Issues concerning children’s rights, volunteerism and corporate responsibility in respecting human rights discussed at Kazakh FM

A regular meeting of the Consultative and Advisory Body on the Human Dimension Dialogue Platform was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the chairmanship of the Ambassador-at-Large Alua Nadirkulova, El.kz cites MFA.

During the meeting, issues concerning the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the role of youth volunteer activities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and the strengthening of corporate responsibility of businesses in respecting human rights were discussed.

The event was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights under the President of Kazakhstan, deputies of the Mazhilis of Parliament, representatives of the National Center for Human Rights, relevant ministries, Kazakhstani human rights NGOs, as well as representatives of the United Nations Development Program.

In her welcoming speech, Alua Nadirkulova highlighted Kazakhstan’s active efforts in implementing the UN recommendations in the field of child protection and social policy. In addition, it was noted that in his annual State-of-the-Nation Address on September 2, 2024, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev placed special emphasis on the social protection of children.

It was also mentioned that last year the Government of Kazakhstan adopted a Comprehensive Plan for the Protection of Children from Violence, Suicide Prevention, and Ensuring their Rights and Well-being for 2023-2025, which includes targeted practical measures.

The report underscored the importance of volunteerism and corporate social responsibility of businesses, including the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the development of a National Action Plan in this area.

During the meeting, Vice Minister of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Edil Ospan presented key measures to implement the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Among the initiatives noted were the introduction of a mentoring institute to support orphaned children, tougher responsibility for violence against children and the consolidation of the status of regional Commissioners for children’s rights.

In the speech of Magripa Embergenova, Director of the Department of Maternal and Child Health of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, key measures to protect children’s rights to health protection in Kazakhstan were noted. Among the achievements in this direction were the significant development of neonatal and fetal surgery, the creation of 16 early intervention centers for children under 3 years old, as well as the approval of standards for prenatal screening and the provision of oncological and hematological care to children.

During the discussion, Deputy Chairman of the Administrative Police Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Renat Zulkhairov stated that this year, within the framework of the newly adopted Law, the possibility of reconciliation for crimes related to violence against minors is excluded, only life imprisonment is now provided for rape of a minor.

At the meeting, Dinara Yessimova, Head of the Republican public association “National Alliance of Professional Social Workers,” presented a report in which she proposed strengthening the training of social workers, introducing inclusion standards, and developing new approaches to address the problems of child marginalization and inequality. She emphasized the need to avoid superficial solutions and to reinforce long-term support for children.

Elvira Vatlina, an expert from the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, emphasized the need to establish a transparent budgetary process with clear allocations for children and to align the institution of the Ombudsperson for Children’s Rights fully with the Paris Principles.

As part of the second agenda item on the role of volunteerism, the Republican Student Ombudsman, Ulan Nauken, informed the participants about the significant role of the student volunteer movement in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He noted that during this time, volunteers have focused particular attention on supporting students with special needs and promoting gender equality through various projects and campaigns.

As part of the third agenda item on strengthening corporate responsibility in human rights compliance, UNDP representative Gulmira Tulesbayeva emphasized the importance of developing tools to promote human rights standards in corporate practice, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Overall, the discussion of the agenda was open and constructive. Representatives of government bodies and NGOs discussed key issues and human rights advocates provided practical recommendations for systemic improvements in the work of the involved agencies and government bodies.

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