ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry held this year’s first meeting of the dialogue platform on the human dimension on Jan. 29, reported the ministry’s press service on Feb. 3. Government officials and public figures reviewed the country’s accomplishments in human rights. They outlined priorities for the upcoming work at national and international levels.
Photo credit: lens.monash.edu.
Established in 2013 at the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s initiative, the dialogue platform facilitates dialogue between the government and the civil sector.
Chaired by Kazakh Ambassador-at-Large Alua Nadirkulova, the meeting of the consultative and advisory body considered the government measures in human rights and the ongoing preparation of the initial report on Kazakhstan’s work in implementing the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The discussions also encompassed the country’s efforts to achieve international commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In her welcoming speech, Nadirkulova noted the importance of the action plan on human rights and the rule of law, which was adopted on Dec. 8 by Presidential Decree on the eve of the Human Rights Day. The plan envisions over 40 collaborative events with the participation of civil society and international partners.
Vice-Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Nazgul Sagindykova and Kazakh Ambassador-at-Large Alua Nadirkulova. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
Vice Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Nazgul Sagindykova announced that Kazakhstan will present a national report on protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in Geneva on March 3-4.
Sagindykova also presented a new professional standard on social work and other professions of the social sphere. According to her, this step will improve the quality of social services to the most vulnerable segments of the population.
On top of that, she mentioned the creation of a register of social workers with information on their qualifications, the types and quality of services they provide, and the results of their work. The initiative is expected to create more jobs for social workers and expand the network of organizations providing special social services, especially in remote rural settlements.
President of the Azamat Aleueti private charity fund Almagul Seisenova reminded about significant changes in the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in Kazakhstan. She brought an example of the national plan on the rights and the quality of life of persons with disabilities until 2025.
In addition, Kazakhstan developed a social services portal in 2021, updated the Social Code in 2023, and ratified the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the same year.
Dinara Yessimova, the executive director of the National Alliance of Professional Social Workers of Kazakhstan, focused on the concept of an inclusive policy in Kazakhstan until 2030, which is planned to be introduced within the new 2023 action plan. She noted that special attention should be paid to the long-term inclusion of each member of society.
Kazakh Vice Minister of Justice Botagoz Zhakselekova raised the importance of systematic work aimed at strengthening gender equality, combating domestic violence, protecting citizens in criminal justice, and preventing torture and ill-treatment.
Executive Director of the Charter for Human Rights public fund Zhemis Turmagambetova recalled the introduction of the ill-treatment term and the delimitation of measures of responsibility for torture and ill-treatment in March last year.
