The event was organized jointly by the OSCE Centre in Astana, the OSCE/ODIHR and the Parliament of Kazakhstan. It brought together parliamentarians, government officials, representatives of the Supreme Court and of the General Prosecutor’s office, as well as civil society representatives. During the meeting experts from the United States, Finland and Russia shared their knowledge on theoretical and practical aspects of crime prevention legislation. The participants discussed how Kazakhstan’s laws could be brought into line with international standards and best practices in the field.

"In terms of safety, security and sustainable development, crime prevention as a proactive measure is sometimes much more effective than the reactive measure of combating crime," said Jeannette Kloetzer, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana. "The OSCE Centre in Astana is ready to further support the efforts of Kazakhstan in designing crime prevention strategies and strengthening partnerships between the state and the civil society," she added.

"The draft laws ’On Crime Prevention’ and ’On Combating Domestic Violence’ are meant to ensure respect for inalienable constitutional rights of individuals and protection of rights of victims of domestic violence. Moreover, they represent a significant step towards fulfilment of international commitments of Kazakhstan," said Rakhmet Mukashev, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal and Judicial Affairs.

Today’s meeting is part of the continuing work of the OSCE Centre in Astana on the promotion of international legal standards, in particular in combating domestic violence and the promotion of the gender equality law.