On the sidelines of the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which took place in Strasbourg from 7 to 11 April 2025, a roundtable titled "Democratic Reforms – Basis of Stability and Prosperity" was held, dedicated to the implementation of democratic reforms in Kazakhstan.

The Kazakh delegation was led by Ms. Elvira Azimova, Chairperson of the Constitutional Court and Ms. Olga Perepechina, Deputy Chairperson of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan. Members of PACE, the Council of Europe's Programming Department and the two Council of Europe affiliated bodies in which Kazakhstan is a full-fledged member (the Venice Commission and the Group of States against Corruption – GRECO), also took to the floor. Members of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary) and international research centres completed the line-up of speakers. The event was moderated by Anel Bakytbekkyzy, Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Strasbourg.

The participants discussed the implementation of President Tokayev's initiatives aimed at rebooting Kazakhstan's political system, strengthening national human rights mechanisms, enhancing the accountability of the public administration system, and Kazakhstan's efforts to accede to relevant Council of Europe Conventions in the field of cooperation in judicial and criminal matters.

Significant positive changes resulting from the ongoing reforms were highlighted. Speakers noted that thanks to the comprehensive modernization of the country's political system, a renewed culture of governance based on the principles of transparency, integrity and accountability is emerging. The 2022 referendum that introduced amendments to 33 articles of the Constitution has provided the legal basis whereby the political system of Kazakhstan has become more responsive to the needs of its citizens, through greater decentralization of decision-making and new mechanisms of checks and balances between the three branches of state power (executive, legislative, and judiciary).

In her speech, Chairperson of the Constitutional Court Elvira Azimova noted the process of strengthening the supremacy of the Constitution, the development of the institution of constitutional control and the role of the judiciary in protecting human rights and freedoms in Kazakhstan: "Constitutional control is an integral mechanism that ensures the rule of law, stability and coherence of the public administration system", she remarked.

"The gradual improvement of national legislation, as well as the strengthening of the legal culture, was largely associated with the need for a clearer separation of powers. However, special attention to this issue has begun to be felt within the framework of political and constitutional reforms of recent years, in which the observance of rights and freedoms is of decisive importance as the next stage of democratic development", Ms Azimova remarked.

Ms Azimova also summarised the results of the work Constitutional Court since its inception in 2023 up until April 2025. In this short period of time, the Court received 9,900 appeals from citizens; the court has issued 400 judgments and 68 regulatory decisions.

Representatives from CoE and PACE expressed satisfaction with the robust collaboration between Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe institutions, considering Kazakhstan a key partner in the region. They welcomed the Committee of Ministers' adoption of the Neighbourhood Co-operation Priorities with Kazakhstan for the period 2024-2027, which will facilitate more active interaction between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe in improving national legislation and harmonizing it with European norms. Additionally, it was announced that the Committee on Political Affairs of PACE has decided to prepare a third report about cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe. Mr Zsolt Nemeth, Head of the Hungarian delegation to the Council of Europe, has been entrusted with the role of rapporteur, and in this capacity he will be paying a visit to Kazakhstan in May.

Livia Stoica Becht, Head of Economic Crime and Corruption department of GRECO, said that Kazakhstan is currently being assessed under the Third Evaluation Round which includes themes such as the incrimination of corruption offences and the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns. She lauded the Kazakh authorities' cooperation and transparency in the previous two evaluation rounds, including their prompt authorisation for the publication of the evaluation and compliance reports. The evaluation report notes that "combating corruption is set as one of the main priorities in Kazakhstan's public policy and plays a pivotal role in the country's strategy towards economic growth" and welcomes the fact that the country's authorities see GRECO membership "as an opportunity to develop a common legal space with the Council of Europe member States which could improve the business climate and boost the economy further".

During the event, special attention was paid to the December 2023 Action Plan on Human Rights and the Rule of Law of Kazakhstan, which includes legislative reforms implementing stricter measures to combat domestic violence; abolishing the death penalty; and new legal provisions to combat bullying and aggression in society, and other emerging social problems such as gambling addiction. By seeking to establish zero tolerance for domestic violence, Kazakhstan aims to integrate European best practices and international standards into its legislative framework, using the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (known as the Istanbul Convention) as a model, which Kazakhstan aims to join in the near future.

Furthermore, the empowerment of vulnerable sectors of the population and the increased representation of youth and women in public service and decision-making spheres were highlighted as positive developments in Kazakhstan. A 30 percent quota for women, youth, and people with disabilities in Kazakhstan's Parliament has been established, which ensures broader and more varied representation in the legislative process. Another example is the National Plan for Gender Equality dedicated to advancing the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on "Peace, Women, and Security," in order to promote the inclusion of women in the Prosecutor General's Office, the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Emergency Situations, Defence, and in roles within the various UN peacekeeping missions which Kazakhstan is part of around the world. Kazakhstan has also expanded and strengthened the mandates of the Commissioner for Human Rights and the Commissioner for Children's Rights and established new offices such as the Commissioner for the Protection of the rights of socially vulnerable citizens.

The roundtable also heard the intervention of Mr Ziyatdin Kasanov, Member of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan. Since its foundation in 1995, the Assembly has strengthened the ethnic accord in the country and ensured the rights and freedoms of citizens regardless of their ethnic affiliation, truly embodying and putting into practice the principle of "unity in diversity". Being home to over 130 ethnic groups, the Assembly has played a key role in preserving harmony and unity between Kazakhstan's diverse ethnic groups. To represent the interests of the various ethnic groups making up the country, five deputies of the Senate are appointed by the President based on proposals by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan.

Mr Alberto Turkstra, Project Director of Diplomatic World, noted that one of the visible areas of change in the "New Kazakhstan" has been the growing public involvement in decision-making and strengthened dialogue between authorities and the society at large in order to strengthen public trust in government and improve the quality of public services. As examples, he mentioned:

• The strengthening of local governance through the introduction of direct elections for rural and village akims (mayors), a practice which has since expanded to certain districts and cities of regional significance.
• The holding of national referenda in sensitive policy areas. A clear example was the referendum held last year on the construction of a nuclear power plant.
• The institutionalisation of feedback mechanisms between state and society:
• One prominent example is the Kuraltai (previously the National Council of Public Trust), a consultative body comprised of 107 members from all walks of life (human rights organizations, lawyers, economists, independent experts, and civil servants) to establish a broad discussion on strategic issues affecting the future of the country.
• Another example are the public councils, more than 200 of them, which have been in place since 2015. These are consultative, advisory, and supervisory authorities affiliated to ministries; local government bodies, national holdings, national companies to represent the interests of civil society. Two-thirds of the seats of the public councils are assigned to civil society and one-third to public officials. While suggestions by the public councils are advisory in nature, their consideration is obligatory for all relevant public institutions, which are required to provide a response.

Mr Turkstra also highlighted the strengthening of civil society as a key development for Kazakhstan as it aims to achieve the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and reach the 30 most advanced economies by 2050. He emphasised that in Kazakhstan, state and civil society do not exist in opposition or in contradiction to each other, but rather complementing each other. Civil society organisations operate across wide range of focus areas which go from the environment, the monitoring of national and local budgets, inclusive education for special-needs students or the digitalization of rural areas.

By way of conclusion, all speakers noted that Kazakhstan is entering a new phase of its development with strengthened institutions, greater public trust, and a clear commitment to justice, the rule of law, ensuring equal opportunities for every citizen and the protection of vulnerable groups. The scope, scale and ambition of democratic reforms that Kazakhstan is undertaking means it is entering uncharted territory, as no one other country in the region has pursued reforms as ambitious as Kazakhstan's. But so far, it has successfully managed to achieve step-by-step and gradual democratization while being able to maintaining stability and unity.

Alberto Turkstra - Project Director - Diplomatic World