Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliyev held the first meeting of the National Council on Family, Gender Development, Social Protection and Protection of Children's Rights.

He noted that the establishment of the national council in 2024 is particularly noteworthy because it coincided with the anniversary dates of last year - the 30th anniversary of Kyrgyzstan's accession to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 30th anniversary of UNICEF's work in the country, as well as the 27th anniversary of accession to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

«The National Council was created taking into account a number of important social, economic and legal factors aimed at solving urgent problems of our republic. First of all, it will contribute to the development and implementation of strategies aimed at supporting the family and achieving gender equality, which, in turn, will stimulate the strengthening of the stability of society. In addition, one of the main tasks of the National Council is to strengthen social protection measures, especially for the most vulnerable groups of the population, ensuring support for those who are in particular need of care and assistance. An important task is also to coordinate efforts between state and non-state structures, monitor the implementation of programmes that directly affect the improvement of the quality of life of our citizens, as well as to create an effective platform for sharing experiences and discussing important initiatives», — Adylbek Kasymaliyev said.

He continued that last year a presidential decree was signed to support women's leadership, which was an important step in increasing the role of women in decision-making. He also noted the launch of the state children's programme «Kelechekke Salym» which provides an opportunity to save money for education, health and housing for orphans. In addition, from 2026 it is planned to introduce a one-time payment «Bala—Bereke» for mothers of many children living in remote and hard-to-reach mountainous areas.

During the event, Antje Grave, UN Resident Coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic, made a speech and emphasised the importance of the effective activity of the National Council and the consideration of issues related to the protection of children's rights at such a high level.
Within the framework of the first meeting of the National Council, the draft order of the Cabinet of Ministers on approval of the draft action plan for the implementation of the concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on the results of the submitted combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of the country on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child for 2025-2028 was heard and approved.
The cabinet also considered a draft work plan of the National Council for Family, Gender Development, Social Protection and Defence of Children's Rights for 2025.