Head of OSCE Centre in Astana meets regional authorities and civil society in South Kazakhstan

From 30 November to 1 December 2012, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana, Ambassador Natalya Zarudna, and the Centre staff visited the South Kazakhstan Region and its capital, Shymkent.

To learn more about the region’s development and to promote co-operation they met with Berik Ospanov, the First Deputy Akim (Governor), regional administration officials, and non-governmental organization representatives.

Discussions focused on current and future co-operation between the OSCE Centre and the region, which is one of the most populous and dynamically growing parts of Kazakhstan. Areas in which the Centre’s assistance could be continued or initiated in accordance with partners’ needs and priorities were outlined. They include providing assistance to government and civil society in democratic policing, migration management, preventing human trafficking, and promoting ‘green economy’ and sustainable development. Strengthening the role of the Aarhus centres in facilitating public participation in environmental governance was also discussed.

The OSCE Centre representatives also visited sections under construction of the Western Europe – Western China road corridor, a major international infrastructure project. Zarudna said the Centre was ready to continue supporting public councils which help to achieve more transparency and better accountability in the monitoring of the project implementation.

As of particular importance for this highly agricultural region, Ospanov welcomed the establishment of the OSCE-supported Kyzylorda Training Centre for Aral-Syrdarya Basin Water Management that will focus on water resource management issues.