PACE members commend Kazakhstan's progress on human rights
On Wednesday, April 18, a number of PACE members of the Council of Europe adopted a separate declaration, which notes Kazakhstan’s substantial progress in several areas, Kazinform News Agency reports.
“On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Agreement on co-operation between the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, we commend the substantial progress made in democratic and political reforms as an integral part of building a just and fair Kazakhstan.
We note the efforts of the Parliament of Kazakhstan to successfully implement the provisions of the above agreement. In this context, we welcome the decision of the Kazakh authorities to abolish the death penalty in accordance with the Constitution of Kazakhstan.
We note with satisfaction the close cooperation between Kazakhstan and the institutions of the Council of Europe. We consider Kazakhstan as a key partner in the region and welcome the adoption by the Committee of Ministers of the priorities of good neighborly cooperation with Kazakhstan for the period 2024–2027,” the declaration reads.
April 27, 2024, marks 20 years since the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Parliament of Kazakhstan and PACE.
Over this period, the sides have managed to build strong and constructive cooperation. The parliamentarians of Kazakhstan participate in plenary sessions and activity of the PACE committees, while PACE deputies visit Kazakhstan as part of observatiom missions and rapporteurs on Kazakhstan.
In this period, two coutnry reports have been prepared, which note substantial potential of Kazakhstan-Council of Europe interaction in the context of democratic transformations taking place in Kazakhstan.
A decision has been made to prepare the next report on Kazakhstan.
In 2024, the Neighborhood Cooperation Priorities for Kazakhstan 2024-2027 will be officially launched. This program is aimed at further improving the national legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and bringing it closer to European standards.
Kazakhstan is a full member of the Venice Commission. The country holds an observer status in the advisory councils of European prosecutors and European judges, the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and the Medicrime Convention.
Kazakhstan has acceeded to three conventions of the Council of Europe in the field of criminal justice, as well as the European Cultural Convention. Moreover, Kazakhstan has been officially invited to join the Istanbul Convention.
Since April 2023, the Council of Europe has been reviewing Kazakhstan’s request to get an observer status at the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL).
In February of 2024, Kazakhstan submitted an application to join the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism (Warsaw Convention, No. 198).
Kazakhstan is also a member of GRECO. In March of this year, Kazakhstan presented a report on the progress in implementing the GRECO recommendations following two rounds of assessmens.
