Supreme Court Chairman met with representatives of intl organizations in Astana

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Chairman of the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan Kairat Mami has met today with the representatives of international and non-governmental organizations accredited in Kazakhstan. Among them are the UNDP, OSCE Programme Office in Astana, UNICEF, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Bank, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), USAID, Penal Reform International, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Kazakhstan, American Bar Association in Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Bar Association etc.

Judges and employees of the Supreme Court participated in the meeting too. The meeting agenda included a number of issues related to ensuring the rule of law in Kazakhstan and discussion of the course of joint projects implementation. Thus, thanks to joint efforts, Kazakhstan has introduced jury trial, juvenile justice and mediation systems as well as the system of application of IT technologies in court proceedings. Several projects in corruption prevention, human trafficking countering and application of the Aarhus Convention by courts have been implemented. The work on the project "Improvement of the Court Monitoring System" is on now. Kairat Mami told also about the Supreme Court's plans on reforming the country's court system as per the "100 Specific Steps" Nation's Plan initiated by the President. In particular, it is planned to shift to a three tiered system of courts, establish a specialized board for investment affairs at the Supreme Court as well as to create an international advisory council. Besides, an international arbitrage centre AIFC will be opened in Astana. Judge selection system will be improved too. Upon completion of the meeting the parties expressed confidence that joint effors of judicial structures of Kazakhstan and international organizations will enable ensuring the rule of law and protection of human rights and freedoms in the country.