Dear compatriots,
The anti-terrorist operation continues in our country. The police, the national guard and the army are carrying out large-scale and well-coordinated efforts to restore law and order in accordance with the Constitution.
Yesterday, the situation in the cities of Almaty, Aktobe, and Almaty region was stabilized. The implementation of the state of emergency is ensuring results. Constitutional legitimacy is being restored across the country.
However, terrorists continue to cause damage to public and private property, and use weapons against citizens.
I have given orders to law enforcement agencies and the army to, where necessary, open fire without warning.
There are some calls abroad for the parties to hold talks to resolve problems peacefully. This is nonsense! What kind of negotiations can take place with criminals and murderers?
We have had to deal with armed and trained bandits, both local and foreign. They must be eliminated, and this will be done soon.
Law enforcement forces are morally and technically ready to perform this task.
As you know, based on the main provisions of the CSTO charter documents, Kazakhstan appealed to the heads of the participating states with a request to introduce a joint peacekeeping contingent to assist in restoring constitutional order.
This contingent has arrived in our country for a short period of time to perform supporting functions.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister of Armenia, who chairs the CSTO, as well as to the Presidents of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
I would like to express my special gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He very quickly and, most importantly, in a warm and friendly manner responded to my appeal.
I also express my gratitude to the Presidents of China, Uzbekistan, Turkey, the heads of the UN and other international organizations for their words of support.
The tragic events in our country highlight the problems of democracy and human rights in a new way.
Democracy does not mean permissiveness nor, moreover, incitement, including in the blogosphere, to illegal actions.
In my speech on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Independence, I said that law and order are the main guarantee of our country's well-being.
And not only for Kazakhstan, but all civilized states.
This does not mean an attack on civil liberties and human rights. On the contrary, as the tragedy of Almaty and other cities of Kazakhstan has shown, it is precisely non-compliance with laws, permissiveness, and anarchy that lead to human rights violations.
In Almaty, administrative buildings, but also the personal property of local residents, were damaged by terrorist bandits. Not to mention the health and lives of hundreds of civilians and military personnel.
I extend my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.
Let me remind you that the law on peaceful assemblies of citizens was adopted at my suggestion in May 2020.
This law is a big step forward in promoting democracy in our country, because it provides for the notification of meetings and gatherings, including in the central districts of all cities of the country.
But some so called “defenders of human rights” and “activists” put themselves above the law and believe that they have the right to gather where they want and say what they want.
Due to the irresponsible actions of these self-proclaimed activists, the police are distracted from their main duties of law enforcement. They are often subjected to violence and abuse.
Because of these activists, the use of Internet gets limited, as a result of which the interests of millions of citizens and domestic businesses suffer. In other words, internal economic, social and political stability is greatly damaged.
The so called “independent” mass media and the figures based outside of he country, who are not aligned with the fundamental interests of our multiethnic people, play an accessory role and, in some cases, an inciting role in violations of law and order.
It is no exaggeration to say that these irresponsible demagogues have become complicit in unleashing this tragedy in Kazakhstan. We will respond harshly to all acts of illegal vandalism.
There is no doubt that we will quickly overcome this black mark in our history. The main goal is to prevent such events from happening again in the future.
I have created a special interagency group that will search for and detain bandits and terrorists.
I promise our citizens that all these individuals will be held to the strictest criminal responsibility.
I ask all citizens of Kazakhstan to be careful and vigilant. Report any suspicious activity or suspicious individuals to law enforcement agencies and hotlines.
There will be a debriefing in connection with the actions of law enforcement agencies and the army, as well as their interdepartmental coordination.
It also clear that we lacked special forces professionals and special equipment. We will address these issues as a matter of urgency.
It is critically important to understand why the state was not aware of the underground preparation of terrorist attacks by sleeper cells and militants. Almost 20 thousand bandits attacked Almaty.
Their actions showed a clear plan of attacks on military, administrative and social facilities in almost all areas, coordination of actions, high combat readiness and brutal cruelty.
In addition to the militants, there were specialists trained in ideological sabotage, skillfully using disinformation or "fakes" and capable of manipulating people's moods.
It seems that their training and leadership were handled by a single command post. The National Security Committee and the Prosecutor General’s Office have begun to deal with this.
Now for the good news.
Due to the stabilization of the situation, I have decided to enable Internet communication in certain regions of the country for specific time intervals. I know that this decision will have a positive impact on the life of our citizens.
However, free access to the Internet does not mean free publication of fabrications, slander, insults, and inflammatory appeals.
If such materials appear, we will take measures to detect and punish their authors.
The counterterrorism operation continues. The militants have not laid down their weapons, and they continue to commit crimes or prepare for them. The fight against them must be brought to an end. Those who do not surrender will be eliminated.
There is a lot of work ahead to learn the lessons of the tragedy we have experienced, including from a socio-economic point of view.
The Government will need to make specific decisions, which I will discuss in the Mazhilis on January 11.
Now I want to tell you, dear compatriots, that I am proud of you.
I would like to express my gratitude to those citizens of Kazakhstan who have remained calm in recent days and made efforts to ensure stability and public order.
Despite provocations and destructive calls, you have remained loyal to the law an0d your country.
I thank students of large cities, members of labor collectives, and industrial and agricultural workers for their civic consciousness.
I thank the residents of the regions whose protest was peaceful.
All the demands expressed in peaceful terms were heard. As a result of the dialogue, a compromise was reached, and solutions to acute socio-economic problems have been formed.
Therefore, we will gradually lift the state of emergency in the regions where the situation is stable.
I am absolutely sure that our sacred fatherland - Kazakhstan will become a strong state on the world map, our economy will develop dynamically, and the social situation of our citizens will improve. To achieve these goals, I will propose a reform plan and concrete measures to implement them.
I wish you all good health and prosperity!
October 30, 2021 in Taraz, with the active assistance of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Kyrgyz Republic, as part of the celebration the 30th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Taraz, in the ethnocultural complex «Kune Taraz», an agro-industrial fair of agricultural producers of the Talas and Chui regions of the Kyrgyz Republic was held.
The exhibition was attended by the Akim of the Zhambyl region B.Saparbayev, the plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Chui region E.Tentishev and the plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Talas region B.Narbekov. They reviewed the product range and talked to sellers and buyers.
«Kazakhs and Kyrgyz are fraternal peoples. We are linked by a common centuries-old history, strong bonds of friendship and good neighborliness. It is our shared responsibility to further strengthen the unity among peoples. It is necessary to continue the centuries-old tradition of intercultural dialogue. Recently, we took part in the traditional republican festival of manaschy «Karaanym Manas» in the Talas region of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Events dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the great akyn Zhambyl Zhabayev were held in Bishkek. Today you have arranged a real holiday for the residents of Taraz. I am confident that our relations will continue to deepen and expand. Within the framework of regional cooperation, we will interact on the basis of trust in various fields, including culture and trade. This year, both Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Independence. May the friendship between the countries grow stronger for our common good»
B.Saparbayev addressed the guests.
E.Tentishev and B.Narbekov expressed gratitude for the warm welcome, noting that cooperation between our countries is constantly deepening.
Agricultural producers in the regions of Kyrgyzstan brought food products worth more than 130 million tenge. Including several tens of tons of potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions and apples. Also on display were dried fruits, dairy products, varieties of perennial flowers and tree seedlings. Suppliers of products from Kyrgyzstan and residents of Taraz noted the success of the fair, while emphasizing the low prices and quality of the products sold.
The main decoration of the holiday was the performances of creative teams from the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Kyrgyz delegation also visited a number of facilities: «Super Pharm» LLP, a sports complex for practicing table tennis and rhythmic gymnastics, the «Anaga takzym» center, and the «Tekturmas» ethno-historical complex.
As a result of the events, the parties agreed to hold similar fairs in the Zhambyl region of Kazakhstan, Chui and Talas regions of Kyrgyzstan on an annual basis in the period from September to October.
On October 21, 2021, in Bishkek, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, ROAD-SHOW «WELCOME TO TURKISTAN-2021» was held for local tour operators, entrepreneurs, representatives of government agencies in the field of tourism and the media with a presentation of the tourism potential Turkestan region, organized by the Government of the Turkestan region and the Tourist Information Center «Turkistan Tourism Center».
Turkestan occupies a special place in the history of the Turkic peoples.
On June 19, 2018, by the decree of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy N.Nazarbayev, the city of Turkestan was determined as the administrative center of the Turkestan region. Also, on March 31, 2021, during a meeting of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking states, Turkestan was determined as the spiritual capital of the Turkic world.
Undoubtedly, the new status of Turkestan is dictated by the realities of the time and is of great importance for Kazakhstan and neighboring Turkic-speaking countries. In addition, with the launch by «Fly Arystan» of a regular direct flight on the Turkestan-Bishkek route, this region will become even more accessible.
Within the framework of the event, B2B meetings were held to exchange views on topical issues of the development of the tourism industry, as well as to form an effective mechanism for interaction in the development and promotion of tourism products. The participants of this event had the opportunity to contribute to an increase in the tourist flow between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Kazakhstan.
At the end of the event, Memorandums of Cooperation and Interaction were signed between the «Turkistan Tourism Center» of the Tourism Administration of the Turkestan Region and the Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators, as well as the «Akhsay Travel» company. Also, a Memorandum of Cooperation and Interaction was signed between the companies «CAT Company» and «Onlinegid.kz».
Ministry of education and science of the Republic of Kazakhstan calls for foreign applicants, including persons of Kazakh nationality who are not citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan for full-time studying under Bachelor, Master and PhD educational programs.
Scholarships allocation:
Admissions operator is Bologna process and academic mobility center MES RK.
Application period: 7 June – 20 July 2021
Contact information:
Phone: +7 10 (7172) 28 75 26
E-mail: admission@n-k.kz
Dear participants of the session!
In accordance with Article 59 of the Constitution of Kazakhstan, I declare the first session of the Parliament of the seventh convocation open.
Dear members of Parliament!
I congratulate all of you on the end of the elections and wish success to the members of the Mazhilis of the new convocation!
I thank the members of the previous convocation for their successful work.
In almost five years, 410 laws have been adopted within the walls of Parliament.
The members used their right to initiate the law and prepared about 60 bills.
This is more than the initiatives of the members of the previous five convocations.
New MPs, maintaining the pace of their former colleagues, should work more productively.
Because we all have large-scale tasks and big things ahead of us.
The activities of the renewed Mazhilis coincide with two significant events for our country.
We have entered the 30th anniversary of our sacred independence.
Also, modern Kazakhstan parliamentarism has reached its quarter-century milestone.
I am confident that the members who won the mandate of trust in this historical period will meet the country’s expectations and will faithfully serve our country.
Dear ladies and gentlemen!
The elections have opened a new page in the development of our country.
This important event once again proved the strength of our statehood.
They demonstrated the high political culture and civic maturity of the Kazakh society.
The voting results in all regions showed that our people fully support the strategic direction of the state.
Together we have created the necessary conditions for a confident future.
Despite the differences in political positions, we face one challenge.
Our common goal is to make Kazakhstan a strong country.
The new multi-party composition of the Mazhilis and maslihats (local representative bodies) at all levels showed an increase in political competition in society.
The Nur Otan party, led by the Leader of the Nation, has reaffirmed its leadership.
The rest of the parties, representing the interests of a certain part of the population, received a mandate of trust.
On the threshold of the fourth decade of our sovereignty, our country is facing new unprecedented challenges.
Not only we, but the whole world has entered a completely new era.
The path of development of civilisation and the foundations of the world order are undergoing radical changes.
There are many trials and challenges ahead.
However, the main challenge for all of us is to overcome the consequences of the pandemic.
The twenty-first year of the 21st century will be a turning point for all humankind.
This year will determine the main directions of the next decade.
In such a difficult situation, you should not waste time and relax even for a minute.
By holding elections at the beginning of the year, we not only dealt with difficulties, but also paved the way for modernisation and received new impetus.
It is very important to maintain this pace and stay on course.
Therefore, in the 30th anniversary of independence, comprehensive reforms will be carried out.
We must concentrate all our efforts on building an effective state and a just society.
The main priority is to improve the quality of life and increase the well-being of the population.
People expect real results, not artificial ones.
People want economic and social programmes to be successful.
We will involve all active citizens in this large-scale work.
Each of them should know that they are directly involved in making decisions that affect the fate of the country.
It is important that they feel that they are contributing to the common cause.
This is the essence of the concept of a “listening state” that I proposed.
We can only move forward and succeed if we harness the creativity of a nation.
Reforming with high quality laws is key to long-term success.
I am sure that the renewed corps of MPs will adequately fulfill these tasks.
Dear members of Parliament!
Our strategic direction is clear.
Our goal is to join the ranks of the most developed countries.
A developed country is, first of all, a healthy, educated and prosperous people.
Therefore, the main task of the state is to create conditions for full development, increasing the well-being of our citizens.
By 2025, we will create an effective institutional and infrastructural environment for every citizen.
The long-term development of our country is based on the principles of Continuity, Justice and Prosperity.
To achieve our goals, we will make consistent changes in all areas.
To do this, we need to focus on the following priorities.
FIRST. We must make every effort to develop the rule of law and strengthen citizens' confidence in the authorities.
This is a very important task.
In this regard, it is especially important to introduce a new model of public administration.
Reforms in this area include a gradual decentralisation of the system, modernisation of the state apparatus, optimisation of the quasi-public sector and digitisation of the entire process.
This will make the state apparatus more compact, transparent and efficient, and the decision-making process more flexible and transparent.
Social and economic development is impossible without proper protection of the rights of citizens. This is an axiom, a truth.
In this regard, in order to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, we need to bring this reform to the end.
Despite the measures taken by the state and the direct efforts of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, problems with the quality of the judiciary still exist.
The judicial system should not be a closed corporation.
Therefore, it is necessary to significantly modernise the judiciary and attract specialists in various fields of law.
When selecting candidates, it is important to take into account not only their professional experience, but also their personal qualities.
This work must be publicly reported in the media.
It is also important that information about the judicial system is made more accessible to the public.
It is necessary to change the work of law enforcement agencies as much as possible.
I have clearly stated this in my Address.
We will present a service model for interacting with citizens.
Public safety is ensured through the use of new digital technologies.
Parliament must strengthen the legal framework for the rule of law, fair competition and property protection.
Then these principles will be strictly implemented.
Today, work is underway on a number of legislative proposals.
However, there are still many new initiatives to be put forward and many laws to be passed.
SECOND. Effective social policy is a key tool for building a strong and inclusive society.
Despite significant progress in many indicators of the Human Development Index, Kazakhstan still lags behind the leading countries in this indicator.
High quality human capital is the basis for the long-term competitiveness of all states, including Kazakhstan.
The world is moving towards the “knowledge economy”, this is the reality.
Today, the generation of Independent Kazakhstan already accounts for half of all citizens of our country.
Today’s children and youth will determine the labour market of Kazakhstan by 2050. The prosperity of the country in the future depends on their competitiveness.
It is important to understand that being a “young nation” gives us long-term benefits.
But it is necessary to correctly take advantage of these benefits, to carry out consistent work on the development of human capital. Investments in young people will certainly pay off many times over and will benefit our entire state.
Recently, we have made progress in reforming the education sector.
At the same time, a number of accumulated problems have to be solved.
An urgent task is to narrow the gap in the quality of education between different social groups and regions.
At this stage of development, a new policy is required to retrain and continuously improve the skills of workers.
To this end, a special national project is to be developed and implemented.
The modernisation of national healthcare is of particular importance. In a pandemic, the urgency of this problem has become obvious.
The health care system must be patient-centered, prioritising their interests, health and life.
The transition to such a model is possible through personification, the introduction of digital tools, and expanding people’s access to qualified medical care.
In this regard, the development of preventive medicine based on the prevention and early diagnosis of diseases plays a special role.
A healthy lifestyle of citizens is a basic condition for the formation of a healthy nation.
Therefore, special attention should be paid to mass and children's sports, which I already mentioned in my Address. I want to repeat that this is a priority task of strategic importance.
On my instructions, the government has revised the approaches to financing mass and children’s sports. This area will be provided with significantly greater resources for development.
This task should be under the control of the MPs.
The members of parliament and maslihats should keep other issues that I noted under constant control and in the centre.
We also have to reset social security policy.
The state’s priority should be to support the most vulnerable citizens.
At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the targeting of state aid and the corresponding requirements for receiving it.
The Social Code that is being developed will provide a comprehensive answer to topical issues in this important area.
Another key element of the social infrastructure is the domestic pension system.
It must be fair, sustainable, and meet the interests of people.
We launched a very important, one might say, unique reform - the possibility of partial withdrawal and use of pension assets.
In addition, it is necessary to provide citizens with the opportunity to manage their savings through various tools.
The government and the National Bank are developing a Concept for the further development of the pension system. It is obvious that its practical implementation will require high-quality legislative support.
Overall, I expect the new members of parliament to actively work to improve social policy.
THIRD. It is impossible to ensure the well-being of citizens without the progressive growth of the national economy.
The government should continue countercyclical macroeconomic policies to support economic activity.
As part of improving fiscal policy, it is necessary to revise the Tax Code in terms of its simplification, stimulation of business activity and competition.
It is necessary to focus on supporting small and medium businesses.
Another task is to create favorable conditions for doing business.
It is necessary to develop mechanisms to support entrepreneurship based on a fundamentally new regulatory policy.
I have already instructed to switch to regulation from a “blank slate”, which will significantly reduce the costs of starting and running a business. The corresponding Decree was signed by me at the end of 2020.
In accordance with it, the Government is preparing an important legislation that will be submitted to the Mazhilis in June 2021.
I ask the MPs to comprehensively consider this legislation, taking into account the wishes of entrepreneurs and public interests.
Further. We need to reduce the role of the state as an owner and regulator. The privatisation programme launched earlier should be continued and completed, the mission, role and functions of the quasi-public sector should be revised.
Given the dynamic transformation of the labour market, it is necessary to stimulate the flow of labour from low-productivity to more productive sectors of the economy.
This requires the completion of the primary industrialisation of the country.
As I said earlier, the industry of our country must be flexible and adaptable to current changes.
Therefore, the adoption of the law “On industrial policy” is of particular relevance.
It doesn’t have to be set in frames. It should provide for specific measures, effective mechanisms to support and stimulate domestic business.
Many of the MPs of the current convocation have significant practical experience. I believe this experience will be fully utilised in the development of this bill.
In general, systemic transformations will continue.
We will discuss them in detail at the next meeting of the Supreme Council for Reforms on January 29. Decisions will be made in key areas.
It is planned to approve a fundamentally new State Planning System, an updated National Development Plan of the country until 2025, as well as a new concept of public administration.
Given the scale and importance of the adopted documents, it will be necessary to develop an appropriate legislative framework for their implementation.
In accordance with my instructions, the government will have to ensure the transformation of state programmes into National Projects by the end of the first half of the year.
I would especially like to note that within the framework of this work it is necessary to integrate the initiatives expressed in the Nur Otan electoral platform into the programme documents.
The measures and approaches proposed by the party must be put into operation and implemented.
Constructive proposals from the programmes of other parties that gained seats in parliament will also be carefully studied by the government.
FOURTH. Balanced development of the country in terms of territory and space.
In addition to all this, we pay special attention to the development of the most important industries that unite all regions with a single economic space.
In particular, transport, energy and digital infrastructure.
We will endeavour to systematically promote development centres with a focus on managed urbanisation.
Priority will be given to improving the infrastructure linking regions, cities, districts and villages.
We will modernise over 3,500 villages to new standards.
The roads to each village, which act as foundational support of the surrounding settlements, and the motorways of state significance will be fully repaired.
To further improve local self-government, it is important to simplify budget procedures and increase the independence of representative and executive bodies.
In this regard, I would like to draw the attention of maslikhat deputies to the following.
Your active position should help you make quality and balanced decisions that protect the interests of voters.
Prompt and successful implementation of these changes depends on the effectiveness of the work.
FIFTH. One of the main directions of reforms in Kazakhstan is political modernisation.
The main principle of this modernisation is to make all changes in an evolutionary way, on the basis of national dialogue and compromise.
The first part of last year’s political reforms provided new opportunities for parties and gave impetus to the country's democratic development.
The recent elections have had a positive impact on the strengthening of political competition.
Qualified and authoritative people came to the Mazhilis and Maslihats.
We have achieved this by setting a 30 percent quota for women and youth on party lists.
The introduction of a proportional system of elections to maslihats increased the activity of parties in the regions.
It also helped to maximise the involvement of citizens in the local political process.
The institution of parliamentary opposition significantly enhances the role of small political forces.
Thus, we have given a significant impetus to the development of a multi-party system in the country and the strengthening of parliamentarism.
Another important step is the election of village mayors.
Elections will be held this year in some rural districts.
We intend to strengthen the system of local government from the very bottom.
This is a very important issue.
Therefore, in the future, after the election of village mayors, a transition to the election of governors of districts is possible.
However, we should not be satisfied with what has already been achieved.
A new impetus is needed to strengthen the political system and increase the influence of citizens in the decision-making process.
A lot of work has been done in the development of the second part of the reforms in this direction.
It takes into account the proposals of all parties, including those that did not enter parliament yesterday, and they will be taken into account in the future.
Ideas and initiatives of members of the National Council and other authoritative experts and activists are included.
We have witnessed how intense this election campaign was, despite the quarantine restrictions.
Some parties did not have enough votes to enter the Mazhilis and Maslihats.
Each of them contain well-educated, qualified citizens who have mastered a certain sphere well.
They promptly and appropriately raise many topical issues that need to be discussed from the high rostrum of parliament.
If representatives of such parties went to parliament, this would strengthen the discussion and increase the effectiveness of joint work.
Obviously, they will also make a significant contribution to improving the quality of legislative work.
Therefore, we need to lower the threshold for political parties to enter the Mazhilis from 7 to 5 percent. It’s time to make that decision, as this rule will encourage officially registered parties to participate in the upcoming elections.
It will also contribute to the development of political competition in the country.
This initiative will enable to take into account the opinion of the population when conducting public policy.
In the future, the list of party members and other related procedures can be created online.
For this, it is better to use the capabilities of electronic government.
As you know, the parliament, along with legislation, has a control function.
Its effectiveness has been proven in international practice.
The effective use of this essential competence significantly strengthens the institutional framework of modern parliamentarism in Kazakhstan.
This corresponds to my political formula: “A strong President - an influential Parliament - a responsible Government”.
MPs must always persistently defend the interests of the people.
SIXTH. Increasing the activity of civil society representatives, improving youth policy and supporting charitable activities.
As you know, at the beginning of the year I signed a corresponding law on amendments and additions to some legislative acts on the activities of public councils.
Thus, we have significantly strengthened the powers of public councils.
Now another important step will be taken to increase civic engagement.
This is the discussed “Public Control Law”.
It is also necessary to legalise the institution of online petitions.
The purpose of these initiatives is to increase the efficiency of the state, to involve civil society in the decision-making process.
Improving legislation in the field of state youth policy is one of the main tasks.
The government has adopted a comprehensive youth support plan for 2020.
A national project “Generations of Independence”, laws on state youth policy and volunteering are being prepared.
MPs must legislate the concept of “youth social services”.
In accordance with international practice, it is necessary to introduce the “Youth Development Index” in Kazakhstan.
On this basis, the work of local executive bodies on the implementation of youth policy will be assessed.
The systematic support of charitable activities is also a top priority.
Incentives in this area should be simple and specific.
Accordingly, various benefits should be provided to businesses and individuals participating in charity events and volunteer projects.
SEVENTH. One of our main goals is the full protection of human rights.
At the same time, it is important to ensure maximum freedom of choice for citizens.
Globally, the human right to legally express disagreement with any election or against all candidates is widely practiced.
Indeed, the idea of an alternative opinion and voting against everything should also be the norm for us.
Therefore, ballots of all levels must contain the option “against all”.
This initiative contributes to the protection of citizens’ electoral rights.
Isn’t it a choice to officially show that you have no choice?!
Another issue is that the protection of human rights must be constantly improved.
We need to strengthen it institutionally and organisationally.
For example, we have an ombudsman institution.
However, it has not yet reached its full potential.
Therefore, we should soon adopt a special law on the Ombudsman.
This law regulates the activities of this institution in all areas.
Without appropriate specialists and organisational work, the activities of the Ombudsman will be difficult to ensure legally.
The main issues related to human rights are observed in the regions.
There are a lot of complaints about the local authorities.
Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the institution of the ombudsman, primarily in the regions.
We need to strengthen the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights.
At the same time, we must address a wide range of issues related to the protection of children’s rights.
It is necessary to strengthen state control and think over effective mechanisms to ensure the safety of children, prevent suicide and bullying among children.
The issue of inclusive development of children with special needs cannot be ignored.
One of the most pressing issues is the formation of a regulatory framework to improve the efficiency of the provision of relevant services in educational institutions.
The solution of such socially significant issues is not only the task of state structures.
We all need to understand that this requires the participation of the entire civil society.
Dear members of Parliament!
The proposed initiatives are only part of the long-term socio-economic and political reforms that are now on the agenda.
Necessary legislations in many areas are being discussed.
I believe that the MPs should take an active part in this work and establish constructive relations with the government.
My main position is that all topical issues of society should be discussed, first and foremost, in parliament.
Members of the public and experts should be actively involved in the preparation of draft laws.
One of the main requirements is to provide effective feedback on controversial issues that may cause public outrage.
Parliament has two important tasks – the adoption of high quality laws and becoming a center for finding solutions to pressing problems.
Overall, it is necessary to comprehensively improve the country’s legislative system.
Lobbying for personal gains should be completely eliminated in the process of developing legal norms.
First and foremost, you should focus on the needs of the electorate and analyse all the risks and threats.
MPs should always know the aspirations of the society and feel its pulse.
Parliament is a vibrant working environment that serves the interests of the country.
We must always remember that our people expect positive changes from us.
Therefore, you need to be more responsible in making decisions.
We must work together as one to ensure that all our plans are successful.
We will overcome any difficulties and climb to the top together!
Together we will build a fair and prosperous Kazakhstan!
Let’s keep our cherished values like the apple of our eye and step into a wonderful future together!
Once again, I wish you all success!
The bright future of our country depends on your achievements.
All the people are looking at you with great hope.
I hope you will live up to this expectation with dignity.
Thank you for your attention!
Statement by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the General Debate of the 75th session of the UNGA
«The Future We Want, The UN We Need: Reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism» (23 September 2020) Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, This year we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in both dramatic and critical time. The greatest challenge of our age – COVID-19 pandemic – continues to cause deep suffering among the people around the world and has seriously affected the global economy. In the wake of this unprecedented human tragedy, on behalf of my country-fellows I extend the profound gratitude to all medical professionals and frontline staff-members who work very hard to protect us. The current global emergency is a stress test for all of us that has triggered health, humanitarian and socio-economic turbulence. COVID-19 has exposed our past mistakes and failures. We have witnessed a critical collapse of global cooperation in response to this crisis, trade protectionism and political nationalism, coming close to what some have already called a state of «global disfunction». The whole world is on the verge of dramatic upheavals that may lead to irreversible consequences. Lack of mutual confidence, misunderstanding of international competition, trade wars and sanctions really undermine the prospects and hopes for a better world. Let us be frank – in the post-Cold War world we largely missed the chance to build a truly just, people-centered international system. The fate of our future generations depends on the understanding of this reality, primarily by us, the leaders of states. Therefore it is our moral obligation to reflect on the paradigm of building a «New World». Now we are in a make-or-break moment for the humankind. Born a century before the UN establishment, a great Kazakh poet and philosopher Abai proposed his own formula on global interaction: «Адамзатқа не керек: сүймек, сезбек, кейімек, қарекет қылмақ, жүгірмек, ақылмен ойлап сөйлемек». Which means: all that the humanity needs – love, compassion, bold actions, deeds and thoughtfulness. In this context, allow me to share some points on our collective response to current challenges. Mr. President, Right after the coronavirus outbreak, the UN’s various funds, programmes and agencies have stepped forward to combat the crisis. However, the international community obviously needs to do more. Firstly, to build a strong global health system priority must be given to upgrading national health institutions through timely and coordinated support from developed countries and UN agencies. Secondly, we must take the politics out of the vaccine. It is not too late for reaching a COVID-19 vaccine trade and investment agreement that would protect global production and supply chains. Thirdly, it may be necessary to revise the International Health Regulations to increase the World Health Organization’s capacity, and to develop national capabilities in preventing and responding to diseases. Fourthly, we suggest that the idea of a network of Regional Centers for Disease Control and Biosafety under the UN auspices be closely examined. Kazakhstan stands ready to host such a regional center. Last but not least, in light of the global pandemic, launching of a biological weapons control system is becoming more acute than ever. Kazakhstan proposes to establish a special multilateral body – the International Agency for Biological Safety – based on the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention and accountable to the UN Security Council. Distinguished delegates, We need urgent concerted efforts for a truly global economic recovery. I join the Secretary-General’s call on rescue package amounting to 10% of the world economy and share his view that the response to the pandemic should be based on a New Global Deal to create equal and broader opportunities for all. We believe that the suspension of debt repayments by the poorest countries will help reduce uncertainty. International financial institutions need to implement innovative solutions like debt-to-health system swaps. I hope that the upcoming High-Level Meeting on Financing for Development will produce concrete measures. Landlocked developing countries have been particularly hard-hit by COVID-19 which has severely damaged trade and supply chains. As the current Chair of the LLDC Group, Kazakhstan has proposed a UN Roadmap to reinvigorate implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action. The highest expectation of our people is practical deliverables within Agenda 2030. We need prompt and well-coordinated steps to get back on track for an accelerated SDG Decade of Action – probably the most critical decade of our generation. The very basic target, zero hunger is to be provided unconditionally. In this context, we note the importance of convening a Food Systems Summit in 2021. The Islamic Organization for Food Security, initiated by Kazakhstan is ready to assist the international humanitarian campaign through the creation of food reserves. We should renew our commitment to leave no one behind, especially women, youth, children, elders, persons with disabilities, disproportionately affected by the crisis. The largest disruption of education systems in history should be stopped from becoming a generational catastrophe. Civic engagement and private sector involvement are also critical for solving current pressing problems. During past months we have witnessed strong solidarity all over the world through volunteering. To acknowledge the role of volunteers, I propose the United Nations to proclaim an International Year of Mobilizing Volunteers for Development. In Kazakhstan I announced the current year as a Year of Volunteers. Mr. President, There are two more crises that are looming right behind the pandemic. One of them is the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament crisis. Kazakhstan has been the role model of a responsible state by willingly abandoning its nuclear arsenal and shutting down world’s biggest nuclear test site. However, continuous erosion of the non-proliferation regime leaves us in a dangerous position. Kazakhstan, therefore, expects all Member States to join its appeal to nuclear powers to take necessary and urgent measures to save the humankind from a nuclear disaster. In this respect we appreciate an active role played by relevant UN institutions including the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. We believe that legally-binding negative security assurances should be given to every non-nuclear-weapon state. That is why we urge all P5 countries to ratify the respective Protocols to the Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaties, including Semipalatinsk Treaty. Another existential crisis for our civilization is the climate change. It is not only a dangerous problem in itself, but is also a «threat multiplier». The climate emergency is a race we are losing. But the post-COVID recovery gives us unique opportunity to put environmental protection at the forefront of international agenda. We must unite around the UN’s six climate positive actions. Kazakhstan is very vulnerable to the various effects of the climate change. The tragedies of Aral Sea and Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, the rapid melting of glaciers, and desertification threaten not only Kazakhstan and Central Asian region, but also the entire world. Although Kazakhstan is highly dependent on fossil fuels and has a long way to go to meet Paris 2030 targets, our commitment to develop a decarbonized economy has no alternative. We will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2030 through economic overhaul and industrial modernization. And yet, in next five years we will plant more than two billion trees. To address these global crises we need to restore an atmosphere of trust between Member States and strengthen multilateral institutions. Lack of trust between nations has become toxic for international relations. It is a moral duty to demonstrate our commitment to the basic purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Due to the immensely growing demand for confidence-building, Kazakhstan aims to transform Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia into a full-fledged organization for security and development in Asia. The world community should increasingly promote an ideology of tolerance, mutual understanding and cultural diversity. It is a key to countering hatred and intolerance. We once again stress the need for creating a unified coalition to counter another global challenge – international terrorism. We invite all countries to join the Code of Conduct for Achieving a World Free of Terrorism. Kazakhstan was among the first to repatriate our women and children from war-torn Syria and Iraq. It was not an easy decision, but absolutely necessary one. It is our strong belief that the United Nations must lead the global effort to overcome the pandemic, accelerate recovery and improve prospects for global governance. Therefore, each and every UN agency should reinstate its efficiency and relevance to the tasks ahead of us. We have no alternative but to live up to the great challenge of building a more robust and forward-oriented UN. The criticism of the United Nations is not always fair. The UN does exactly as much as the political will of the Member States allows. Excellencies, Though different, each of these three crises is in fact a governance challenge. To achieve truly just and people-centered world, measures at the international stage should be accompanied by the dedicated efforts at the national level. Kazakhstan is determined to build an economically strong, democratically advanced and human-oriented «Listening State». Therefore, we conduct political and economic reforms that are expected to give a boost to the development of our society to meet up the expectations of our people. We have decriminalized defamation, adopted new laws on political parties and on the peaceful mass meetings. To fulfill a fundamental right to life and human dignity we decided to join the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the abolition of the death penalty. Another priority is ensuring equal opportunities for women and youth, protection of children. We have reduced our Gender Inequality Index value by two times and have introduced a mandatory 30% quota for women and youth in election party lists. We have helped 4.5 million fellow-citizens who temporarily lost their income during pandemic having allocated for this goal 1.1 billion dollars. Over a million people have received food and household packages. It was an unprecedented measure in our part of the world. Regional cooperation has always been our main focus and commitment. Central Asia is undergoing rapid transformation through significant expansion of regional cooperation in various fields. No doubt that a prosperous, strong and united Central Asia is beneficial both for regional and global stakeholders. As to regional stability, the rational use of transboundary water resources is instrumental. We thus propose the establishment of a Regional water and energy consortium. To coordinate development agenda in the region we intend to institutionalize a UN-led regional SDGs Center in Almaty. Mr. President, We must remember that in crisis comes an opportunity. We can build back for a better, greener, more efficient, fair and inclusive world. The emphasis must be shifted on the root causes, preventive measures, and increasing the efficiency of our limited resources. All the efforts should be guided by the moral imperative – to Put People First. Kazakhstan will always remain a strong supporter of the UN and will actively participate in fulfilling our collective aspiration for a better and happier future. Thank you for your attention.
Nur-Sultan city
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today we commemorate the historic decision taken in June 1945 to create a totally new organization as an outcome of the most devastating World War in the history of mankind.
The United Nations as Dag Hammarskjöld famously underlined “was not created to bring us to heaven, but to save us from hell”.
Though conceived primarily as a system for collective security, the UN has in fact consolidated nations around much broader common aspirations and principles. The result has been an era of really active and broad international cooperation.
However, the path has not been easy. 75 years were overshadowed by missed opportunities to find a common ground in advancing our shared goals and values, to lessen suffering in the world.
But one learns from both failure and success. The history of the United Nations has been a period of intense collective efforts and rich learning: from decolonization to development, from child protection to climate change, from health to human rights, from peacekeeping to peacemaking.
Over the last three decades, Kazakhstan has participated in endeavours of every major UN body – including the Security Council – in pursuit of a range of priorities including conflict resolution, non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament, combatting terrorism, interfaith and interethnic dialogue, as well as promoting the interests of Land Locked Developing Countries.
When we look around us today, many new challenges - and some old recurring ones - threaten to drag us back in time.
Multilateralism now faces greater risk than at any point since the end of the Cold War.
COVID-19 has proven surprisingly difficult to be overcome. A second arms race looms. Our strategic development goals are suffering setbacks.
Some argue that the ideals enshrined in the UN Charter are no longer realistic.
As President of my country and former senior manager of the UN I strongly disagree.
More than ever,
We must give rein to the horse of our hopes, not pull back out of fear.
We must galvanize efforts in pursuit of those shared ideals, not abandon them.
We must continue to build a rules-based community, not return to lawlessness.
This will not be easy. The next decade is crucial as we strive to implement the 2030 Agenda and simultaneously meet the crises of our time.
This formidable goal demands a common endeavour and responsibility.
We commend strong leadership by Secretary-General António Guterres, and support his ongoing work to boost effectiveness, transparency and accountability of the UN.
Kazakhstan adds its voice in a clear statement of commitment to the UN mission and Charter, and to the shared aspiration of building a more peaceful, just and prosperous world.
I am convinced that the United Nations as a single universal and most representative international organization is indeed indispensable.
Thank you.
The current COVID-19 situation in the world has had a significant impact on the educational process, including the international mobility of students.
In the 2020 spring semester all universities of Kazakhstan quickly switched to distance learning. The country's higher education system has successfully coped with the first mass experience of transition to distance education.
Taking into account increasing requests from foreign citizens, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan decided to provide access to training sessions in the distance format in the new 2020-2021 academic year for all foreign students who will not be able to enter the country due to the pandemic. These changes concern not only those continuing their studies, but also foreign applicants who wish to study distance learning programmes offered by Kazakhstani universities.
The pandemic has made adjustments to the admissions campaign as well. Today, application process in Kazakhstani universities is fully conducted online by the Virtual Admissions Commissions. Submission of documents is possible through the websites of universities in accordance with their requirements. Entrance exams (interview) for foreign citizens are also held remotely by the universities themselves.
To that end, today all universities in Kazakhstan are equipped with the necessary digital infrastructure and LMS platforms (Platonus, Univer, Moodle, Canvas, etc.). Universities provide access to electronic libraries, an online registrar’s office, an online dean's office, virtual laboratories have been created, and all control exams are held with remote proctoring. Active cooperation is going on with leading foreign universities in developing joint distance programmes and virtual academic mobility of students.
Currently, there are 129 universities in Kazakhstan, 10 of them are recognised by the international rating agencies QS and Times Higher Education. Moreover, in 2020 Al-Farabi Kazakh National University entered the World’s Top-200 best universities (165th position in QS), confirming its compliance with a high level in the global scientific and educational space.
The epidemiological situation related to coronavirus in Kazakhstan is under control. The Kazakhstan’s Government is taking all necessary measures on time to combat the epidemic.
First. There were some reports in foreign media (The New York Times, The Telegraph, Express, France24, etc.) noticing that Kazakhstan has entered the list of states with the fastest rates of COVID-19 spread.
In addition, the publications mistakenly wrote about supposedly repeated introduction of a strict lockdown in Kazakhstan while in fact the country announced a two-week quarantine measures.
Such highlights led to a certain misunderstanding of the situation in Kazakhstan and, as a result, to the exaggeration of epidemiological risks coming from the Republic of Kazakhstan in the media.
Second. Since the beginning of July this year, asymptomatic forms of COVID-19 in Kazakhstan have been added to the overall morbidity rate. As result the rate of infection growth has also increased significantly.
It is well known that both forms of the disease (as with symptoms, as asymptomatic) pose a potential danger to the wider public. Before July, the separate recording was carried out.
It is clear that change of record methodology has led to the fact that all cases that were not previously taken into account, were included in the national statistics.
As a result, this led to misinterpretation of the figures.
Third. Currently, there are about 48 874 cases of COVID-19 in Kazakhstan (07.07.2020), including 25 021 – with symptoms, 23 553 – asymptomatic, 1403 cases per day. The increase is about 3.0%.
Cured – 24,990 patients (51.1%, thus more than half recovered). Continue receiving treatment – 23,324 patients. Passed away – 260.
In June, the rate of virus replication in Kazakhstan was 1.3. Over the last few weeks, there is a decrease in this indicator in dynamics to 1.05.
In total, there are 11.5 million infected people registered globally. Mortality rate is 4.6% (536 thousand people). Incidence rate in the United States is 2.9 million people, 681.2 thousand people in Russia, 48.8 thousand people in Kazakhstan.
Mortality rate in the USA is 4.4%, 1.5% in Russia, and 0.5% in Kazakhstan. According to COVID-19 map of Johns Hopkins University, Kazakhstan ranks 35th by confirmed cases.
Fourth. Kazakhstan consistently carries out a mass testing programme.
In total, 1,631,817 COVID-19 laboratory tests were conducted (8746 per 100 thousand people), with the following results: 48,874 tested positive, 1,582,943 tested negative.
According to worldometers.info, today Kazakhstan ranks 19th in the world in terms of population testing, country ranks 54th in terms of the number of infected per 1 million people and ranks 113th in mortality. The difference in these indicators shows the effectiveness of measures taken in the country.
Thus, international statistics demonstrate the continued moderate dynamics of the epidemiological situation in Kazakhstan.
Note: quarantine in Kazakhstan will last between July 5-19.
The restrictions include ban on holding mass gatherings, as well as family events and memorials. The beauty salons, hairdressers, gyms, fitness centers, pools, indoor markets, beaches, water parks, culture facilities, entertainment centers, religious facilities, cinemas, kindergartens, children health camps and other institutions also suspended their activities.
At least 80% of employees of public institutions, offices, national companies and other organizations continue remote working.
It has been also decided to limit the movement of people to walking in groups of three or less. The medical centers, pharmacies, grocery stores, open markets will continue operating during this period.
Open air restaurants, construction and industrial plants with a continuous production cycle, open air agricultural and construction works will continue to operate under enhanced sanitary and disinfection measures.
The auto service and appliance maintenance will also continue in operation.
International air traffic will continue without further expansion of the list of countries. At the same time, domestic air flights and trains will be limited. The interregional bus services and city buses are suspended for the period of the quarantine.