Kazakhstan showcases democratic advancements and human rights improvements during the UN Universal Periodic Review in Geneva
At the 48th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council, Kazakhstan presented a series of democratic reforms and human rights initiatives. The focus was on gender equality, parliamentary representation, and children's rights.
Political Modernization Efforts
Since 2019, under President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan has embarked on political modernization efforts aimed at promoting a culture of opposition, freedom of assembly, and political pluralism. To foster diversity, the rules for forming political parties have been loosened. For instance, the minimum membership threshold has been reduced from 40,000 to 20,000, and parties other than the ruling one are now allowed to hold chair positions in parliamentary committees [1]. Additionally, efforts are underway to expand parliamentary powers at the expense of presidential authority and restore the Constitutional Court, which supports a more balanced governance structure [1][4].
Human Rights Commitments
Kazakhstan has declared its commitment to international obligations and the rule of law, emphasizing evolutionary, progressive development, and open, equal dialogue between government and society [2]. However, independent assessments and UN critiques underscore ongoing challenges such as restrictions on freedom of assembly, political freedoms, and media independence, as well as calls for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation covering age, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity [3].
Gender Equality and Children's Rights
While specific initiatives on gender equality and children's rights were not detailed explicitly in the sources related to the 48th UPR session, Kazakhstan's broader reform agenda includes commitments to democratic accountability and human rights protection as core governance priorities. This suggests efforts to improve gender and children's rights frameworks as part of this trajectory [5]. Notably, expanding parliamentary participation could enhance the representation of women and underrepresented groups [1][4].
International Interest in Kazakhstan's Progress
The UN Geneva audience expressed interest in learning from Kazakhstan's experience, particularly in areas of gender equality, Parliament's role in ensuring human rights, and accountability of the government and national human rights institutions to the people's elected representatives [6]. The session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group to discuss Kazakhstan's human rights obligations will take place on Jan. 23 [7]. The UN Human Rights Council will present a report on the human rights situation in Kazakhstan, which will include the recommendations of UN member states [8].
In summary, the 48th UPR session and related reforms show Kazakhstan's ongoing political reforms aimed at democratization, strengthening parliament, and improving human rights protections. International observers, however, highlight persistent gaps regarding freedoms, discrimination protections, and implementation of reforms related to gender equality and children's rights [1][2][3][4][5].
[1] Kazakhstan's Political Reforms: A Progress Report [2] Kazakhstan: Human Rights Council adopts resolution on the country's human rights situation [3] Kazakhstan: UN Experts Call for Greater Protection of Human Rights [4] Kazakhstan: Constitutional Court to be restored [5] Kazakhstan: A New Era of Governance [6] UN Geneva: Kazakhstan's Human Rights Progress Discussed [7] Universal Periodic Review: Kazakhstan's Human Rights Obligations to be Discussed [8] UN Human Rights Council to Present Report on Kazakhstan
- In the pursuit of education-and-self-development and personal-growth, Kazakhstan's political modernization efforts, as presented at the 48th UPR session, include democratic reforms that focus on fostering political opposition, freedom of assembly, and political pluralism, which are essential for policy-and-legislation changes in the domain of human rights.
- International interest in Kazakhstan's progress, as revealed in the 48th UPR session, extends to general-news topics such as parliament's role in ensuring human rights, accountability of the government, and the implementation of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation for age, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity, among other areas like gender equality and children's rights.
