Speech

Universal Periodic Review 48: UK Statement on Kazakhstan

UK Statement at Kazakhstan's Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Delivered by the UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Eleanor Sanders
Published
23 January 2025
Location:
Geneva
Delivered on:
(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)
Eleanor Sanders

Thank you Mr Vice President. Ya blagadaryu delegatsii Kazakhstana.

We congratulates Kazakhstan on its efforts to implement recommendations from its last review and welcome President Tokayev’s support for political reform. Passing legislation to criminalise domestic violence was an important step.

We recommend:

  1. Revising the definition of extremism in national legislation and removing those convicted of nonviolent crimes from the Financing Terrorism List, in line with 2019 recommendations from the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism.

  2. Introducing legislation to strengthen legal protections for personal data, including by establishing an independent oversight mechanism to ensure the accountability of public and private bodies in their approach to handling data.

  3. Amending legislation to establish clear criteria and procedures for state media subsidies, ensuring protection of editorial independence, in line with the 2023 recommendations of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Thank you. Spacibo Bolshoe.

Updates to this page

Published 23 January 2025