OSCE supports presentation of report on human rights in southern Kazakhstan

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana supported the second presentation of the Report on the Situation with Human Rights in Kazakhstan by the Human Rights Commission under the President on 30 October 2015, this time in Shymkent, southern Kazakhstan. The report covers the period from April 2014 to April 2015, and was published in the Kazakh, Russian and English languages with the OSCE’s support.

Beibit Atamkulov, Akim (governor) of the South Kazakhstan Oblast and other regional administration officials were among some 200 participants representing law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, academia and lawyers’ associations as well as non-governmental and international organizations.

The discussion focused on Kazakhstan’s implementation of its international human rights obligations and relevant national legislation as well as on practices related to the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country.

The Report was developed with the involvement of civil society activists and legal experts and was endorsed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev. It contains an assessment by the Commission’s members of the activities of the national human rights institutions as well as legislative recommendations to enhance human rights protection mechanisms in specific areas such as the freedoms of assembly, expression and religion.

The event is part of the Office’s long-term efforts to support national human rights institutions in promoting fundamental freedoms and international human rights in the host country.