On the 4th and 5th of July 2005, a conference entitled «Encouragement of the Modernization of Law in Kazakhstan in Accordance with International Standards» was held in the Intercontinental Hotel, Astana. The event was conceived under the auspices of the project of the same name, which is supervised by the European Union and supported by the Mazhilis (the lower legislative chamber) of the Parliament of Kazakhstan. The project operates in cooperation with various Committees of the Parliament and renders direct assistance to legal departments and government officers taking part in the legislative process.
Participants included: Mr. Daniyal Akhmetov, the Prime-Minister of Kazakhstan; Mrs. Zagipa Baliyeva, the Minister of Justice; Mr. Alan Vaddams, Ambassador and Head of the European Commission? s Delegation; Mr. Eugene Stuart, the Head of the Project; and representatives of Ministries, as well as officers, judges, lawyers and academicians interested in the modernization of law in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Mrs. Gulmira Tulenbekova, Partner of GRATA Law Firm, represented the firm at the Conference.
The main objective of the event was to organize a forum within which the participants could discuss the modernization of law in Kazakhstan in accordance with the international standards, and in particular with EU law. It therefore helped further the objectives of the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan.
The programme was divided into 2 parts. The first Session was dedicated to an examination of the issues raised by the existing legislative process in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Second consisted of seminars on legal and political priorities.
To close the Conference a report was delivered based on special research that had been conducted into Kazakhstan? s legislative system, and further avenues of development were highlighted. There followed a brief concluding statement. GRATA would like to express its gratitude to the organizers of the event and also to re-iterate its support for the praiseworthy and progressive aims of this interesting project.
