OSCE organizes international conference on parliamentary openness and engagement of civil society in Astana

Parliamentary openness and the improvement of the parliament’s interaction with civil society through the legislative process were the focus of an OSCE-supported international conference held in Astana on 14 February 2019.

The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in partnership with the NGO Fund for Parliamentary Development in Kazakhstan.

Some 80 Members of Parliament, the Parliament Apparatus staff, representatives of state bodies, civil society, international organizations,academia and university students participated in the event. National experts from non-governmental organizations and academia, as well as a representative of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights delivered presentations on the event topics.

The conference aimed to promote dialogue between the parliament and civil society. The conference’s sessions focused on the current law-making process in Kazakhstan, ways to strengthen the openness and transparency of the parliament to the public, national and international standards and mechanisms of human rights protection, modalities of public participation in the legislative process in the parliament of Kazakhstan, and civic engagement in public decision-making process.

The conference was part of the Office’s activities aimed at enhancing the work of the parliament and strengthening its co-operation with civil society.