Counternarcotics and Law Enforcement Country Program: Kyrgyzstan

Challenges

Kyrgyzstan has Central Asia’s most vibrant civil society and has instituted a number of important constitutional reforms. However, corruption and drug trafficking continue to destabilize reform efforts and impede law enforcement. Through its foreign assistance programs, Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) promotes the key U.S. foreign policy objectives of promoting regional security by sustaining enhancing Kyrgyzstan’s capacity to halt the illegal movement of terrorists, criminals, weapons, weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and narcotics across its borders.

U.S. Government Programs

INL will continue to increase the capacity of local police and drug enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute complex drug smuggling and organized crime cases. Anti-corruption efforts will also include establishing accountable management systems within the legal profession and Ministry of Interior that help in detecting – and preventing – official corruption.

• Counternarcotics: The U.S. has worked with the Government of Kyrgyzstan and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to develop an independent drug law enforcement agency. The project established a Drug Control Agency (DCA) staffed by fully vetted and polygraphed officials and resident international technical advisors. The goal is to establish progressively a sustainable drug control agency responsible for all drug control activity in the country. The DCA is currently operational and coordinating narcotics interdictions with its Central Asian neighbors. INL has also supported the development of four mobile drug interdiction teams that run real time interdiction operations in the heavily trafficked region of Osh.
  
  
• Law Enforcement Restructuring and Reform Programs: INL also works to create sustainable improvement in the Government of Kyrgyzstan’s operational capabilities and its ability to respond effectively to present and emerging transnational crime. This includes equipment and technical assistance necessary to support the long-term improvements in the targeted law enforcement entities, particularly the traffic police. Programs also emphasize professionalization of police forces through curriculum development at Kyrgyzstan’s main police training academy.
  
  
• Reform of the Justice Sector: INL also assists in implementing key U.S. foreign policy priorities related to improving the administration of justice in Kyrgyzstan, strengthening the capacity of Kyrgyz law enforcement to tackle threats from terrorism and narcotics trafficking, and reducing corruption in key judicial and law enforcement institutions. Additional justice sector programs include anti-corruption education, establishing a unified National Bar, and creating an Advocates’ Training Center (ATC). These programs are implemented through providing technical legal assistance on the legislative reform, conducting trainings for judges and advocates, raising public awareness on the new and existing legislation, and delivering lectures on anti-corruption in middle schools across the country.

U.S. Government Funding FY2005-2008
FY 05: $4.03 million
FY 06: $3.3 million
FY 07: $2.1 million
FY 08: $1.8 million
Funding Source: FREEDOM Support Act (FSA)