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Kazakhstan - Fourth and Fifth Reports of States Parties due in 2007 - Reports submitted by States Parties under Article 9 of the Convention [2009] UNCERDSPR 10; CERD/C/KAZ/4-5 (13 May 2009)

COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION

OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 9

OF THE CONVENTION

Fourth and fifth reports of States parties due in 2007*

Kazakhstan**

[29 July 2008]

Introduction

This periodic report is submitted under article 9, paragraph 1, of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; it was compiled in accordance with the General Guidelines regarding the form and contents of reports to be submitted by States parties.

The report was prepared by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan in conjunction with the ministries and departments concerned and the National Centre for Human Rights attached to the Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The following non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of Kazakhstan assisted with the preparation of the report with regard to the conduct of a sociological questionnaire: the voluntary association “Kazakhstan. A Healthy Generation” and the association of juridical persons “Civic Alliance of Kazakhstan”.

Replies to the concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) are included in the report. An analysis was made of the fundamental legislation and regulations of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Convention was adopted on 21 December 1965 and ratified by Kazakhstan by an Act of 28 June 1998; it takes priority over national legislation, for article 4, paragraph 3, of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter “the Constitution”) states: “The international treaties ratified by the Republic take priority over its laws and shall be applied directly, except when the application of the international treaty in question requires the enactment of a law.” The following agencies of the State and advisory/consultative bodies are competent to implement the Convention and give effect to social and cultural rights:

1. The Commission on Human Rights attached to the Office of the President;

2. The Ministry of Justice;

3. The National Security Committee;

4. The Ministry of Internal Affairs;

5. The Ministry of Industry and Trade;

6. The Ministry of Health;

7. The Statistics Agency;

8. The Office of the Procurator-General;

9. The Ministry of Education and Science;

10. The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection;

11. The Ministry of the Economy and Budget Planning;

12. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

13. The National Centre for Human Rights (Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman).

General information

The Republic of Kazakhstan covers an area of 2,724,900 square kilometres.

As of 1 January 2008 the Republic had 10,133 administrative subdivisions, including 14 oblasts, the capital city, one city of national significance, 160 districts, nine districts in the capital and the city of national significance, 39 towns of oblast significance and 45 of district significance, five districts in towns of oblast significance, 157 rural and 2,346 village administrations, 163 communities and 7,194 aul/village settlements.

The overall population density is 5.6 persons per square kilometre.

According to current data, as of 1 January 2008 the country’s population totalled 15,602,600, including 8,305,000 (53.2 per cent) living in urban areas and 7,241,600 (46.8 per cent) in rural areas. It had increased by 49,100 (0.3 per cent) since the beginning of the [preceding] year

The capital city is Astana.

The city of national significance is Almaty.

Kazakhstan is the world’s ninth largest country, after the Russian Federation, China, the United States of America, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India and Australia. It has 12,187 kilometres of frontier with neighbouring States. It has land frontiers with China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation.

The territory of Kazakhstan extends for 3,000 kilometres from west to east and for 1,600 kilometres from north to south.

Kazakhstan has several temperate natural zones: forest steppe, semi-arid and arid. In January the average temperature ranges between 18ºC in the north and east of the country and -3ºC in the southernmost part. The average July temperature ranges between 19ºC in the north and 28ºC in the south.

The territory of Kazakhstan is situated in four climate zones: forest steppe, steppe, semiarid and arid.

The highest point in Kazakhstan is Mount Khan Tengri (7,010 metres); the lowest is the Karagiye Depression (132 metres below sea level).

Nowadays the country’s fauna includes 172 species of mammal, 490 bird species, 51 reptile species, 12 amphibious species, and over 100 species of fish.

Kazakhstan is washed from the south-west by the isolated reservoirs of the Caspian and Aral seas.

Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country.

Population

The population totals 15,602,600.

The regions of Kazakhstan, except for the oblasts of Astana, Kostanai, North Kazakhstan and East Kazakhstan, have undergone population growth. The highest overall growth figures have been recorded in South Kazakhstan oblast (49,031), Almaty oblast (22,582) and the city of Almaty (37,493), and the biggest declines in East Kazakhstan oblast (7,129) and Kostanai oblast (6,141).

The civil registry offices recorded 86,927 births in the first quarter of 2008 - 9,126 more than the same period of the preceding year. The overall birth rate was 21 per 1,000 inhabitants. The birth rate in the country’s regions ranges between 12.7 and 30.3 per 1,000.

Population composition by nationality

Population numbers as of 1 January 2008

Thousands