OSCE promotes dialogue between government and religious leaders in southern Kyrgyzstan

OSH, Kyrgyzstan, 25 May 2011 – A roundtable on freedom of religion and belief brought together state officials and religious leaders from the three southern provinces of Osh, Jalal-Abad and Batken today. The event was held with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and organized by the State Commission on Religious Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Participants discussed the integration of standards of freedom of religion and belief into current national legislation and ways to improve it as a guarantee of this basic right.

Lilian Darii, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek said: “In view of the changes the country has recently undergone, all stakeholders have called for improved dialogue between the State and different religious groups, a dialogue which is meant to increase reciprocal understanding but also to prevent the infringements of basic rights. The OSCE with its mandate in the country is well placed to promote the further development of a culture of tolerance where diversity is the key to harmonious co-existence.”

“It becomes obvious today that only with the joint efforts of all interested parties can state policies be improved to ensure freedom of religion. This fundamental right has therefore to be endorsed within the further democratization of the society,” said Ormon Sharshenov, the Director of the State Commission on Religious Affairs.

Expert sessions and plenary debates focused on international and national standards, ethno-religious aspects of the draft concept on ethnic policy in Kyrgyzstan, inclusive religious education, as well as confidence-building measures between the state authorities and religious communities in the south of the country. 

The event also provided an opportunity to discuss the current constraints faced by religious organizations in a changing political context and in view of the events which affected the country in 2010.

The roundtable is part of a number of initiatives within the OSCE-funded project “Enhancing dialogue by promoting freedom of religion as a basic human right” aimed at supporting the efforts of the host country to enhance dialogue among state structures, religious organizations and civil society for the development of a state religious policy framework based on fundamental human rights standards.

A final roundtable meeting will take place in Bishkek in November