National Preventive Mechanism of Kazakhstan launches its first annual report
In May, the National Preventive Mechanism of Kazakhstan and the Ombudsman’s Office launched their consolidated annual report for 2014. The NPM was established in law in July 2013 and started carrying out monitoring visits in Spring 2014.
The launch meeting was attended by Arman Danielyan, member of the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture (SPT) who encouraged the NPM to use its mandate to also develop reports on thematic issues of concern, such as health in prisons and children’s and women’s facilities.
While the NPM currently has permission to visit and report only on certain closed facilities for children, a parliamentary working group, with PRI participation, has now been established to draft the necessary legislative amendments to expand the mandate of the NPM to include the full range of institutions providing full-time accommodation, including homes for children with disabilities, for example. This is currently expected to pass through the parliament by the end of the 2015.
PRI has been engaged intensively in supporting the establishment and professional development of the NPM. See our 2013 annual report for a useful summary.