AKIPRESS.COM - An OSCE-supported report on the activities of Kazakhstan’s National Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudsman) in 2014 was presented today at the Interior Ministry Academy in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, said OSCE in a release.

The translation and publication of the report in the Kazakh, Russian and English languages was supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. The presentation, co-organized by the Ombudsman’s Office, brought together some 400 parliamentarians, government officials, legal scholars, representatives of non-governmental and international organizations, mass media as well as students and faculty of the Academy.

The discussion focused on the analysis of the human rights situation summarized in the report, including key figures, statistics and background material concerning complaints received by Ombudsman in 2014 from citizens, civil society institutions and human rights organizations.

Participants noted an enhanced cooperation of the Ombudsman with the Parliament, state bodies, non-governmental organizations and international partners, that resulted in a significant increase in the response of governmental agencies and officials to requests and recommendations presented in the report, as well as in their implementation.

“Institutional reforms to improve the work of law enforcement agencies, the courts and the state apparatus at large, strengthening the rule of law and transparency in governance, further liberalization of the legislation as well as the involvement of civil society in these processes are closely related to the implementation of a wide range of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights. In this context, the work of national human rights institutions is of utmost importance.” said Kazakhstan Ombudsman Askar Shakirov.

“The public discussion of the Ombudsman’s annual reports’ findings and recommendations with the involvement of the broader audience in the regions is one of the most important activities of national human rights institutions,” said Colin McCullough, Political Officer of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. He noted that such a publication would make the observations and policy recommendations presented in the report available to the public and help consolidate support of civil society in promoting their implementation by governmental bodies.

The event is part of the Programme Office’s long-standing activities on enhancing capacity-building of national human rights institutions in Kazakhstan.