Democratization: Civil Society and Democratic Governance crucial for the proper functioning of a democratic society: 1) they provide oversight of government and careful scrutiny of its proposals; 2) input from the public, both expert and nonexpert, improves the quality of policies and the policy-making process; and 3) policies developed through a consultative process are easier to implement as a result of the greater sense of ownership. Such informed debates on public policies are only effective if the policies are subject to expert comment; discussions are conducted in an appropriate manner; and the resulting information, comments, and feedback are properly processed. This complex mechanism involves many actors such as government, parliament, administration, media, interest groups, institutes of learning, and the public itself. Professional policy think tanks have a role in facilitating and contributing to this debate. The role of think tanks and of political science is still weak in a number of participating States, leaving the government as the sole policy-making and policy-discussion institution. Political science by its very nature has a critical function: to assess political reality. In an effort to strengthen democratic governance through public debate and professional analysis, the ODIHR has been co-operating closely with the Institute for Public Policy in Bishkek to increase the capacity in Kyrgyzstan for pragmatic political research and analysis. Some of the joint activities undertaken with the Institute include: arranging exchange internships with foreign think tanks, developing and maintaining the Institute’s official website, and the publication of a bi-monthly newsletter. Major research projects were carried out in the framework of the programme on the state of the civil service and on attitudes to political and public institutions in Kyrgyzstan. A series of workshops on policy analysis for young researchers and analysts were carried out by the ODIHR in partnership with the Institute, as well as a special training programme for political parties and students of journalism and political science. One result was the expansion of the team of analysts associated with the Institute, 10 of whom are now regular contributors to the Institute’s work and assure in-house capacity to address policy issues ranging from education policy reform to strategic issues in regional and international politics. Second, throughout 2006, no fewer than 40 policy reports were published on domestic politics, foreign policy, and economics, all of which are now available on the website. A third result is the increased profile of the Institute and think tanks in general, as expert comment and advice are increasingly being sought by the media, as well as by government officials. Fourth, the project directly contributed to public debate in a challenging year in Kyrgyzstan. Annual Report  35