Meeting of Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Reviews Work Conducted in 2021
Nur-Sultan, 6 December 2021 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, held a final online meeting of the Consultative and Advisory Body Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension in 2021, chaired by Ambassador-at-Large Usen Suleimen.
In welcoming speech on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Deputy Minister Yerlan Alimbayev noted that the current year was marked by a number of important political transformations put forward by Prsident Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The third package of political reforms has already been implemented. New initiatives of the President are aimed at further institutional development of the political system of Kazakhstan and improvement of mechanisms for the protection of human rights. The reforms influenced the electoral process, youth policy, and charitable activities.
The agenda included discussion of three areas in the field of human rights protection, including reports of state bodies on the implementation of recommendations following the results of the Universal Periodic Review and UN treaty committees (recommendation 139.29), on the introduction of a medical form for recording bodily injury and psycho-emotional state, alleged victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, developed on the basis of the principles of the Istanbul Protocol, initiatives to implement the Human Rights Priority Action Plan by the end of 2021.
The implementation of these measures contributes to the expansion of civic participation, the development of parliamentarism and a multi-party system, as well as the further democratization of the country.
Special gratitude for the help and involvement in the work of the Platform was expressed to the permanent participants represented by international organizations, including the UN, OSCE, USAID and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
On behalf of the civil sector, representatives of the Aman-Saulyk Public Foundation, the Coalition of Kazakhstan NGOs Against Torture, the Expert Institute for European Law and Human Rights and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law took an active part in the event.
Discussions on each item on the agenda were open and constructive, with the development of specific proposals for further interaction between government bodies and NGOs on these issues.
It is necessary to note the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presented at the meeting, to create a new roadmap for the Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension recommendations to implement in 2022.
The event was attended by members of Parliament of Kazakhstan, the Commissioner for Human Rights in Kazakhstan, representatives of the Administration of the President of Kazakhstan, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Council, interested ministries, Kazakh human rights NGOs, as well as international partners, including the UN Development Programme, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), OSCE, European Union and USAID.