UNESCO and national partners held a consultation meeting on strengthening social cohesion in Kyrgyzstan

On February 13, 2024 in Bishkek, UNESCO, the Association of Community Media and the state partner of the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, held a national consultation meeting on a rapid assessment of the needs of national partners for access to information, promotion of media and information literacy and media diversity within the framework of the UNDP-UNESCO project “Strengthening the capacity of national partners and civil society in the field of social cohesion”, 2023-2025, funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund. The main goal of the project is to strengthen social cohesion and trust.

More than 40 national partners from government bodies: Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, Ministry of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic, State Agency for Civil Service and Local Government under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO, as well as representatives international organizations and UN agencies, the civil sector, media and media communities, journalism departments of higher educational institutions of the country discussed and identified urgent needs:

1. The need for full access of all interested parties to information in Kyrgyzstan (including the legal framework, the development of pluralism);
2. Promoting interdepartmental, interinstitutional and interdisciplinary cooperation of all stakeholders on access to information, promoting media and information literacy.
3. The impact of media and information literacy on the formulation and strengthening of vertical and horizontal social cohesion in Kyrgyzstan;
4. Media needs assessment and challenges that currently exist to strengthen social cohesion;
5. The needs in competencies in media and information literacy and civic competencies of all actors, in particular local communities.

As a result of the discussion, all parties were heard and conclusions with recommendations will be reflected in a brief analytical note and protocol-Agenda, which will be submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic for further consideration in the formation and implementation of government policies and programs.