Meeting of “Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension” held at Foreign Ministry

NUR-SULTAN, September 11, 2019 – A meeting of the Consultative and Advisory Body (CAB) “Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension” was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the chairmanship of Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ussen Suleimen.

The meeting was attended by members of the Kazakh Mazhilis, representatives of state agencies, the non-governmental sector and international organizations.

At the opening of the meeting, Ambassador Suleimen informed the attendees about the approval of the National Plan of Actions for the implementation of the President's State of the Nation Address, which includes measures for a number of initiatives, including the further development of civil society.

CAB participants discussed issues and prospects for improving the forms of interaction between Kazakh civil society and government bodies; the possibility of further strengthening national human rights mechanisms; and the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council as part of the Universal Periodic Review. Along with this, a study was presented on the challenges of ensuring and protecting the right to life in Kazakhstan.

All items on the agenda were actively discussed by state agencies and non-governmental organizations. The participants had a thorough and constructive discussion, which once again demonstrated the readiness of both sides to support open and substantive dialogue and cooperation.

The civil sector called on the government to consider expanding staffing and increasing funding for human rights and child rights ombudsmen.

Following the meeting, the participants agreed on the need for coordination between CAB and the National Council of Public Trust.

CAB DHD has been operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan since 2013. It provides a platform for discussing the most pressing human rights issues and developing joint decisions involving a wide range of Kazakh NGOs, international organizations and government bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan.