Access to information focus of OSCE-supported roundtable discussion in Kazakhstan

ASTANA, Kazakhstan 12 June 2015 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on developing national legislation on access to information took place today in Astana.

The event was initiated by the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of Kazakhstan’s parliament, and was co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana with support of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and in co-operation with the Legal Policy Research Centre, Internews-Kazakhstan, the Legal Council of National Democratic Party “Nur Otan”, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Regional Office for Central Asia,  the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture and the Soros-Foundation Kazakhstan.

The purpose of the meeting was to review the draft law on access to information and concurrent legislation developed by the Parliamentary Working Group under the International Affairs, Defence and Security Committee of the Mazhilis. Some 50 members of both chambers of the Parliament, government officials, journalists, representatives of civil society and international organizations took part in the discussion.

National and international legal and media experts, including Robert-Jan Uhl, Legislative Support Officer from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, presented their legal opinions and recommendations to the draft law based on the international standards and best practices.

“The adoption of national legislation on access to information will help implement the strategic tasks set before Kazakhstan in the context of promoting good governance, countering corruption and enhancing the state institutions’ transparency and accountability in compliance with OSCE commitments and principles,” said Ambassador Natalia Zarudna, the Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “The OSCE has consistently contributed to the discussion of the draft law initiated by the Parliament and developed in co-operation with civil society and international organizations.”

Maulen Ashimbayev, the Head of the International Affairs, Defence and Security Committee of the Mazhilis, who chairs the relevant Parliament’s Working Group, stressed: “The need to adopt the law on access to information has been widely recognized and thoroughly discussed for a long time. We believe that now in the context of five institutional reforms outlined by President Nazarbayev, in particular related to the introduction of open government, the adoption of this law would be a logical and timely step.”

The event is a part of the Office’s multiyear efforts to assist the host country in promoting fundamental freedoms, most notably access to information and good governance.