OSCE supports effective implementation of access to information law in Kazakhstan
The OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the Parliament of Kazakhstan co-organized a roundtable discussion followed by an expert dialogue in Astana on 1 June 2017 on the application of the law on the access to information.
The event was supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana for some 80 members of Parliament, high-level officials from the Ministry of Information and Communication, the Ministry of Finance and the Prosecutor General’s Office, members of the diplomatic corps and experts from civil society.
The participants discussed the importance of the Law on Access to Information for the development of society as a whole, noting that it helps to combat corruption by ensuring the transparency of officials’ activities and promotes citizens' awareness of their role and responsibility for the development of the state. Experts from Estonia and the Russian Federation as well as national experts presented their countries’ experience in the implementation of similar laws.
Other presenters noted that proper implementation of the law on access to information will improve the efficiency of state bodies, strengthen the country's security, protect the environment and health of the population and the domestic political and economic climate. They added that the law had the potential to strengthen democratic society while serving as a more effective system of state management. A set of recommendations will be developed by the participants on the basis of the discussion.
The roundtable discussion was followed by an expert dialogue, in which participants were encouraged to address specific issues and proposals to the national and international experts.
The event took place as part of Kazakhstan’s “100 Concrete Steps to Implement Five Institutional Reforms” – an outline of government-instituted reforms for the host country’s development. The discussions are part of the Office’s multi-year efforts to assist the host country in promoting fundamental freedoms, most notably access to information and good governance.
Kazakhstan adopted legislation on access to information in November 2015. The OSCE Programme Office subsequently co-organized a series of 12 training seminars and discussions for civil society and government officials across the country in 2016 on its effective implementation.