OSCE supports public hearing on Osh and Jalal-Abad housing development

The second and final part of a public hearing on the activities of the State Directorate for Reconstruction and Development of Osh and Jalal-Abad took place in Bishkek on 24 June 2011. The hearing examined the recent work of the State Directorate in providing housing. Interbilim, a non-governmental organization, presented a report based on its monitoring of the Department’s recent activity.

The first part of the hearing took place on 22 June in Osh—both were co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and Interbilim, with support from the Soros Foundation for Kyrgyzstan and Dan Church Aid.

The hearing brought together representatives of civil society and the wider public, including citizens affected by the events of June 2010. Officials from the State Directorate and the Osh Mayor’s Office in Osh briefed the participants on the current phase of housing construction.

Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: “These public hearings, in which the state and local authorities can share information with citizens and hear their feedback, are a fundamental part of the national revitalisation and reconciliation underway after the turbulent events of 2010.”

Gulgaky Mamsalieva, the Manager-in-Charge of Interbilim, added: “We have been monitoring the activities of the State Directorate in order to ensure transparency in its work and to examine whether it meets the needs and expectations of society.”