The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, non-government organizations, and international organizations gathered on November 13 to explore ways to better facilitate persons with disabilities in political and social life.
A discussion on the key principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, OSCE standards on political participation of people with disabilities discussed during the meeting, the results of a baseline study in Kazakhstan on inclusion and accessibility, and the joint work of the government, NGOs and international organizations were discussed.
“The Foreign ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection on the Second Optional Protocol’s ratification to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” said Usen Suleimen, Ambassador-at-Large of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
“In November 2019, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a round table ‘Towards an Inclusive Society in Kazakhstan.’ Since then, the Shyrak association has been a member of the Dialogue Platform on Human Dimension, a consultative advisory body created in 2013 under the ministry that is involved with systematic and comprehensive work with national NGOs in the field of human rights and democracy,” said Suleimen.
The event was organized by the Shyrak Association of Women with Disabilities, supported by the Central Election Commission, Kazakh Foreign Ministry, Human Rights Ombudsperson in Kazakhstan and the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan.
