NEWS

Saudabayev, Pillay Discuss Cooperation on Human Rights

             Kazakhstan's Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs Kanat Saudabayev told UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay Kazakhstan is committed to further promoting democracy and human rights both domestically and internationally.The two officials met in Geneva on March 3 as Saudabayev began his visit to UN institutions there and to Switzerland.

            Saudabayev pointed to specific steps Kazakhstan has been taking to promote better protection of human rights, including the adoption and the implementation of the National Action Plan on Human Rights until the year 2012.

            As Chair-in-Office of the OSCE in 2010, Kazakhstan also plans to promote the organization's human dimension. A key event here will be an OSCE high level conference on tolerance and non-discrimination in Astana on June 29-30.

            Saudabayev invited Pillay to visit Kazakhstan and to address the conference. He stressed the importance of continuing cooperation between Kazakhstan and UN institutions, and said Kazakhstan would be willing to consider continuing voluntary donations to UNHCHR activities.

            Pillay said fighting discrimation, including on religious grounds, has been defined as her office's top priority for the next two years, and she was looking forward to closely cooperating with Kazakhstan in that dimension, given its record.

"You are quite right in promoting tolerance and non-discrimination given good practices in maintaining peace and harmony between ethnic and religious groups in Kazakhstan," Pillay said.

           She said she hoped Kazakhstan would continue to show strong leadership on democracy as it chairs the OSCE.

            In February, Kazakhstan underwent a Universal Periodic Review on human rights when a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Yerbol Orynbayev addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

            Pillay said UNHCHR stood ready to assist Kazakhstan in implementing both the National Action Plan and the recommendations issued at the review last month.

            Later in the day, Saudabayev addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva outlining extensively the government's actions on human rights.

            He said Kazakhstan has put forward its candidacy for membership in the Human Rights Council for 2012-2015, and was hoping for international support for its bid. See full text of the speech here.

Date of issue: 2010-03-03