OSCE Centre helps train prosecutors in Kazakhstan on water management issues
ASTANA, 3 May – The OSCE Centre in Astana supported a national online seminar to educate Kazakhstan prosecutors on water management principles, institutional charters, and legislation that concluded today.
The seminar aimed to improve the skills of prosecutors involved in criminal cases of accidents or losses caused by mismanagement in the water sector and to provide information on regional aspects of water security in Central Asia.
The OSCE Centre in Astana and the Institute of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) co-organized the event for about 190 prosecutors and officials from the central and territorial PGO divisions across the country. International and local experts shared their experiences and best legal practices for ensuring water security with a specific focus on drinking water, and on the role of prosecutors in protecting resources.
“Efficient management of water resources in a regional context is one of the key aspects of sustainable development and stability in Central Asia," said Jeannette Kloetzer, Deputy Head of OSCE Centre in Astana. "Training of all participants of the process, including law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, judges, and civil society is very important for a successful regional interaction in this field. This will contribute to increased transparency and good governance on environmental issues – a commitment that all OSCE participating States undertook.”
“For several years there have been questions raised and extensive efforts applied to solve complex environmental problems and address the threat of depletion of water resources,” stressed Zhakyp Assanov, Deputy Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan. “Today's event is a good platform for a comprehensive discussion of the topic through the prism of prosecutorial activities. I hope that this seminar will help each participating prosecutor acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to ensure an effective on-site supervision of the water legislation implementation.”
This training course is part of a joint capacity-building program co-organized by the Centre in Astana and the Institute of the Prosecutor General’s Office.