are currently operational and have the 
task to identify genetically modified organisms in food products. A public health guide was 
developed  with  assistance  from  the  World  Health  Organization  (WHO)  and  public  health 
experts from Israel. 

15 

 
Conventions on Climate Change 

The  Kyrgyz  Republic  ratified  the  Montreal  Protocol  on  31  May  2000  and  is  classified  as  a 
party  operating  under  paragraph  1  of  Article  5  of  the  Protocol.  Kyrgyzstan's  country 
programme  was  approved  by  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Multilateral  Fund  for  the 
Implementation  of  the  Montreal  Protocol  in  July  2002.  In  cooperation  with  international 
partners,  the  Kyrgyz  Government  has  made  good  progress  over  the  years  in  fulfilling  the 
requirements of the Protocol and has addressed a number of violations. There are currently no 
salient shortcomings.  

In  2016,  the  State  Agency  on  Environment  Protection and Forestry  of the  Kyrgyz Republic 
informed  the  Ozone  Secretariat  that  the  Kyrgyz  Government  does  not  wish  to  receive 
products  and  equipment  containing  or  relying  on  hydrochlorofluorocarbons.  Thereby,  the 
Government follows the decision of 2015 on Avoiding the Unwanted Import of Products and 
Equipment Containing or Relying on Hydrochlorofluorocarbons. As one of only 11 member 
countries, the Kyrgyz Republic conducted a National Ozone Day in 2016. An important task 
for  the  Kyrgyz  Government  for  the  future  will  be  the  ratification  of  the  Kigali  amendment 
adopted in 2016. 

The Kyrgyz Republic is highly affected by climate change and understands the importance of 
addressing the challenge. Kyrgyzstan undertakes efforts in the spirit of the convention and in 
international  cooperation.  The  UN  Framework  Convention  on  Climate  Change  (UNFCCC) 
was ratified in 2000 and no salient shortcomings were identified based on the latest national 
contribution in 2015. 

National  actions  on  climate  change  are  reflected  in  the  National  Sustainable  Development 
Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic for 2013-2017 and the Programme of the Kyrgyz Republic 
on Transition to Sustainable Development for 2013-2017. The Climate Change Coordination 
Commission (CCCC) is headed by the First Vice Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic and 
includes  heads  of  key  governmental  agencies  as  its  members.  Actions  for  adaptation  to 
climate change are developed and included in the Priorities for Adaptation to Climate Change 
in  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  till  2017.  The  Kyrgyz  Republic  has  developed  sectorial  plans  and 
programs for adaptation in all vulnerable sectors. The new climate action plan was submitted 
by the Kyrgyz Government to the UNFCCC in 2015. The Kyrgyz Republic has prepared its 
3rd national communication and submitted it to the UNFCCC on 24 January 2017. 

Per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in the Kyrgyz Republic is less than one-third of 
the world average. Still, with the expected growth of the economy in the future a simultaneous 
growth of GHG is expected. The Kyrgyz Government aims to reduce GHG emissions in the 
range  of  11.49-13.75%  below  'business  as  usual'  (BAU)  by  2030.  Additionally,  with 
international  support,  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  could  implement  the  mitigation  measures 
necessary to achieve a total reduction in the range of 29-30.89% below BAU by 2030. In the 
nearer  future,  Kyrgyzstan  will  have  to  take  the  required  measures  to  ratify  the  Paris 
Agreement,  signed  in  September  2016.  The  Kyrgyz  authorities  have  indicated  that  they 
examine the issue of ratification in the light of the conduct of large industrial countries, which 
in their view should be the focus of UN activities.  

The  Kyrgyz  Republic  ratified  the  Kyoto  Protocol  in  2003.  According  to  the  Protocol,  the 
Kyrgyz  Republic  has  no  quantitative  obligations  regarding  the  reduction  of  GHG  emission. 
Nevertheless, the Government acknowledges the necessity to undertake efforts in this regard. 
The  State  Agency  on  Environmental  Protection  and  Forestry  was  established  in  2005  and 

16 

 
nominated  as  the  Designated  National  Authority  for  climate  change.  It  acts  also  as  the 
secretariat of the CCCC. 

Several  environmental  legal  frameworks,  plans  and  strategies  have  already  been  initiated  in 
support  of  GHG  emissions  reduction  commitments.  The  Law  on  the  State  Regulation  and 
Policy  of  GHG  Emissions  and  Absorption  (2007)  established  the  legal  basis  for  climate 
change mitigation in the country. Further laws, strategies and policies on (renewable) energy, 
energy and fuel efficiency, carbon sequestration and methane avoidance have been developed 
by  the  Kyrgyz  Government  in  cooperation  with  development  agencies.  The  most  important 
ones  are  the  Law  on  the  State  Regulation  and  Policy  of  GHG  Emissions  and  Absorption 
(2007), the Concept of Environmental Security of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2020 (2007), the 
Law  on  Energy  Efficiency  (2007),  the  Law  on  Renewable  Energy  (2008),  the  Strategy  on 
Fuel  and  Energy  Complex  Development  until  2025  (2008),  the  National  Forestation 
Programme for 2005-2015, the Action Plan on the Implementation of the National Forestation 
Programme  for  2005-2015  and  the  State  Programme  on  Industrial  and  Domestic  Wastes 
Disposal (2005). The Kyrgyz Republic has also made progress in dealing with extreme events 
and managing natural resources by implementing relevant national strategic documents.  

The  Kyrgyz  Government  has  established  international  cooperation  and  joined  projects  with 
the  Asian  Development  Bank,  UNDP,  the  European  Bank  for  Reconstruction  and 
Development, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Food and Agricultural 
Organization (FAO) and the World Bank. 

Conclusions 

The  Kyrgyz  Government  has  demonstrated  its  commitment  to  the  UN  conventions  on 

environmental  protection  and  climate  change.  Even  in  the  absence  of  salient  shortcomings, 

the  Government  has  addressed  problems  regarding  the  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity 

and  the  Stockholm  Convention.  The  existing  legal  framework  on  biodiversity  has  been 

extended and the Government is aware of the necessary next steps for the future: tightening of 

the environmental legislation, increase of penalties for violations and better organisation of 

Government agencies working in this field. Regarding the Stockholm Convention, the Kyrgyz 

Republic faces a difficult situation for the disposal of POPs as it lacks the funds and technical 

equipment required. Still, progress has been made in cooperation with international partners. 

Further  efforts  are  needed,  for  example  regarding  the  adoption  of  a  strategy  on  medical 

waste. 

2.4.  UN Conventions on Good Governance (Conventions 24-27) 

Status of ratification and reporting 

Over  the  reporting  period,  Kyrgyzstan  maintained  ratification  of  the  three  core  UN 
conventions  on  fighting  illegal  drugs  (UN  Single  Convention  on  Narcotic  Drugs,  UN 
Convention on Psychotropic Substances and UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic 
Drugs  and  Psychotropic  Substances)  and  the  UN  Convention  against  Corruption  (UNCAC) 
and complied with its reporting obligations. 

17 

 
Status of implementation of the conventions 

The Kyrgyz Republic has achieved some progress and success in implementing the UN drug 
conventions.  Still,  further  efforts  are  required  in  this  field.  In  the  fight  against  corruption, 
despite a developed overall legal framework, many challenges persist with regard to the legal 
situation and to the implementation of approved measures in practice. 

UN Conventions Fighting Illegal Drugs 

According to the Government, the Kyrgyz Republic is a transit country used by international 
drug traffickers on the so-called 'Northern Route'. Narcotics from Afghanistan are delivered in 
a variety of ways, especially through mountain trails. The Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies 
are  not  in  a  position  to  control  the  transit  physically.  The  volume  of  drug  trafficking  from 
Afghanistan  has  risen  dramatically  in  the  last  two  decades  and  as  a  result,  consumption 
figures have increased in Kyrgyzstan. Some residents are involved in criminal acts associated 
with drug trafficking. However, in the past three years, there has been a 2% decrease in the 
number  of  people  registered  as  drug  users  according  to  the  Kyrgyz  Ministry  of  Health.  In 
2016,  the  overall  number  of  drug-related  crimes  decreased  by  3.4%.  The  amount  of  illicit 
drugs seized by law enforcement was 36.6% lower compared to the previous year. 

At  the  national  level,  the  Government  approved  an  anti-drug  programme  and  an 
implementation  plan.  In  2014,  a  coordination  mechanism  was  launched  at  the  level  of  the 
National Coordinating Committee on the Control of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances 
and  Precursors.  In  2017,  the  mechanism  started  to  effectively  work.  The  Coordinating 
Committee  is  chaired  by  a  Deputy  Prime  Minister  and  includes  deputy  heads  of  almost  all 
ministries and agencies and heads of local Government units. In 2016, the State Drug Control 
Service  Agency  has  been  abolished  and  all  its  functions  are  being  carried  out  now  by  the 
Ministry of Interior. 

The  Kyrgyz  Republic  cooperates  bilaterally  and  multilaterally  in  the  fight  against  drug 
trafficking.  The  EU  conducts  regional  projects  in  Central  Asia  related  to  the  fight  against 
drugs  in  the  context  of  the  Central  Asia  Drug  Action  Programme  (CADAP).  The  current 
phase of the programme started in 2015 and will be implemented until 2019. Components of 
CADAP-6 include expanding national authorities' knowledge of the EU anti-drug policy and 
assistance in the development of a new national anti-drug strategy, action plans and anti-drug 
legislation,  adopting  an  integrated  approach  to  data  collection  and  support  for  the 
implementation of drug prevention programmes. Kyrgyzstan has also benefited from support 
of  the Heroin  Route  Programme,  a  trans-regional  programme  contributing  to  combatting 
organised  crime  and  trafficking  from  Afghanistan.  The  successor  programme  EU  against 
Organised  Crime  (EU  ACT)  has  been  launched  in  2017.  The  EU  also  supports  capacity 
building  for  effective  implementation  of  integrated  border  management  through  its 
programme Border Management in Central Asia (BOMCA).  

Moreover,  projects  are  conducted  in  cooperation  with  the  UN  Office  on  Drugs  and  Crime 
(UNODC).  The  project  Strengthening  the  State  Service  on  Drug  Control  of  the  Kyrgyz 
Republic is an effort to develop the State Service on Drug Control into an efficient, robust and 
dedicated  law-enforcement  agency  (project  extended  until  end  of  2017).  The  project 
Countering  the  Trafficking  of  Afghan  Opiates  via  the  Northern  Route  by  enhancing  the 
capacity  of  key  border  crossings  points  and  through  the  establishment  of  Border  Liaison 
Offices  seeks  to  boost  trust  between  countries  of  the  region,  improve  infrastructure  at 
checkpoints,  provide  specialised  equipment  and  personnel  training  and  develop  the  legal 
framework  needed  for  inter-agency  cooperation.  Finally,  the  AKT  Initiative  (involving 

18 

 
Afghanistan,  Kyrgyzstan  and  Tajikistan)  also  seeks  to  coordinate  the  actions  of  the  three 
countries and established the exchange of operational information. Further measures are taken 
in  the  framework  of  the  Collective  Security  Treaty  Organization  (CSTO),  the  Shanghai 
Cooperation Organisation, the Central  Asian  Regional Information  and  Coordination Centre 
(CARICC) and others. 

The  abolition  of  customs  controls  at  the  borders  of  the  Eurasian  Economic  Union  poses  an 
additional  challenge  for  the  drug  law  enforcement  authorities.  Kyrgyz  law  enforcement  has 
made efforts in 2016 to detect narcotic drugs at border-crossing points with Kazakhstan. The 
Kyrgyz  Government  stresses  the  need  to  address  this  issue  within  the  framework  of  the 
Customs Union. 

No  underground  bases  or  laboratories  producing  narcotic  drugs  were  so  far  detected  in  the 
territory of the Kyrgyz Republic. The precursors used for the production of drugs are also not 
manufactured in Kyrgyzstan. 

UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) 

Kyrgyzstan  was  ranked  number  136  out  of  176  countries  in  the  2016  Transparency 
International's  Corruption  Perception  Index,  with  a  score  of  28  out  of  100  (whereby  zero 
means  'highly  corrupt').  The  score  did  not  change  compared  to  2015  and  improved  slightly 
compared to 2014 (27) and 2013 (24).  

The  authorities  acknowledge  the  problem  of  corruption.  The  President,  Parliament  and 
Government office have over recent years adopted many legal acts and haven taken measures 
to enhance both prevention and prosecution of corruption crimes. Relevant documents include 
the National Anti-Corruption Policy Strategy (2012),  the National  Sustainable Development 
Strategy (2013), the Presidential Decree on Measures to Eradicate the Causes of Political and 
Systemic  Corruption  in  Public  Bodies,  the  Presidential  Decree  to  Fight  Corruption  among 
State Institutions (2015), the Plan to Implement the Sustainable Development Strategy 2013-
2017 and the Action Plan of Public Institutions for Implementing the State Strategy of Anti-
Corruption  Policy  in  2015-2017.  In  June  2016,  the  President  signed  the  Act  on  State  Civil 
Service and Municipal Service, aiming at further professionalization and capacity of the civil 
service.  The  Government  plans  to  adopt  a  law  on  protection  of  whistle-blowers  and  to 
implement a law on conflicts of interests. 

Several amendments have been introduced into Kyrgyz law in recent years with the intention 
to further incorporate international legal instruments into national legislation. Kyrgyzstan also 
prepares the ratification of the anti-corruption conventions of the Council of Europe and the 
accession to the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). 

The Kyrgyz  institutional  system for countering corruption includes  the Prosecutor  General's 
Office,  the  State  Committee  for  National  Security,  the  State  Service  to  Combat  Economic 
Crime (financial police), the State Financial Intelligence Unit and the Ministry of the Interior. 
A  Presidential  Decree  on  Measures  on  Reform  of  the  Kyrgyz  Republic's  Law  Enforcement 
Agencies System (2016) reallocated the authority regarding investigations of corruption and 
economic  crime.  Responsibility  now  lies  with  the  financial  police  within  the  Ministry  of 
Economics (for economic crimes) and the Anti-corruption Service of the State Committee of 
National  Security  (for  corruption  offences),  while  the  General  Prosecutor's  Office  oversees 
and coordinates such investigations. Overall, Kyrgyzstan has established a multi-layered anti-
corruption framework at the policy and institutional levels. 

19 

 
However, according to the latest UNODC country review of 2017, this legal framework needs 
to be improved. The definition and categories of officials should be brought fully in line with 
the Convention; definitions of a foreign public official and an official of a public international 
organisation  should  be  included  in  the  Criminal  Code.  Offering  a  bribe  to  such  officials 
should  be  established  as  an  offence.  The  articles  of  the  Criminal  Code  on  bribe-giving  and 
bribe-taking  should  be  harmonised.  Furthermore,  the  mechanisms  to  provide  protection  to 
persons  who  provide  information  regarding  corruption  offences  should be  clearly  governed, 
and  additional  efforts  should  be  made  to  ensure  that  entities  or  persons  have  the  right  to 
initiate  legal  proceedings  in  order  to  obtain  compensation  if  they  suffered  from  damages 
stemming from corruption. Sanctions and other provisions relating to the level of punishment 
for  offences  established  by  the  Convention  should  be  revised  to  ensure  that  sanctions  are 
proportional to the gravity of the offence. The Kyrgyz Government should continue to strive 
to  achieve  a  balance  between  the  immunity  accorded  to  Members  of  Parliament  and  other 
public  officials  and  the  possibility  of  effectively  investigating,  prosecuting  and  adjudicating 
corruption  offences.  Measures  to  enable  the  freezing,  seizure  and  confiscation  of  proceeds 
from  all  types  of  corruption  offences  should  be  adopted.  Finally,  the  specialisation  of  anti-
corruption  units  and  the  professional  training  of  their  staff  should  be  further  improved,  and 
their autonomy and independence should be ensured. The UNODC review group suggests the 
Kyrgyz Government to consider providing for extradition in cases of corruption offences and 
bringing different national laws in line to facilitate extradition proceedings. The introduction 
in the Criminal Code of a provision for the suspension of the statute of limitations for criminal 
proceedings if the criminal case is suspended due to immunity was highlighted as a success. 
Another good practice noted is the possibility of providing legal assistance in the absence of 
dual criminality as a measure facilitating international cooperation. 

Civil society, which is very active compared regional standards, could play an important role 
as  a  watchdog  for  further  improvements  in  the  fight  against  corruption.  It  is  important  to 
ensure political support, effort and resources to decisively address the problem of corruption, 
which seriously undermines the rule of law and the business environment in the country. The 
EU  assists  the  Kyrgyz  authorities  in  fighting  against  corruption  through  its  Rule  of  Law 
Programme.  

Conclusions 

The  Kyrgyz  Government  is  increasingly  active  in  the  fight  against  drugs.  To  this  end,  the 

Government works closely with a number of international partners on national and regional 

projects. Despite the difficult regional situation and a steep increase in drug trafficking with 

Afghanistan  since  Kyrgyzstan's  independence,  moderate  improvements  were  achieved  in 

recent years. 

Regarding  the  fight  against  corruption,  the  Government  has  adopted  many  new  laws  and 

regulations  in  recent  years,  having  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  a  multi-layered  anti-

corruption framework. Still, further work needs to be done to improve the legal framework on 

a  number  of  issues,  for  example  on  the  punishment  of  corruption  offenses.  Yet,  due  to 

widespread corruption in many institutions, and its acceptance by large parts of the society, 

expectations  for  progress  in  this  field  need  to  be  realistic.  Developments  to  follow  in  the 

20 

 
coming  year  include  the  adoption  of  a  law  on  the  protection  of  whistle-blowers  and  the 

implementation of a law on conflicts of interests. 

3. Trade and Economy 

3.1.  Trade Picture 

Since  its  independence,  the  economy  of  the  country  has  been  hampered  by  a  number  of 
structural problems: high dependence on remittances, a struggling private sector, an economy 
of  which  70%  is  constituted  of  informal  revenues,  a  business  environment  lacking 
transparency and a general lack of national trade facilitation policies. 

However, within the last two years, Kyrgyzstan has been witnessing some positive economic 
developments.  Kyrgyzstan  has  steadily  maintained  GDP  growth,  despite  interventions  to 
retain  the  value  of  the  currency  and  the  crisis  in  the  Russian  Federation  which  negatively 
affected the Kyrgyz economy.  

In  the  region,  Kyrgyzstan  is  ranked  as  the  poorest  country  after  Tajikistan  and  its  main 
political  and economic partner is the Russian Federation. In this context, if the  accession to 
the  Eurasian  Economic  Union  (EEU)  in  2015  improved  the  labour  conditions  for  Kyrgyz 
migrants  living  in  Russia,  the  impact  of  the  EEU  on  the  economy  of  the  country  is  not  yet 
tangible.  

Bilateral  trade  relations  between  the  EU  and  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  are  regulated  by  the 
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed in 1995, in force since 1999. Trade between 
the EU and Kyrgyzstan in 2016 amounted to around EUR 310 million. More specifically, EU 
imports from Kyrgyzstan increased by 43%, from EUR 50.5 to around EUR 72 million, while 
EU exports to Kyrgyzstan decreased by 12.2% to EUR 237 million in 2016 (only 56% of their 
2012  level).  EU  exports  to  Kyrgyzstan  were  dominated  by  manufactured  goods,  chemicals, 
machinery,  transport,  and  equipment.  Kyrgyz  exports  to  the  EU  consisted  predominantly  of 
basic  agricultural  products,  base  metals  (gold)  and  textiles.  Germany,  the  Netherlands, 
Lithuania, Poland and Italy have the most  dynamic commercial relations and trade turnover 
with Kyrgyzstan.   

There  is  a  small  but  dynamic  young  business  community  interested  in  strengthening 
commercial  ties  with  Europe  and  in  developing  sectors  with  significant  potential  such  as 
tourism, agriculture, services, organic production and water supplies. There are also positive 
changes at the institutional level, following the drafting of a new export strategy which takes 
into consideration the GSP+ status of the country.   

3.2.  GSP+ Statistics 

Figures 1-3 below describe Kyrgyzstan's utilisation of GSP+ in the context of the EU's overall 
imports from Kyrgyzstan. 

In  2016,  8%  (EUR  6  million)  of  total  EU  imports  from  Kyrgyzstan  qualified  for  trade 
preferences  under  GSP+.  4%  (EUR  3.2  million)  out  of  total  EU  imports  from  Kyrgyzstan 
effectively  used  GSP+  preferences.  EU  imports  from  Kyrgyzstan  under  GSP+  are 
concentrated  on  edible  fruits  and  nuts  (41%  of  total  EU  imports  from  Kyrgyzstan  under 
GSP+).  The  overall  GSP+  preferences  utilisation  for  Kyrgyzstan  in  2016  was  53%,  leaving 
still ample room for improvement.  

21 

 
GSP+  has  generated  considerable  interest  among  the  Kyrgyz  business  community,  notably 
because of the possibility to diversify export markets and to stimulate the economy. Exports 
to the EU have increased, but the share of goods exported under the GSP+ scheme remains 
below its full potential.  

To  take  advantage  of  GSP+  trade  preferences,  the  country  would  need  to  establish  a  well-
functioning  system  supporting  exporters  to  meet  the  necessary  requirements,  progress  with 
private sectors reforms and trade facilitation policies and invest in export strategies. At a more 
technical  level,  there  is  a  need  to  develop  an  accreditation  system  in  line  with  international 
standards  (ISO  standards)  to  ensure  the  adherence  to  the  rule  of  origins  of  products  being 
exported to EU. Through targeted technical assistance, the EU helps Kyrgyzstan benefit more 
efficiently  from  GSP+.  In  practice,  Kyrgyzstan  has  already  started  benefiting  from  the 
Partnership Instrument (PI), an EU tool established to improve economic diplomacy and trade 
relations  with  third  countries.  The  PI  is  enhancing  trade  facilitation  policies  through  the 
TAIEX  (Technical  Assistance  and  Information  Exchange)  instrument  of  the  European 
Commission.  

Source for all statistics: Eurostat data as of September 2017.2  

Figure 1 

Kyrgyz Republic  - Imports to the EU, 2014-
2017 

Figures in thousand EUR 

Total imports to EU 
GSP+ eligible imports 
GSP+ preferential imports 
GSP+ utilisation rate 

2014 

68,806 
12,000 
8,248 
68.7% 

2015 

2016 

2017 (Q1-2) 

48,834 
10,089 
6,581 
65.2% 

72,291 
6,091 
3,245 
53.3% 

17,195 
3,356 
2,100 
62.6% 

Trend 2014-
2016 
5.1% 
-49.2% 
-60.7% 
-22.5% 

2 Kyrgyzstan is benefiting from GSP+ since 2016; figures for previous years reflect Kyrgyz imports under Standard GSP. 

22 

 
  
  
  
                                                 
Kyrgyzstan - Imports to the EU, 2014-2016 

68.806 

11.99% 

5.45% 

82.56% 

48.834 

13.48% 
7.18% 

79.34% 

72.291 
4.49% 
3.94% 

GSP+ preferential imports

GSP+ eligible imports which
do not use GSP+ preferences

91.57% 

Other preferential and non-
preferential imports

2014

2015

2016

Figure 2 

80.000

70.000

60.000

50.000

40.000

30.000

20.000

10.000

0

)
R
U
E
d
n
a
s
u
o
h
t
(

U
E
e
h
t
o
t

s
t
r
o
p
m

I

Figure 3 

Kyrgyzstan - 
Product Diversification of GSP+ Preferential Imports, 2016 

13% 

5% 

41% 

5% 

7% 

8% 

Edible fruit and nuts; peel
of citrus fruits or melons

Lead and articles thereof

Edible vegetables and
certain roots and tubers

Toys, games and sports
requisites

Tobacco

Animal or vegetable fats
and oils

All other chapters

22% 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX 

Kyrgyzstan – Treaty Ratification and Reporting  

Convention 

Status of ratification / 
reservations3 

Compliance with reporting obligations to 
monitoring bodies 

1. Convention on the 
Prevention and Punishment 
of the Crime of Genocide 

2. International Convention 
on the Elimination of All 
Forms of Racial 
Discrimination 

3. International Covenant on 
Civil and Political Rights 

Accession: 05.09.1997 

No reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Accession: 05.09.1997 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Latest national report submitted on 16.12.2016  

Latest monitoring body report issued on 19.04.2013 

Accession: 07.10.1994 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Latest national report submitted on 03.04.2012.  

Latest monitoring report published on 22.04.2014. 

Next national report due on 28.03.2018. 

4. International Covenant on 
Economic, Social and 
Cultural Rights 

Accession: 07.10.1994 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Latest national report submitted on 03.04.2012. 

5. Convention on the 
Elimination of All Forms of 
Discrimination against 
Women 

6. Convention against 
Torture and Other Cruel, 
Inhuman or Degrading 
Treatment or Punishment 

Latest monitoring report submitted on 06.07.2015. 

Next national report due on 30 June 2020. 

Accession: 10.02.1997 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Latest national report submitted on 18.01.2013. 

Latest monitoring report submitted on 10.03.2015. 

Next national report due on 01.03.2019. 

Accession: 05.09.1997 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Latest national report submitted on 13.09.2012. 

Latest monitoring report published on 19.12.2013. 

Next national report due on 23.11.2017. 

7. Convention on the Rights 
of the Child 

Accession: 07.10.1994 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Latest national report submitted on 16.08.2010. 

Latest monitoring report published on 06.07.2014. 

Next national report due on 06.11.2019. 

8. Convention concerning 
Forced or Compulsory 
Labour, No. 29 

9. Convention concerning 
Freedom of Association and 
Protection of the Right to 

Ratification: 1992 

Lack of compliance with reporting obligations 

Latest CEARC comments: Direct Request 2016; no 
reply to comments, reporting out of cycle. 

Ratification: 1992 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

Latest CEACR comments: Direct Request 2014. 

3 Reservations do not apply in the ILO system, so there is no relevance to providing information on reservations under each 
of these conventions. 

24 

 
 
 
                                                 
Organise, No. 87 

10. Convention concerning 
the Application of the 
Principles of the Right to 
Organise and to Bargain 
Collectively, No. 98 

11. Convention concerning 
Equal Remuneration of Men 
and Women Workers for 
Work of Equal Value, No. 
100 

12. Convention concerning 
the Abolition of Forced 
Labour, No. 105 

13. Convention concerning 
Discrimination in Respect of 
Employment and 
Occupation, No. 111 

14. Convention concerning 
Minimum Age for 
Admission to Employment, 
No. 138 

15. Convention concerning 
Minimum Age for 
Admission to Employment, 
No. 182 

Ratification: 1992 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

Latest CEACR comments: Direct Request 2014. 

Ratification: 1992 

Lack of compliance with reporting obligations 

Latest CEACR comments: Direct Request 2016, no 
reply to comments, reporting out of cycle. 

Ratification: 1999 

Lack of compliance with reporting obligations 

Latest CEACR comments: Direct Request 2016, no 
reply to comments, reporting out of cycle. 

Ratification: 1992 

Lack of compliance with reporting obligations 

Latest CEACR comments: Direct Request 2016, no 
reply to comments, reporting out of cycle. 

Ratification: 1992 

Lack of compliance with reporting obligations 

Latest CEACR comments: Direct Request 2016, 
Observation 2016, no reply to comments, reporting out 
of cycle. 

Ratification: 2004 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

Latest CEACR comments: Direct Request 2016, 
Observation 2016. 

16. CITES 

Accession: 04.06.2007 

Lack of compliance with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

All Biennial Reports are due. 

Annual Reports for 2015 and 2016 due. 

Latest Annual Report submitted on 06.05.2016. 

17. Montreal Protocol 

Accession: 31.05.2000 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Most recent annual data for 2016 was submitted. 

18. Basel Convention 

Accession: 13.08.1996  

Lack of compliance with reporting obligation 

No reservations 

National Reports for 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 
2014 and 2015 are due. 

Latest (2013) National Report submitted on 
14.04.2015. 

19. Convention on 
Biological Diversity 

Accession: 04.11.1996 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Latest (Fifth National) Report submitted on 
18.01.2016.  

20. UN Framework 
Convention on Climate 
Change 

Revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action 
Plan submitted on 18.01.2016. 

Accession: 29.07.1994 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

First National Communication submitted on 
31.03.2003. 

Second National Communication submitted on 
01.12.2008. 

Third National Communication submitted on 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Cartagena Protocol on 
Biosafety 

Accession: 03.01.2006 

Compliance with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

First National Report not submitted. 

24.01.2017. 

Second National Report submitted on 31.10.2011. 

Third National Report submitted on 09.12.2015. 

22. Stockholm Convention 

Ratification: 04.10.2006 

Lack of compliance with reporting obligations 

23. Kyoto Protocol 

Accession: 16.02.2005 

No reporting obligations  

No reservations 

No National Reports submitted. 

24. UN Single Convention 
on Narcotic Drugs 

25. UN Convention on 
Psychotropic Substances 

26. UN Convention against 
Illicit Traffic in Narcotic 
Drugs and Psychotropic 
Substances 

No reservations 

Accession: 07.10.1994 

No reservations 

Accession: 07.10.1994 

No reservations 

Accession: 07.10.1994 

No reservations 

Reviewing is fulfilled by the International Narcotics 
Control Board (INCB). 

27. UN Convention against 
Corruption 

Ratification: 16.09.2005 

No reservations  

Reviewing is fulfilled by the UN Office on Drugs 
and Crime (UNODC). Latest UNODC review 
executive summary was published on 11.04.2017. 

26