Kazakhstan Presents Priorities at High-Level Segments of UN Human Rights Council and Conference on Disarmament

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Ashikbayev participated in the high-level segments of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva.

More than 100 senior officials and representatives of states and international organizations took part in the session, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Speaking at the opening of the 20th anniversary cycle of the Human Rights Council, Y. Ashikbayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to protecting and promoting human rights as a foundation for freedom, justice, and sustainable peace. He briefed participants on the results of systemic reforms aimed at strengthening the national human rights architecture under the “Fair Kazakhstan” agenda.

In his remarks, Y. Ashikbayev highlighted constitutional reform as a central element of the country’s modernization process. The draft Constitution, proposed for a national referendum, seeks to establish a people-centered model of governance, expand guarantees of rights and freedoms - including in the digital sphere - and reinforce the principle of the rule of law.

Kazakhstan reaffirmed its strong support for a multilateral system grounded in the UN Charter and international law. In this context, the delegation presented Kazakhstan’s international initiatives, including the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law; the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions; the establishment of a UN Regional Center for the Sustainable Development Goals in Almaty; the Regional Ecological Summit; and the proposal to create an International Water Organization under UN auspices.

During the high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament, Kazakhstan reaffirmed the CD’s continued role as the primary multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation.

Y. Ashikbayev drew attention to several significant anniversaries in 2026 that underscore Kazakhstan’s contribution to global nuclear disarmament efforts:

- The 35th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site;

- The 30th anniversary of the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT);

- The 20th anniversary of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia (Semipalatinsk Treaty).

In advance of the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), Kazakhstan expressed its readiness to facilitate constructive dialogue among key stakeholders and reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

The statement emphasized the importance of resuming strategic dialogue among nuclear-weapon states to prevent a renewed arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear confrontation, consistent with the initiative put forward by President Tokayev at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2025.

Kazakhstan also called for strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), including through the development of verification and institutional mechanisms and the establishment of an International Agency for Biological Safety.

In conclusion, Kazakhstan urged member states of the Conference on Disarmament to demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to compromise in order to launch negotiations aimed at enhancing international security and improving the effectiveness of multilateral diplomacy.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) was established pursuant to UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251 of March 15, 2006. It is an intergovernmental body within the UN system responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide, addressing situations involving human rights violations, and making recommendations.

The Conference on Disarmament (CD), established in 1979, serves as the international community’s sole multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament. Based in Geneva, the CD negotiates treaties and agreements in the field of arms control and disarmament, including nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as the prevention of an arms race in outer space.