Comments of Kazakhstani human rights NGOs on Kazakhstan’s Second Periodic Report on the implementation of the International Covenant On Civil and Political Rights

The authors of this document point out that in 2015 and at the beginning of 2016 the authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RoK) conducted a relatively intensive dialogue with Kazakhstani human rights NGOs on the main provisions of the Government’s Second (Periodic) Report on the implementation of the ICCPR, as well as specific concerns and recommendations raised by NGOs, including those contained in the document, entitled “Kazakhstan. List of issues: Analysis, Commentary, and Recommendations”, that had been submitted to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee (the Committee) by a number of Kazakhstani NGOs in August 2015.

In addition, in 2014-2016 government representatives and human rights groups discussed the implementation of specific provisions of the ICCPR in the framework of the “Dialogue Platform on the Human Dimension”, an Advisory Body under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. In both frameworks the Kazakhstani authorities have responded to a number of comments and recommendations that had been raised by human rights NGOs.

Nevertheless, the findings and recommendations in this document are for the most part similar to those presented by Kazakhstani NGOs in 2011 prior to the consideration of Kazakhstan’s initial report on the implementation of the ICCPR, because, according to the authors of this document, the situation regarding fundamental political rights and civil liberties has not changed significantly, and it has even deteriorated in some areas.
The Commentaries in this document have been prepared in accordance with the structure of the Second (Periodic) Report of the RoK on the implementation of the ICCPR.

These Comments on the Second (Periodic) Report of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) have been prepared by a number of leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on human rights in Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, Charter for Human Rights, Legal Policy Research Centre, International Legal Initiative, “Kadir-Kassiet” (“Dostoinstvo”/“Dignity”), Union of Crisis Centres in Kazakhstan, International Centre of Journalism “Media Net”, Freedom of Speech Foundation “Adil Soz”, Children Fund of Kazakhstan, Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Kazakhstan, and “Aman Saulyk” Public Fund.

The authors of this document have also used materials prepared by Daniyar Kanafin and Leila Ramazanova, Lawyers of the Almaty City Bar Association; Igor Loskutov, Director General of the “YurInfo Company” and Kairat Imanaliyev, Head of the Public Association of Disabled People “Namys” with higher education.

International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR, Brussels) assisted with editing and revising the English translation of the report within the framework of the EU-funded projects “Action for Freedom from Torture in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan” and “A Transnational Civil Society Coalition in Support of Fundamental Rights in Central Asia”.

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