DUSHANBE, November 1, 2014, Asia-Plus -- UNDP Tajikistan has organized a four-day study tour in Kyrgyzstan for high-level officials and donor representatives from Tajikistan and Afghanistan to learn from the experiences of the “One Village – One Product” initiative (OVOP) implemented by JICA Kyrgyzstan.

According to UNDP Tajikistan, the delegation included the Deputy Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development from Afghanistan, and from Tajikistan there were Deputy Chairman of Khatlon Province in Tajikistan, Representative of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Country Director of Asian Development Bank, JICA representatives, UNDP Country Director and other officials of the above-named organizations.

The OVOP concept was initially launched in Oita Prefecture in Japan back in 1979, and later was replicated in Karakol, Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan with JICA’s assistance.  Under the slogan of “Let’s Work Together on What We Can Do Today,” the initiative is aimed at mobilizing rural communities for bettering their lives by empowering themselves to establish and run their joint businesses.  The initiative also emphasizes the use of accessible natural resources, unique traditional techniques and high quality of products.  Today, the OVOP project in Kyrgyzstan has more than 1,000 members united in one OVOP Association producing various handicrafts and food products. Besides the local market, some OVOP products are also exported to Japan and other countries.

During the study tour the participants learned about the successes and challenges of OVOP implementation in Kyrgyzstan and discussed opportunities to replicate OVOP in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. High-level participants met in Bishkek with the Deputy Minister of Economy of Kyrgyzstan, H.E. the Ambassador of Japan to Kyrgyzstan, heads of JICA Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyz-Japan Human Development Center.  In addition, participants visited Issyk-Kul region and familiarized with OVOP project sites, saw the workshops, meet with stakeholders and producers of OVOP products and met with the Regional Governor.  During the study tour and the above meetings, the participants agreed that OVOP project might provide tremendous opportunity for each country to pursue their local economic development objectives, enhance women empowerment in the rural areas, and promote regional cooperation among Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan in the frame of the global development agenda.

This study-tour was organized by UNDP Tajikistan in cooperation with JICA Tajikistan, in the framework of the “Project for Livelihood Improvement of Tajik-Afghan Cross-border Areas (LITACA)” financed by the Government of Japan through JICA Tajikistan with the budget of US$10.7 million over three years.  UNDP Tajikistan implements the LITACA project in close cooperation with UNDP Afghanistan, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan and Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of Afghanistan. The OVOP replication in Afghanistan and Tajikistan constitutes an important part of the LITACA project.