The European Union supports the Rule of Law Forum in Kazakhstan
On November 21, 2025, within the framework of projects funded by the European Union, Astana hosted the 2025 Rule of Law Forum: "Kazakhstan's Penal Enforcement System - Modernization, Law and Law Enforcement." The Forum brought together more than 80 participants from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Mongolia, including members of Parliament, representatives of the Government, judicial and law enforcement agencies, civil society, lawyers, research and international organizations.
In her welcoming address, the Ambassador of the European Union to Kazakhstan, Her Excellency Alyosha Simkic, noted: "The European Union and Kazakhstan have a long-standing partnership in the field of the rule of law. The EU continues its dialogue and technical support for reform initiatives, taking into account the need to strengthen local responsibility for building a fair and humane justice system to protect human dignity in accordance with international standards."
The key topics of discussion were strategic directions for the modernization of penal enforcement policy, international standards in the field of penal enforcement (including the Nelson Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Rules), probation and social reintegration of convicts, as well as guarantees of human rights and effective management of the penitentiary system. The Forum created a unique opportunity for Kazakhstan to demonstrate its commitment to the principles of the rule of law, human rights and freedoms in the field of the penal enforcement system as an integral part of law enforcement activities. The recommendations of the forum will serve as a guideline for further legislative and institutional changes, as well as a tool for combining the efforts of government authorities and civil society institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan towards building a fair, humane and effective system of execution of sentences that meets the expectations and challenges of the present and the future.
The partner of the forum was the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Background: The Forum was the result of the synergy of two projects supported by the European Union (EU). The project "Coordinated Civil Society Actions to promote the Rule of Law for All", implemented by the Center for Legal Policy Research (LPRC) Public Foundation and the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) for three years (2024-2026), aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society to support the rule of law and respond to challenges in the system. criminal justice in Kazakhstan. The total budget of the project is 777,895 euros, including the EU contribution of 739,000 euros. The project "Breaking the Vicious Circle: a multifaceted approach to combating torture in Kazakhstan" is being implemented by the NGO Taldykorgan Human Rights Center, the NGO Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law and the Representative Office of Penal Reform International in Central Asia, its duration is three years (2024-2027) and is aimed at to contribute to the elimination of torture in Kazakhstan through a multi-pronged and systematic approach based on three key areas: prevention, effective investigation, and compensation for victims. The total budget of the project is 768,490 euros, including the EU contribution of 730,000 euros.
This publication is funded by the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the Law Policy Research Center and does not necessarily reflect the point of view of the European Union. The publication was prepared within the framework of the project "Coordinated Actions of Civil Society to promote the rule of law for all", which is implemented by the Center for Legal Policy Research (LPRC) and the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), with financial support from the European Union.
source:
Website of the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan