Meeting of the Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

Nur-Sultan, December 15, 2020 - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan has organized this year's final online meeting of the Consultative and Advisory Body “Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension” (CAB “DPHD”).

The event was attended by members of the Kazakh Parliament, the Secretary of the Commission on Human Rights under the President of Kazakhstan, representatives of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Council, the Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights in Kazakhstan, interested ministries, Kazakhstani human rights NGOs, as well as guests of the platform - representatives of international partners, including the United Nations Development Program, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the OSCE, the European Union, the US Embassy in Nur-Sultan, USAID, and the “Penal Reform International” NGO.

At the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi made a welcoming speech. He informed the participants about the continuation of the implementation of the strategy of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to promote political and socio-economic reforms, designed to lead the country to a new trajectory of development.

The Minister noted the fruitful work of CAB in 2020. During the reporting period, a wide range of human rights issues were discussed at the CAB platform, including the development of recommendations for reports from Kazakhstan on the protection of human rights.

The participants of the CAB meeting discussed the preparation for the defense of the Fourth Periodic Report on the measures taken by Kazakhstan to implement the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as well as on advocacy and legal assistance and on application of the legislation on the receipt of funds from foreign sources by non-profit organizations.

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.

In conclusion, the participants of the meeting summed up the results of the work of the CAB DPHD for 2020 and approved the Work Plan for 2021.