Central Asia has recently been in the focus of public attention due to the political turbulences in Kazakhstan in January this year. The developments in Kazakhstan remind how critical it is for the political regimes in Central Asia to develop political openness and promote good governance. This exchange brings together four experts to discuss the salient issues related to good governance in Central Asia and the role played by Hanns Seidel Foundation in promoting reforms in the region:
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Dr Shairbek Dzhuraev, Moderator: Dr. Meier, you have worked for Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) for 19 years, covering Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, focusing on promoting good governance and administration. Can you tell us about the most significant changes that you have observed in politics and society in this region since you first arrived?
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Dr Shairbek Dzhuraev, Moderator: Dr. Meier, you have worked for Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) for 19 years, covering Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, focusing on promoting good governance and administration. Can you tell us about the most significant changes that you have observed in politics and society in this region since you first arrived?
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Dr Dzhuraev, Moderator: The discussion of events in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan remind us how severe the challenges are and remain.
Coming back to Hanns Seidel Foundation: Dr Meier, the HSF has been operating for many years in Central Asia. I wonder whether you could very briefly speak about the activities that you would like to highlight most?
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Dr Meier: Within the framework of the concept of good governance of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Representation Office of the HSF in Central Asia has been working to promote public and municipal administration sectors since 2002. In particular, that includes strengthening institutions like National Academies for Public Administration in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhzstan and Uzbekistan. It includes the provision of qualified human resources for this sector by means of training, retraining and consulting services for young leaders from public and municipal administration, as well as for elected municipal representatives, coming to a total of 3,500 graduates of HSF programs in the region during 19 years. There are also long-term efforts to contribute to the functional and territorial administrative reform in selected project countries. It's about the development of local self-government, about the active participation of the citizens. And it's also about the commitment to administrative transparency.
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Dr Dzhuraev, Moderator: You have made an emphasis on working with the youth, and I think it is really important. A very quick follow up on this: As part of the fellowship program of HSF, you work with young leaders from public and municipal administrations. What can you tell us about aspirations and attitudes of young people concerning their countries?
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Dr Meier: In Central Asia, around half of the population is under 30 years, so in average there are quite young populations. Central Asian states inherited widespread literacy and relatively high educational standards from the USSR. But today, education systems are in serious financial crisis. Teachers are underpaid, schools lack basic facilities. Corruption has devaluated qualification standards. And economic pressure means that families are better off allowing children to work than to attend schools. In some areas of Tajikistan, secondary school attendance has dropped from nearly 100% to below 50%. Young girls are increasingly likely to receive little education. So, many young people with limited schooling end up in casual labour or subsistence agriculture. Work is also hard to find for the educated. So it is not surprising that young people increasingly seek solutions outside mainstream society. It's through alternative options of religion, violence, extremism or the widespread migration. Two thirds of young people say they want to leave the region, mostly to Russia and Kazakhstan.
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Dr Dzhuraev, Moderator: It sounds like there's much work still to be done. Independent Central Asian states turned 30 last year. If we look at the next 30 years – could each of you name a few factors that you consider as the most critical drivers of positive change and development of either Central Asia in general or a particular country?
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Mr Ermanganbetuly: There are many problems on the way of development of the Central Asian countries. Among the main ones I would highlight clan struggle for power, corruption, the complexity of the socioeconomic situation, growing poverty, a lack of jobs, injustice created by the authorities. Also, the pandemic has caused enormous damage to the countries of the region. In the near future, the authorities of the Central Asian countries must also concentrate on solving the urgent environmental issues. I also want to highlight the problems in the education sector: Poorly educated youth is easily open for propaganda and participation in ethnic conflicts, in particularly in border areas.
The latest economic sanctions against Russia will certainly affect also the economy of Central Asia. As a result, new serious challenges to security, economic and political relations will raise. The leaders and the governments of the countries of Central Asia should give priority to all these problems and intensify regional and international cooperation.
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Dr Dzhuraev, Moderator: Ms Zheenbekova: What would be your take on what are the factors that can drive positive change in Kyrgyzstan or in Central Asia in the coming years?
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Ms Zheenbekova: As it was in the past, also today, the post-Soviet states depend often on the great powers who put pressure on them and request, for example, military bases in return for financial support. However, if the Central Asian states will not only follow the supremacy of the great powers and will instead be able to regulate their border issues, political and economic relations in Central Asian states will progress. Although large-scale inter-state conflicts have not occurred for the last 30 years in Central Asia, bilateral conflicts have taken place on border issues. Under these conditions, the guidelines for political and economic development of Central Asian states should not only be described theoretically in cooperation agreements like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)** or the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)***, but fulfilled with life to create real concrete results for better living conditions for the people.
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****Info-Box: The EAEU is an economic union of post-Soviet states founded in 2014. Member states are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. The union aims at facilitating the exchange of goods, capital, services and labour.
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