JICA

Japan International Cooperation Agency
Kyrgyz Republic Office


Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as implementing agency of Official Development Assistance (ODA) of the Government of Japan from the time of its establishment (1974) contributes to the socioeconomic development and human resources development for facilitating independent and sustainable development of the developing countries. Till October, 2008 JICA mainly was engaged in implementation of technical cooperation with developing countries.

It is dispatching of well experienced and skilled Japanese experts to the developing countries that satisfying a country's requirements. For more effective technology transfer JICA transfers necessary equipment to those countries.

Besides JICA dispatches different groups of specialists to study, train and formulate the development plans of developing countries. For less developed countries JICA, in particular, implements basic study and promotes grant aid projects as building schools, hospitals and other facilities. Moreover, JICA dispatches volunteers and senior volunteers to the developing countries through Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV). In case of natural disasters JICA offers emergency relief to affected countries. Engineers, highly qualified specialists, government employees from the developing countries are invited to Japan to participate in JICA training courses in a wide range of fields.

In connection with unstable international situation JICA offers different areas of cooperation for developing countries. In October, 2008 JICA was reborn as a new agency responsible not only for technical cooperation but also for Grant Aid as well as for yen loans of Official Development Assistance (ODA) of Japan and became the second largest donor organization after the World Bank.
JICA activities cover such fields as agriculture, social infrastructure building, poverty reduction, public health and so on. Also JICA controls infectious disease like HIV/AIDS and supports the transition to a market economy and reforms of the legal system, peace-building and post-conflict rehabilitation in such countries like Afghanistan and East Timor. By participation of various population including scientific communities, government and non-government organizations JICA will continue its activities in above mentioned fields.

JICA activity in the Kyrgyz Republic 

Map of projects in Kyrgyzstan (click on the image to see a full-size map)

Currently JICA carries out activities in six main directions: (1) development of transport infrastructure, (2) agriculture development/local development, (3) human resource development for transition to the market economy, (4) inclusion of persons with disabilities into society, (5) improvement of medical service and (6) regional cooperation promotion among the Central Asian countries. These directions were reflected in the following JICA programs in the Kyrgyz Republic:

1. Acceptance of trainees
From 1993 to the present day more than 1100 citizens (mainly government officials) of the Kyrgyz Republic were trained in Japan in different fields: finance, management, jurisprudence, public health, taxation, ecology, water-energy resources, regions' development etc. The JICA Alumni Association was established in September, 2009. 

2. Dispatch of volunteers
JICA volunteers are divided into two categories: Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (at the age of 20 to 39) as well as "Senior Volunteers" (at the age of 40 to 69). At present, the volunteers are working in the following oblasts of Kyrgyzstan: Chui, Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Bishkek city. They work in different fields: teaching of the Japanese, music, physical training, computer technologies, occupational therapy, community development and so on. 98 Japanese volunteers visited Kyrgyzstan from 2000 to November, 2009.

3.Technical Cooperation Projects
The project "Kyrgyz Republic - Japan Center for Human Development" (Japan Center) started in April, 2003. This project is being implemented in Asian countries with transition market economy such as Viet Nam, Lao, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and some others. Functions of those centers are:
- human resources development to support transition to market economy by conducting business courses, IT courses, Japanese language courses, cultural exchange to achieve mutual understanding of culture, which is the main issue of international exchange and technical cooperation between two countries.

Apart from that, implementation of the technical cooperation project: "Training of IT specialists in the Kyrgyz Republic (National Information Technology Center directed to develop both the human resources and IT industry in the Kyrgyz Republic) started in 2004 to train the highly qualified specialists on information technologies.

Besides, the "Community Empowerment Project" (J-CEP), targeted for rural people' capacity development is being implemented from 2007 in cooperation with Issyk-Kul Oblast State Government Administration. Furthermore, this year more two technical cooperation projects: "Inclusion of persons with disabilities into the society" and Project for the Support to the Dissemination of Biogas Technologies in the Kyrgyz Republic" started. 

The project "Improvement of Road Maintenance Capacity Building in the Kyrgyz Republic" was started in 2008 jointly with the Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The joint forest management approach is being spread out under The project for the Support of Joint Forest Management in the Kyrgyz Republic" started in 2009. 

4. Dispatch of Experts
The long term expert (more than a year) was dispatched to the Ministry of Economic Regulation of the Kyrgyz Republic for policy-making to develop industry in Kyrgyzstan. Besides, the short term experts (less than 1 year) were dispatched on bar coding, development of textile industry and food processing. The experts from National Employment Service of Japan were invited to conduct training in public service to reform the human resources management in the government system. Last year the Advisor on roads management was dispatched to the Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Kyrgyz Republic. In 2010 was dispatched an expert on information-communication technologies development with the aim to transfer the Japanese technology and skills.

5. Development Study
Development studies are an assistance to create master plans which are crucial to improve the situation in the developing country. Currently two development studies were done in the Kyrgyz Republic - "The Study on Integrated Development Plan of Issyk-Kul Zone in the Kyrgyz Republic" (2003-2006) and "Study of effective management in agriculture and processing industry in the Kyrgyz Republic" (2004-2007). In the first Study the master plan for tourism industry and other related industries in Issyk-Kul region, taking into consideration of environment protection and the views of local population, was worked out. In the second Study the Action Plan aimed at improvement of situation in the field of agriculture through improved marketing and processing industry, which was submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic was worked out.

6. Grant Aid 
For assistance to improve health care in the Kyrgyz Republic the Government of Japan transferee medical equipment for the following projects: Medical Equipping for State Children Hospital (1995); Up-Grading of Emergency Medical System (1998); Improvement of Medical Equipment of Obstetric and Gynecological Hospitals (2002); Improvement of Child Health Care in the Rural Area (2003). The grant for Improvement of Program Production Equipment of the Kyrgyz Republic National TV and Radio Broadcasting Corporation was awarded in 2005. The equipment for Road Maintenance in Naryn oblast of the Kyrgyz Republic was supplied in 2007. Besides, implementation of the "Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resources Development Scholarship" (JDS) Program started in 2007 with the purpose of getting master's degree programs at leading universities in Japan. JICA promoted necessary preliminary study to award above mentioned Grant Aid and implemented those projects. Moreover, JICA was responsible organization for preliminary study to award a grant to increase food production. (2KR) 

In 2009 JICA started the project on "Reconstruction of bridges in Chui oblast" under which tree bridges on international route will be reconstructed. That is "Aziatskoye shosse #5, where the first bridge is on Alamedin river (42 km), second is on Ala-Archa river (30 km) and third is on Ken-Bulun river (25 km).

Data on technical cooperation of JICA from 2000 to 2010 (as of February 1, 2010)  can be found here.

style="text-align: left;"> 

Map of projects in Bishkek

 Click on image to see a full-size map

Other information resources about JICA in the Kyrgyz Republic and its Projects:

• JICA issues monthly electronic newsletter "JICA Kygyz Channel" in Russian and English languages. Newsletter is directed to inform the readers about JICA activities. For those who wish to subscribe individually for the Newsletter can send a message with the word "subscribe" in the subject line to the following e-mail address: jicakg-news@jica.go.jp. Those, who have an access to the Internet can read the Newsletter on the Japan Center web site www.krjc.kg (reference on the upper part of the home page of the site) or the donors site www.donors.kg. 
• To get full information about JICA activity in the world click the web site www.jica.go.jp
• To get full information about JICA activity in the Kyrgyz Republic click the web site www.donors.kg or www.jica.go.jp in English (Countries - Asia - Central Asia and Caucasus - Kyrgyz) 
• To get full information about Japan Center click the web site www.krjc.kg 
• To get full information about IT Center click the web site www.it.kg
• To get full information about the Community Empowerment Project in Issyk-Kul Oblast of the Kyrgyz Republic (J-CEP) click the web site www.j-cep.kg