UNDP Sponsored Round Table Highlights Role of Civil Society Organizations in Basic Service Delivery  

Ashgabat, 15 January 2010 – The role of civil society organizations (CSO) in basic service delivery and their potential contribution to the socio-economic development of Turkmenistan were the key topics of discussion at a round table organized by the United Nations Development Programme jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (NIDHR) under the President of Turkmenistan. The round table was the first public event conducted as part of the new United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for 2010-2015 that among other outcomes aims to promote democratic principles of governance and ensuring supremacy of law in Turkmenistan.  

The round table brought together representatives of the Parliament, relevant ministries and public organizations of Turkmenistan who can be viewed as major stakeholders in the process of laying the ground for vibrant and responsible civil society in the country.

In her opening remarks, Director of the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights Ms Shirin Ahmedova emphasised the high political will and support from the Government of Turkmenistan and that there are all laws in place to facilitate this process. According to her, the growth of  civil society organizations in Turkmenistan can  complement the government’s social policy efforts, particularly in ensuring the fulfilment of rights of people with disabilities, rehabilitation and reintegration of former prisoners into regular society as well as strengthening small and medium businesses.

Welcoming national partners’ commitment to develop civil society in Turkmenistan, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Ms Nina Kolybashkina emphasized that UNDP and NIDHR through a number of existing projects have established a good basis upon which to build joint work in this direction. She invited the round table participants to use this opportunity to learn about international experience and consider how it could be applied in light of the national priorities of Turkmenistan.

UNDP’s International Consultant Ms Vesna Ciprus presented international experience on civil society development in general, and talked about the role of civil society organisations in providing basic social services in particular, bringing specific examples from Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. Taking into account positive and negative experiences of donor support to civil society development, the consensus was reached that the government has to play a leading role in creating enabling environment for civil society growth. Round Table participants also agreed that CSOs can bring creativity, innovation, establish strong links with local communities, play “catalytic” role in improving the delivery of services and inform  the  policy making process.

Following in-depth discussions in small groups, the round table participants agreed that Turkmenistan has all preconditions for civil society development, including high political will, and that non-state organizations can be effective partners in service provision given their accessibility, efficiency and their targeted assistance to excluded groups of people such as disabled, families with many children and dysfunctional families. On the other hand, it was also noted that CSOs can inform national policy makers about specific needs of their target groups and suggest efficient approaches to service delivery at grass root level. 

The round table participants underlined that the event served as a promising start to the process of development and engaging civil society organizations in basic service delivery in Turkmenistan in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme. 

UNDP Turkmenistan has been engaged since 2007 in enhancing civic activism and participation in the development process and decision-making at local level through its Local Self-Governance Programme implemented in partnership with the Mejlis (Parliament) of Turkmenistan. The success of the pilot round prepared a foundation for scaling it up to the national level. UNDP Turkmenistan has also developed a very close partnership with the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, which plays a leading role in policy advocacy on the issues of civil engagement.  Moreover, through a number of projects in the social inclusion portfolio, UNDP Turkmenistan also has established good partnerships with government supported CSOs on the national level, such as Deaf and Blind Society, Women’s Union, Union of Entrepreneurs, and others.