OSCE Centre supports dialogue on Kazakhstan’s population registration legislation

ASTANA, 22 August 2012 – Some 40 parliamentarians, government officials, and representatives of political parties, academia and civil society organizations discussed today at an OSCE-supported event how to improve the national population registration and management of internal migration in Kazakhstan.

Building on a similar meeting in May, this event focused on the electoral register, creation of lists of potential trial jurors and the rights of minors. International norms and good practices to ensure freedom of movement were reviewed, challenges identified, as well as recommendations developed to be considered in a modern population registration system.

Jeannette Kloetzer, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana said: “Transparent population registration and freedom of movement are key OSCE commitments. We hope that public discussion of these issues will support Kazakhstan’s efforts to tackle internal migration problems and contribute to the modernization of the population registration system.”

“One of the main objectives of the Government while ensuring social security is to diminish administrative barriers for citizens in accessing social and legal guarantees. In this context the population registration  must be a person-oriented system, serving as a guarantee rather than a limitation, ” added Zauresh Battalova, President of the Fund for the Development of Parliamentarism in Kazakhstan.

The event is jointly organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana and the Fund for the Development of Parliamentarism in Kazakhstan.