OSCE Centre increases assistance to ensure citizens' safety and access to information in Kyrgyzstan
BISHKEK, 30 April 2010 - Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said today that the Centre would build on its activities to ensure public safety and access to information in the wake of the April events in Kyrgyzstan, following the release of additional funding agreed by the OSCE States.
"The emergency funding will be used to offer citizens greater personal safety and access to information in these times of anxiety and change. The OSCE will continue to support the citizen patrols, ease inter-communal tensions, explain the constitutional and election issues ahead, and give attention to business losses and revival," said Tesoriere.
The OSCE Centre in Bishkek has undertaken a number of immediate measures to contribute to Kyrgyzstan's capacity to uphold public security and safety and strengthen the rule of law and democracy. Most of these actions will build on ongoing activities of the Centre, and will be implemented immediately with the emergency supplementary financial resources.
As part of the emergency support package, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek has supported, following a request from the provisional government, the publication of 40,000 additional copies of the Slovo Kyrgyzstana newspaper containing the text of the new draft Constitution for further distribution throughout the country. The Centre has also sponsored a public forum for political party representatives from across the political spectrum to debate the draft, and has initiated preparations for concrete projects in Maevka, Tokmok and Jalal-Abad to defuse tensions and prevent further inter-ethnic clashes.
The 56 OSCE participating States yesterday agreed the use of contingency funds to help ensure peace and stability in the country in a Permanent Council decision. Some 200,000 euros have been released for use by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek pending the approval of a supplementary budget, which will take place later in 2010.