2 weeks Ago By Fatima Kemelova
The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world.STRASBOURG – A meeting dedicated to the implementation of democratic reforms in Kazakhstan was hosted on the sidelines of the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which took place in Strasbourg April 7-11.The agenda included the visible changes resulting from the reforms.
A renewed culture of governance based on the principles of transparency, integrity and accountability have emerged. The 2022 referendum that introduced amendments to 33 articles of the Constitution has provided the legal basis whereby the political system of Kazakhstan has become more responsive to the needs of its citizens, through decentralization of decision-making and new mechanisms of checks and balances between the three branches of state power (executive, legislative, and judiciary). Alberto Turkstra.
Chair of the Constitutional Court Elvira Azimova noted the process of strengthening the supremacy of the Constitution, the development of the institution of constitutional control and the role of the judiciary in protecting human rights and freedom in Kazakhstan.“Constitutional control is an integral mechanism that ensures the rule of law, stability and coherence of the public administration system. The gradual improvement of national legislation, as well as the strengthening of the legal culture, was largely associated with the need for a clearer separation of powers.
However, special attention to this issue has begun to be felt within the framework of political and constitutional reforms of recent years, in which the observance of rights and freedoms is of decisive importance as the next stage of democratic development,” said Azimova. Azimova spoke about the results of the Constitutional Court activities since its establishment in 2023 up until April 2025. The court received 9,900 appeals from citizens and issued 400 judgments and 68 regulatory decisions.
The PACE members recognized the collaboration between Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe institutions, considering Kazakhstan as a key partner in the region. They welcomed the Committee of Ministers’ adoption of the Neighbourhood Co-operation Priorities with Kazakhstan for 2024-2027, which will facilitate more active interaction between Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe in improving national legislation and harmonizing it with European norms. Additionally, it was announced that the Committee on Political Affairs of PACE has decided to prepare a third report about cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe.
Zsolt Nemeth, the head of the Hungarian delegation to the Council of Europe, has been entrusted with the role of rapporteur, and in this capacity he will be paying a visit to Kazakhstan in May. Livia Stoica Becht, the head of Economic Crime and Corruption department of GRECO, noted Kazakhstan is currently being assessed under the Third Evaluation Round, which includes themes such as the incrimination of corruption offences and the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns. She lauded the Kazakh authorities’ cooperation and transparency in the previous two evaluation rounds, including their prompt authorisation for the publication of the evaluation and compliance reports.
The evaluation report notes that “combating corruption is set as one of the main priorities in Kazakhstan’s public policy and plays a pivotal role in the country’s strategy towards economic growth” and welcomes the fact that the country’s authorities see GRECO membership “as an opportunity to develop a common legal space with the Council of Europe member states which could improve the business climate and boost the economy further.” The special attention was paid to the December 2023 Action Plan on Human Rights and the Rule of Law of Kazakhstan, which includes legislative reforms implementing stricter measures to combat domestic violence, abolishing the death penalty, and new legal provisions to combat bullying and aggression in society, and other emerging social problems such as gambling addiction. By seeking to establish zero tolerance for domestic violence, Kazakhstan aims to integrate European best practices and international standards into its legislative framework, using the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (known as the Istanbul Convention) as a model, which Kazakhstan aims to join in the near future.
Kazakhstan is entering a new phase of its development with strengthened institutions, greater public trust, and a clear commitment to justice, the rule of law, ensuring equal opportunities for every citizen and the protection of vulnerable groups. The author is Alberto Turkstra, the project director of Diplomatic World magazine (Belgium).The post Council of Europe Discusses Kazakhstan’s Commitment to Rule of Law, Reforms appeared first on The Astana Times.
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