Fulfilling the right to legal identification: Support from USAID helps Kyrgyzstanis obtain access to important public services

AKIPRESS.COM - USAID's Jigerduu Jarandar project presented the results of its ongoing efforts to improve Kyrgyzstanis' access to legal aid and civic documentation. During the event dedicated to the International Human Rights Day, the project highlighted the best practices in providing legal assistance to people in target areas. Participants of the conference that took place in Osh also discussed the overall situation with human rights with a focus on the right to identity. To improve legal services and ensure the availability of highly qualified lawyers in remote communities, the project has also commissioned five professional lawyers to provide free legal aid to vulnerable groups in the Osh and Batken regions. Since May 2020, USAID's Jigerduu Jarandar project assisted 94 persons in the Batken and Osh regions in obtaining important identity and civic documentation, such as birth, marriage, and property ownership certificates.
"Living without valid identity documentation was really difficult, especially because I need an ongoing medical treatment for diabetes, and I could not afford it. Thanks to Jigerduu Jarandar project, I restored my documents and am now receiving state-funded insulin therapy free of charge. This is important as I am the only breadwinner in my household, and being in good health means I am still able to sustain my family's livelihood." says Ahmedov Bakhtiyar. The project lawyers helped to resolve the issues with registration and personal identification number of Bakhtiyar.
"It is remarkable that the Kyrgyz Republic is a party to all nine core international human rights treaties. This reflects the country's strong commitment to promoting human rights," said Dr. Alder Bartlett, Acting USAID Mission Director, in her remarks during the conference. "USAID continues to work with civil society organizations and the Kyrgyz Government so that more Kyrgyzstanis can enjoy their human rights to the fullest extent possible."
Participants of the event - human rights activists, government officials, journalists, recipients of Jigerduu Jarandar's legal aid from across the Osh region - discussed the work of national human rights institutions and state-funded legal aid services. They developed recommendations on how to further improve access to justice for vulnerable citizens.
The conference is organized as part of the 16 Days Against Gender-based Violence global campaign. This campaign launched by the United Nations is held annually from November 25 (International Day Against Violence Against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day). In addition to the conference, USAID Jigerduu Jarandar project organized an intellectual Quiz Night game to raise young people's awareness of the ideas of human rights and freedoms and gender equality.
Jigerduu Jarandar is a five-year project funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by FHI 360, in partnership with ACTED and the Ferghana Lawyers Without Borders NGO. Over the next four years, the project aims to reach over 10,000 Kyrgyzstani citizens to provide them with free legal aid and resources, and help them access the country's formal legal and judicial system.