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OSCE Centre in Astana supports discussion on countering discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance

14 August 2012
L-r: Jeannette Kloetzer, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana, Banu Nurgaziyeva, Director of the Socio-Political Department at the Ministry of Culture and Information and Yerbolat Sembayev, Deputy Director of the Multilateral Co-operation Department at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, during a meeting to discuss the drafted sixth and seventh periodic reports on implementation of the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Astana, 14 August 2012. (OSCE/Aigul Zharas) Photo details

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, 14 August 2012 – Some 40 representatives of state agencies and non-governmental organizations gathered at a roundtable meeting today to discuss the combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Kazakhstan on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The draft report was prepared by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information, which presented it to the audience for discussion and comments.

During the meeting, participants raised issues including legal guarantees against all kinds of discrimination, as well as Kazakhstan’s international commitments concerning the prevention and prohibition of racism, discrimination and intolerance. Speakers from the non-governmental sector reviewed the content and provided a set of recommendations to be considered in the final report.

“The OSCE Centre in Astana welcomes the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Information to hold a public hearing on the country report,” said Jeanette Kloetzer, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

“We hope that our support will contribute to the promotion of international anti-discrimination norms and principles, including those of the OSCE, and help Kazakhstan to prepare a well-balanced report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.”

Banu Nurgaziyeva, Director of the Socio-Political Department of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said: “Kazakhstan continues to promote anti-discrimination approach in its domestic and international policies. We believe that preventing and combating discrimination is a major task that any democratic government should pursue.”

The event was co-organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan and the OSCE Centre in Astana. It is a part of the Centre’s efforts to support policy makers and civil society in promoting tolerance and non-discrimination.