Strategies for Development and Food Security in
Mountainous Areas of Central Asia
Conference
Recommendations
Below
you will find the recommendations and findings based on
the discussions, papers, and proceedings from the international
workshop. They are wide-ranging and have varying degrees
of feasibility; however, all were considered important
for development in mountain areas in this region, in the
eyes of the workshop participants. The recommendations
were the result of working group discussions over the
course of five days.
 The
recommendations are divided into four principal sub-groups:
A complete set of recommendation can be downloaded in PDF
form:
Recommendations
in English (PDF)
Recommendations
in Russian (PDF)
Private
Sector Development
1. Regional governments should establish “free economic
zones” (i.e. involving lower taxes, tariffs, and
special investment incentives) to stimulate key economic
activities in their border areas.
2.
Governments should create enabling policies and mechanisms
for the private sector to deliver financial products and
services to mountain areas. Additionally, the registration
mechanisms of NGOs and other private actors which render
financial services should be simplified.
 3.
Donors and NGOs should support the development of the
private sector by providing access to long-term financing
opportunities. Donors should support financial intermediaries
(NGOs, MFIs, funds, etc.) through direct investment.
4.
Donors and governments should help build the capacities
– in business and private sector skills –
of regional universities and technical institutes in mountain
areas. Similarly they should also assist universities
serving mountain areas to improve the quality of their
research, training, and sector specific outreach programs.
5.
Governments should implement a series of changes which
ease cross border tourism: simplify visa regulations,
establish better connections between areas, provide infrastructure
– including communication infrastructure in tourist
centers – and include eco-tourism in the curricula
of higher education and training programs.
6.
NGOs should work with a wide range of businesses and individuals
that provide tourism services drawing lessons from Pakistan
and Kyrgyzstan in order to facilitate an exchange of experiences,
foster a network of operators, and support capacity building
measures. Donors could increase their support to NGOs
that are engaged in facilitating eco-tourism in mountainous
areas to conduct market studies, develop standards, and
support international presentation of tourism industry.
7.
Governments and NGOs should support rapid access to market
information via radio and other mass media, business guides
or databases. This would include utilizing existing or
establishing new mobile phone services for mountainous
areas.
8.
To increase competition and the efficiency of markets,
and to promote private sector participation, NGOs and
others should create and/or improve the performance of
different types of associations of buyers and sellers.
9.
Donors and NGOs should assist in scaling up best practices
in human resource development.
Infrastructure
1.
Create a “Regional Forum” with governmental
representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan,
and Kyrgyzstan, to address the concerns that collectively
affect the four countries, notably among them, infrastructure.
a)
This Regional Forum would involve the multilateral and
bilateral agencies if needed (i.e. the World Bank, Asian
Development Bank, and Islamic Development Bank).
b) Under this initiative, a regional advisory body (researchers,
scholars, and scientists) would be created to consult
on geopolitical issues pertaining to mountain areas such
as cross-border security measures, environmental and cultural
heritage conservation, and mountain-area focused public
investment policies.
2.
Identify and develop joint cross-border infrastructure
proposals for projects that are environmentally friendly
– along with implementation strategies – and
involve funding from national and international sources.
3.
Establish regulations (customs procedure, visa requirements,
etc.), and infrastructure for the development of transboundary
economic and social cooperation. This would result in
the cross border facilitation for goods, services and
people.
4.
Assist in the setup of viable information networks in
the region (radio, mobile communication, and internet)
for national and cross-border rural areas.
5.
Design and develop a long-term strategy for the development
of mountain area schools, and equipment, funded by the
government, donors, and NGOs.
6.
Rehabilitate and establish a network of primary healthcare
facilities (in remote areas) including the training of
local medical staff (government led).
7.
Formalize and support a wide scale banking system to provide
mountain people with access to financial resources (by
governments and donors).
8.
Donors and multilateral investment agencies should assist
regional governments to establish reliable telecommunication
infrastructure (i.e. through one-time grants – subsidizing
the infrastructure but not the services) as these investments
are currently not attractive for private investors.
9.
Donors should assist public utilities and services in
the remote mountain regions, especially in the energy
sector, in part to stimulate private sector investment.
Governance
1.
Sustainable development in mountainous regions requires
people’s participation on all levels – including
regional planning - in an institutionalized setup.
2.
Governments should take a lead role in providing resources
to support organizations in order to foster the framework
of grassroots institutions such as community village organizations
and their clusters, that will enable communities to be
responsible and accountable for their direction.
3.
Mountain areas should be treated at par with other areas
of nation-states in terms of human, political, economic
and social rights.
a)
Mountain areas should be adequately compensated and/or
protected for resources provided to lowlands; allocation
of any resources in mountain areas should be executed
in a transparent manner.
b) Adequate representation must be ensured in parliament,
relative to other regions.
c) Abolish access restrictions to mountainous areas.
4.
Statutory bodies should be elected on a transparent and
fair basis. An independent mechanism/institution must
be set up to ensure this on all levels (local, regional,
and national).
5.
The statutory system should include or create independent
institutions for the reduction of nepotism and corruption,
by adopting the following measures:
a)
Establishment of ombudsmen on different levels.
b) Adequate remuneration of public servants.
c) Allocation of external (i.e. donor) funds that is transparent
and accountable to the public at all levels.
6.
For the purpose of transparency and accountability, a
culture of disclosure and openness should be fostered
in reference to community, civic, and statutory organizations.
a)
Free and independent media needs to be supported, as it
is a pre-requisite for accountability.
b) The process of local budgeting should be simplified
in a way that is clearly understood and endorsed by the
people.
7.
Mountain areas should be declared weapon and mine free-zones
to ensure internal security and basic safety, even if
not immediately feasible.
8.
For the enhancement of regional cooperation, appropriate
legal frameworks for transboundary cooperation should
be developed. Within this, a process of cross-boundary
consultation should be undertaken, with sharing of best
practices for good governance
Agriculture
and Natural Resource Management
1. Achieve sustainable livelihoods through increased livestock
health and productivity, ensuring also that extension
services are client oriented. This would necessitate training
of Basic Veterinary Workers (BVWs) and paravets; vaccination
campaigns; breed improvement; and enhanced animal nutrition
programmes and management.
2.
Processing and marketing structures for agricultural products
have to be strengthened, which requires:
-
Market
studies for the areas;
-
Quality control mechanisms;
-
Processing facilities; and
-
Training of farmers.
3.
Access to and ownership of natural resources should involve
local communities, thereby raising awareness about the
value of resources and fostering local management and
responsibility.
4.
Full recognition of women as equal partners in the decision-making
process and production, including sharing of rights and
benefits, and providing equal access to education and
training.
5.
Interregional coordination in agricultural research must
be encouraged, in order to increase the production and
productivity of stable food crops and diversified crops.
6.
Improve access to affordable agricultural loans/credits
through revolving funds or other means.
7.
Education and capacity building for the rural population
should be undertaken at all levels, including training
activities for an by farmers, and interregional exchange
of experience.
8.
Community organizations should be strengthened and supported
through legal and organizational assistance, as an effective
means for poverty reduction and food-security, and to
promote participatory planning and learning.
9. Establish a regional inter-governmental platform for
natural resource management in mountain regions
a)
Establish and manage transboundary protected areas and
“Peace Parks” in conflict areas, in order
to protect, conserve, develop, and sustainably use the
natural resources (NR) in mountain areas.
b) Create a regional network of existing protected areas
in the mountain regions.
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Private Sector