Kazakhstan’s unique experience in reintegrating returnee children presented for the first time at UN Human Rights Council
With the support of the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the UNOG and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a panel discussion on “Quality education for peace and tolerance for every child” was held within the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Kazinform News Agency cites the press service of the Kazakh MFA.
As a speaker of the event, Alua Nadirkulova, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, outlined the role of education as a key tool for ensuring peace and stability of societies in all parts of the world. Noting the importance of education in the rehabilitation and reintegration of children affected by armed conflicts, the Kazakh diplomat shared experience in the repatriation and reintegration of Kazakh children from conflict zones in Syria and Iraq.
The panel discussion of the UN human rights platform aroused great interest among UN member states and international NGOs.
Representatives of more than 130 countries took part in the UN event. In their speeches, they drew attention to the difficult geopolitical situation in the world and the situation of children in conflict zones. In this regard, according to statements by many delegations, the discussion initiated by Kazakhstan in the HRC and the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have a particular value for using education for the sake of establishing peace and sustainable development of the international community.
In continuation of the discussion topic in the margins of the 57th session of the Council, the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the UNOG, together with the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) and the Kazakhstan Foundation “AQNIET” organized a side event titled “Right to live in peace: reintegration of Kazakh citizens from conflict zones into society”. The focus of the event was on the importance of ensuring the fundamental rights and freedoms of returnees from the conflict zones in Syria and Iraq as part of the process of their reintegration into society.
Khalid Koser, Director of GCERF, highly appreciated the work done by Kazakhstan on this issue and underlined the recently established partnership of GCERF with Kazakhstan. “AQNIET” representatives informed the Geneva human rights community about joint efforts with the Government of Kazakhstan and international partners to restore the fundamental rights and freedoms of more than 700 women and children returned from Syria and Iraq. A repatriate of the “Zhusan” humanitarian operation also took part in this event and shared her personal sad experience of staying in a Syrian camp.
State delegations and representatives of non-governmental organizations expressed their interest in continuing such discussions to raise awareness on this problem as well as in studying Kazakhstan’s experience in the reintegration of returnees and the restoration of their rights and giving them a chance to live in peace.
