The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted the first meeting of the subgroup under the Consultative and Consultative Body “Human Dimension Dialogue Platform” devoted to preparations for the defense of the Fourth Periodic National Report of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the Universal Periodic Review, DKnews.kz reports.
The national report has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan in cooperation with government agencies and civil society institutions.
During the meeting, co-chaired by Alua Nadirkulova, Ambassador-at-Large of the Foreign Ministry, and Botagoz Zhakselekova, Vice Minister of Justice, the progress in implementing the recommendations received by Kazakhstan following the results of the previous review in 2019 was discussed. Out of 245 recommendations of the member states of the UN Human Rights Council, Kazakhstan supported 214 and took into account 31 recommendations, taking into account the national legal policy of the state and the practice of application of the current legislation. An Interdepartmental Plan for 2020-2024 was approved to implement the supported recommendations.
As part of the implementation of the recommendations, the mandate of the Commissioner for Human Rights has been expanded in accordance with the Paris Principles, including the provision of financial and human resources; the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have been ratified; legislative measures have been taken to criminalize torture, cruelty, and violence against women and children; existing legislation to combat trafficking in persons has been revised; new laws on political parties and peaceful assemblies have been adopted, as well as a new Administrative Procedural Code; measures have been strengthened to support people with disabilities and children left without parental care, etc.
In parallel with the preparation of the official report, the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations of Kazakhstan prepared eight alternative reports, one of which was also discussed at this meeting.
In general, the issues on the agenda were discussed in a constructive and open format. Representatives of government agencies and NGOs had the opportunity to exchange views and recommendations directly.
The Consultative and Consultative Body “Human Dimension Dialogue Platform” was established in 2013 on the initiative of the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan. The platform is an effective tool for facilitating dialogue between the Government and the civil sector. Various topical issues of human rights protection are discussed at the site with the participation of international organizations (UNDP, OHCHR, and OSCE).
