Being a member of the UN"s main human rights platform since 2022, Kazakhstan has made a significant contribution to the progressive development of international human rights standards, acting as a "bridge-builder" between East and West to bring approaches closer together and strengthen the global system.
Over the past three years, Kazakhstan has staged a number of key events on gender equality, the abolition of the death penalty and the protection of the rights of persons in vulnerable situations in the context of climate change. The country has joined the efforts of the Central Asian states, the European Union and other strategic partners.
Photo credit: mfa.gov.kz
During its membership, Kazakhstan proposed two important resolutions for adoption in the UN Human Rights Council on behalf of the Central Asian countries.
In October 2023, the 54th session of the HRC adopted a resolution on education. The document aims to ensure quality education, peace and tolerance to eliminate discrimination, and safe access to education, including for children affected by armed conflict.
This resolution became the basis for the first panel discussion of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2024, where, in addition to children"s rights, issues of integration through education of repatriated children from conflict zones were discussed for the first time. In June 2025, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, will also present his report on the topic.
On 10 October 2024, at the 57th and final session for Kazakhstan"s membership, the first resolution in the history of the UN Human Rights Council on the elimination of domestic violence was adopted. It draws the attention of the international community to the global pandemic of domestic violence.
With Kazakhstan"s resolution, the HRC for the first time recognized domestic violence as a human rights issue and urged all states to take concrete measures to prevent and eliminate domestic violence, protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable.
To further contribute to the elimination of domestic violence and to draw the attention of the international community to this issue, the Council decided to include it in its work plan for 2025 and to hold a UN panel discussion on the prevention and elimination of domestic violence. Following the discussion, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will present a comprehensive report with concrete recommendations on how to address the structural and underlying causes and risk factors to prevent domestic violence.
Photo credit: mfa.gov.kz
In addition to its initiatives, Kazakhstan was invited to be one of the main sponsors of UN Human Rights Council resolutions on promoting a culture of peace (Gambia), on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (Belgium), on the right to free education (Luxembourg) and on the social reintegration of former prisoners (Costa Rica).
Drawing the attention of the international community to these issues was based on Kazakhstan"s priorities in the field of human rights, stemming from the reforms undertaken by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
All Kazakhstan"s initiatives, despite the different positions and approaches of UN Member States, were adopted by a unanimous decision of the UN Human Rights Council and received broad support in the form of co-sponsorship by countries from all regions of the world, including the United States, China, Russia, India, Canada, Switzerland, the European Union, Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Kazakhstan"s active work in the global forum has been accompanied by major transformations in the country"s human rights system, including the re-establishment of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the abolition of the death penalty and accession to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Optional Protocols to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the criminalization of domestic violence and the adoption of two national plans on gender equality.
The Republic"s commitment to its human rights obligations is confirmed by the adoption of concrete measures both domestically and at key global platforms.
The high regard in which our country"s contribution to strengthening global cooperation on human rights issues is held by the main UN actors reinforces Kazakhstan"s role as a so-called "middle power".
Concluding its second three-year term in the UN Human Rights Council, Kazakhstan reaffirmed its firm commitment to global values for the promotion and protection of human rights.
