28 June 2002

Bishkek: Senior government officials expressed strong interest in the passing of the volunteerism bill by the Kyrgyz parliament - the first of its kind in the country - at a roundtable conference on 25 June.

Representatives from leading ministries, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), international organizations and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), unanimously agreed to the need of such legislation on volunteer action as it is seen as a major step in promoting volunteer activity in the country. Other volunteer legislation promoting volunteer activity inspired during the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) 2001 have been passed in Colombia and Germany.

"The bill entails legal issue relating to the rights and obligations of volunteers, the host organization and the state. It looks at various areas in which government can support volunteer action thereby creating an enabling environment for increased contribution of voluntary organizations and volunteers in the development process," said Idrissa Kargbo, the UN Volunteers Programme Officer in Kyrgyzstan.

Currently the only legal framework for volunteers existing in the country is based on NGOs and non-profit organizations. It does not involve legal requirements for volunteer action.

As a result of the meeting a special standing National Coordinating Council (NCC) was established. It has been entrusted with follow-up activities to the implementation of the volunteerism bill. One such activity will be to work closely with the relevant parliamentary body and to ensure the passing of the bill into law.

The NCC is a standing body that is also responsible for coordinating all issues relating to volunteerism in the country. It will work closely with all volunteer organizations in the country and will meet twice in a year to discuss all issues relating to promoting volunteer activity in the country.

The roundtable conference, organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in collaboration with UN Volunteers, has been part of the ongoing efforts by the Government to pledge support to the 5 December 2001 UN General Assembly resolution, A/RES/56/38, that calls for Government and UN action in promoting volunteerism.