Newsroom
OSCE welcomes abolition of exit permits in Kazakhstan
ALMATY 31 July 2001
ALMATY, 31 July 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Centre in Almaty commends Kazakhstan for having abolished the so-called exit visas by governmental decree on 28 July.
In the light of OSCE commitments and repeated recommendations from the OSCE to Kazakhstan on this issue, the abolition constitutes an important step towards guaranteeing to Kazakh citizens the full enjoyment of freedom of movement.
OSCE standards in the field of freedom of movement date back to the Helsinki Final Act from 1975, where it is stated that "The participating States intend to facilitate wider travel by their citizens for personal or professional reasons and to this end they intend in particular gradually to simplify and to administer flexibly the procedures for exit and entry" (Co-operation in Humanitarian and Other Fields, article 1: Human Contacts, paragraph d).
In other CSCE/OSCE documents, adopted at later meetings in Vienna, Copenhagen, Moscow, and Budapest, this commitment was re-iterated. It was e.g. stated in the Concluding Document of the Follow-up Meeting 1986 to 1989 in Vienna that:
"The participating States will respect fully the right of everyone to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. The participating States will ensure that the exercise of the above-mentioned rights will not be subject to any restrictions except those which are provided by law and are consistent with their obligations under international law (...). These restrictions have the character of exceptions. The participating States will ensure that these restrictions are not abused and are not applied in an arbitrary manner, but in such a way that the effective exercise of these rights is ensured." (Questions relating to Security in Europe, paragraphs 20 and 21)
The OSCE has been present in Kazakhstan since 1999. Its activities include initiatives in the various dimensions of security ranging from fostering political dialogue between the Government and civil society to the promotion of human rights, gender awareness, environmental awareness, and economic development.
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For more information please contact the OSCE Centre in Almaty, tel.: +732 72 621 762, e-mail osce@nursat.kz.
In the light of OSCE commitments and repeated recommendations from the OSCE to Kazakhstan on this issue, the abolition constitutes an important step towards guaranteeing to Kazakh citizens the full enjoyment of freedom of movement.
OSCE standards in the field of freedom of movement date back to the Helsinki Final Act from 1975, where it is stated that "The participating States intend to facilitate wider travel by their citizens for personal or professional reasons and to this end they intend in particular gradually to simplify and to administer flexibly the procedures for exit and entry" (Co-operation in Humanitarian and Other Fields, article 1: Human Contacts, paragraph d).
In other CSCE/OSCE documents, adopted at later meetings in Vienna, Copenhagen, Moscow, and Budapest, this commitment was re-iterated. It was e.g. stated in the Concluding Document of the Follow-up Meeting 1986 to 1989 in Vienna that:
"The participating States will respect fully the right of everyone to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. The participating States will ensure that the exercise of the above-mentioned rights will not be subject to any restrictions except those which are provided by law and are consistent with their obligations under international law (...). These restrictions have the character of exceptions. The participating States will ensure that these restrictions are not abused and are not applied in an arbitrary manner, but in such a way that the effective exercise of these rights is ensured." (Questions relating to Security in Europe, paragraphs 20 and 21)
The OSCE has been present in Kazakhstan since 1999. Its activities include initiatives in the various dimensions of security ranging from fostering political dialogue between the Government and civil society to the promotion of human rights, gender awareness, environmental awareness, and economic development.
--
For more information please contact the OSCE Centre in Almaty, tel.: +732 72 621 762, e-mail osce@nursat.kz.