On November 12 in New York, Kazakhstan was elected to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. This election acknowledges Kazakhstan’s successful consolidation of a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional population into an inclusive society of citizens.

1. UN Elects Kazakhstan to Human Rights Council
On November 12 in New York, Kazakhstan was elected to the United
Nations’ Human Rights Council. This election acknowledges Kazakhstan’s
successful consolidation of a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional population
into an inclusive society of citizens. Barely two decades old, the state of
the Kazakhs is built on the concept of a civic nation in which ethnic,
religious, and cultural identities coalesce around the common Kazakhstani
citizenship. Beyond simple tolerance, Kazakhstan respects and encourages
the expression of those identities as a matter of individual civic rights and
personal freedoms.
Kazakhstan has implemented 90% of recommendations given by the
United Nations Human Rights Council. This was one of the main reasons
for the country to be elected to this international community.

2. The election of Kazakhstan to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council is
both an honor and responsibility for the young state. The UN member states
recognized Kazakhstan for its successful dialogue and cooperation with the
UN human rights body. The challenge for the Kazakh government will be to
improve human rights protection at home by fully implementing its Human
Rights Plan and UN Human Rights Council’s recommendations. I believe that
this goal will be achieved better through engaging Kazakhstan in important
UN bodies, rather than excluding and isolating a country that has
demonstrated its desire to comply with UN human rights conventions.
Kazakhstan has sought prominent positions in various international
organizations as part of its strategy to protect the sovereignty of the country.
Margarita Assenova
Director of Programs, Balkans, Caucasus & Central Asia
The Jamestown Foundation

3. “Those ongoing measures led by the President of Kazakhstan received great
recognition from the international community. This is a global assessment.
This will have a major impact on the development of democracy, respect for
the constitution, and the affirmation of the legal norms.
- Kuanysh Sultanov, Chairman, Kazakhstan President’s Human Rights
Commission

4. “I think it’s a good opportunity for Kazakhstan to take a real leadership role in
human rights. Kazakh authorities have made impressive results in terms of
promoting religious harmony in their country and gender equality. This would
be a good opportunity for them in a very high-profile position before the
international stage to talk a bit of the Kazakh model to show the
achievements they are making. As they said they take this as a challenge to
really meet the criteria in their own in the country and the rest of the region
that you see in the Council. So, I think it is a good opportunity for Kazakhstan
and I think it’s a good contribution and a good opportunity for the rest of us.”
- Richard Weitz, Director, Centre for Political-Military Analysis, Hudson
Institute