Meeting of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue (ESPD) between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the United States of America took place

On May 31, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (USA), A.Aitkaliyeva, Director of the Department of International Law at the Ministry of Justice, participated in the regular meeting of the Kazakhstan – U.S. Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue (ESPD) between Kazakhstan and the United States as part of the Kazakh delegation.

During the meeting, A. Aitkaliyeva chaired the «Human Dimension» session. On the U.S. side the session was chaired by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Ms. N. Chulik.

Within this session, the Parties discussed constitutional and legal reforms related to human rights being implemented in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

A.Aitkaliyeva informed the American side about reforms addressing the prevention of torture and ill treatment, human trafficking, forced labor, labor disputes, and other related issues.

The Director of the Department of International Law shared information on the implementation of Government Plans in the field of human rights.

As part of the implementation of these Plans, the following improvements have been achieved:

- abolition of the death penalty;

- adoption of a Presidential Decree providing for a mechanism of interaction with the special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and human rights treaty bodies;

- ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

- transfer of medical care for convicts from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Health;

- simplification of the procedure for resolving labor disputes and conflicts;

- approval of the Instruction «On the Organization of Pre-Trial Investigation in Prosecutor’s Offices for Cases of Torture»;

Development of the draft Law «On Combating Human Trafficking in the Republic of Kazakhstan».

The American side was also informed about the implementation of the Action Plan on Human Rights and the Rule of Law, adopted by the Presidential Decree on December 8, 2023, which includes a new Law on Domestic Violence focused on criminalizing such offenses.

Both parties committed to making every effort to further enhance cooperation on human rights issues. The session was conducted in a constructive and businesslike atmosphere.