Countering terrorism is one of the key priorities in Kazakhstan’s domestic and foreign policy.
As of 2019, Kazakhstan is among the six countries (alongside the Dominican Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Turkey, Cuba, and Portugal) that have ratified all 19 universal counter-terrorism instruments (conventions and protocols) of the United Nations. All these documents have been incorporated into the national legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
21 organizations, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda, are listed as extremist and terrorist. Their activities on the territory of the country are prohibited, and participation in them is criminally punishable.
Kazakhstan actively participates in the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS). In 2011, a Joint Action Plan (JAP) was adopted for the implementation of the GCTS in Central Asia, which became one of the first regional instruments to advance the GCTS.
In cooperation with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office, several projects in the field of counter-terrorism and countering extremism are being implemented in Kazakhstan, aimed at providing technical assistance, enhancing the qualifications of Kazakhstan's professionals, improving the regulatory framework, law enforcement practices, and other relevant areas. Many of these programs have a regional scope.
Priority areas for Kazakhstan include countering the risks posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and their families, "repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration" (3R), preventing radicalization among youth, and combating the spread of illegal information on the Internet.