To: UNODC Executive Director
Dear Yury Viktorovich,
On behalf of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, let me express our sincere gratitude to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the technical assistance provided to the penitentiary system of the Kyrgyz Republic within the framework of the UNODC project "Support to prison reform of the Kyrgyz Republic" funded by the European Union, and co-funded by the Governments of the United States of America, Sweden and Turkey.
The Government recognizes the project's achievements as a best practice of cooperation with UNODC on prison reform during the last few years. I would like to specifically acknowledge the professionalism shown by the project team, which ensured implementation of all activities, including construction and refurbishment of key infrastructure in pilot prisons, in a satisfactory and timely manner. Thanks to the project, the legislative framework governing the penitentiary system has been significantly improved. Particularly noteworthy is the establishment of prison income generating activities, which has contributed to the employment of over 160 prisoners. Successful project implementation has also encouraged the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to allocate significant funding for the further development of income generating activities within prison system.
The project's efforts have considerably helped advance prison reform in the country, to improve sanitary conditions for over 3000 prisoners, and to bring prison conditions more in line with the requirements of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. Moreover, the project supported the drafting of a National Strategy for Prison Reform in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2012-2016, which has been approved by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and outlines the main objectives and priorities for further prison reform.
Based on the achievements of the project in providing technical assistance to the prison system, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic kindly requests UNODC to consider continuing its fruitful cooperation with a possible new project and would like to recommend the further dissemination of the project's results as a best practice.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Sh. Atakhanov
Vice Prime Minister
Kyrgyz Republic
