OSCE Centre supports discussion to strengthen Kazakhstan's legal reforms

ASTANA, 6 November 2009 -Officials from the government and the presidential administration as well as parliamentarians and high-ranking civil servants involved in Kazakhstan's law-making process, policy-making and legal reform discussed Kazakhstan's legal and judicial reforms during a meeting held today in Astana with support from the OSCE Centre in Astana.

The event focused on Kazakhstan's newly adopted legal policy concept, which charts plans for legal reforms from 2010 to 2020.. The round-table meeting concludes a six-month legislation reform project carried out by the local non-governmental organization Legal Policy Research Centre with support from the OSCE Centre.

Discussions at the meeting focused on judicial reform, criminal and criminal procedure legislation, the penitentiary system, administrative justice, law-enforcement bodies' practices and powers, as well as civil litigation and civil legislation.

"Kazakhstan has worked to improve its national legislation and legal policy for many years. The newly adopted concept for 2010 to 2020 intensifies this work by defining strategic ways to further develop the legal system. It also introduces some new institutions that will significantly challenge all branches of power, in particular the judiciary," said Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

"The OSCE Centre is ready to further assist the Government of Kazakhstan by providing expertise and support. We are also ready to assist Kazakhstan as it implements recommendations by international treaty bodies."

Vera Tkachenko, Director of the Legal Policy Research Centre, added: "The course of further legal reforms for the next 10 years is defined. However, the practical implementation should be more clearly set, in particular in a view of the role of Kazakhstan in the OSCE next year. It is necessary to consider these reforms in connection with international obligations of Kazakhstan under ratified human rights documents."

The roundtable brings together government officials, representatives of Presidential Administration, parliamentarians and high-ranking civil servants from relevant state bodies.