Hostname: page-component-f554764f5-nt87m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-21T05:16:55.463Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The European Union and Central Asian Countries’ Activities in the Field of Human Rights: Peculiarities and Directions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2024

Meruyert Malgazhdarova ,
Leila Akhmetzhanova ,
Zhanibek Shaimardanov ,
Saniya Nurdavletova  and
Rinat Baigondin
Meruyert Malgazhdarova
Affiliation:
Faculty of International Relations, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, 010000, 2 Satpayev Str., Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. Email: [email protected]
Leila Akhmetzhanova
Affiliation:
Faculty of International Relations, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, 010000, 2 Satpayev Str., Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. Email: [email protected]
Zhanibek Shaimardanov
Affiliation:
Department of International Relations, Central European University, 1100, 51 Quellenstrasse, Wien, Austria
Saniya Nurdavletova
Affiliation:
Faculty of International Relations, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, 010000, 2 Satpayev Str., Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan. Email: [email protected]
Rinat Baigondin
Affiliation:
Department of Social and Humanitarian Disciplines, Alikhan Bokeikhan University, 070000, 11 Lenin Str., Semey, Republic of Kazakhstan
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This research aims to identify the features and characteristics of the policies of the European Union and Central Asian countries in the sphere of human rights by examining the main vectors and elements of governance at the national and international levels. The research methodology consists of system analysis, which reviews the general situation in the field of civil rights, outlines the problems of protection activities in individual states and regions, and identifies key areas for improvement. The basic elements and components of the activity of the European Union countries in the sphere of protection of fundamental human rights are considered, and the distinctive features of this type of activity in the Central Asian countries are outlined. Positive and negative tendencies of the legal protection of human rights in separate Central Asian states as well as probable scenarios of further development of the sphere in the region are presented. The uniqueness and peculiarities of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s policy in the sphere of human rights protection as a key vector in the process of development of a democratic state are studied. Based on the results, practical recommendations are presented to improve the process of formation of the activity of the Republic in the sphere of human rights and freedoms.

Type
Article
Information
European Review , Volume 32 , Issue 3 , June 2024 , pp. 291 - 307
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Academia Europaea Ltd

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Afzal, A (2004) Human rights in Central Asia. Strategic Studies 24(1), 152–176.Google Scholar
Alexandrov, T, Jorayev, G and Tutumlu, A (2018) Ethno-cultural associations in Kazakhstan: the Soviet footprint and resources for civil society. Cambridge Journal of Eurasian Studies 2, 1–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Axyonova, V (2014) Evaluation of the EU’s human rights policies and engagement in Central Asia. Available at: https://eucentralasia.eu/evaluation-of-the-eus-human-rights-policies-and-engagement-in-central-asia/ (accessed 9 March 2023).Google Scholar
Bankoff, G and Oven, K (2019) From nomadic communitarianism to civil socialism: searching for the roots of civil society in rural Kazakhstan. Journal of Civil Society 15(4), 373–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chaney, P (2022a) Civil society, rights and welfare: exploring the implementation of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities in the commonwealth of independent states. Europe-Asia Studies 74(5), 734–759.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chaney, P (2022b) Exploring civil society perspectives on the situation of human rights defenders in the commonwealth of independent states. Central Asian Survey 42(2), 293–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (2022) Turkmenistan 2022 Human Rights Report. Washington, DC: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.Google Scholar
Dzhuraev, E and Muratalieva, N (2020) EU strategy in Central Asia. To the successful implementation of the new strategy. Available at: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/bischkek/16168.pdf (accessed 9 March 2023).Google Scholar
Einsiedel, J (2020) The Effectiveness of International Civil Society Organizations in Protecting Human Rights in Countries with Limited Human Rights. A Case Study of Turkmenistan. Glasgow: The University of the West of Scotland.Google Scholar
Elnazarov, D and Jamshedov, J (2019) Guarantees of the rights and freedoms of man within the new constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research 312, 112–116.Google Scholar
EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024 (2020) Available at: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/eu_action_plan_on_human_rights_and_democracy_2020-2024.pdf (accessed 9 March 2023).Google Scholar
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (2020) Tajikistan Country Strategy 2020-2025. Available at: https://www.ebrd.com/what-we-do/strategies-and-policies/tajikistan-strategy.pdf (accessed 22 March 2024).Google Scholar
Fact Sheets on the European Union (2022) Central Asia. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/178/central-asia (accessed 9 March 2023).Google Scholar
Hamidov, A, Daedlow, K, Webber, H, Hussein, H, Abdurahmanov, I, Dolidudko, A, Seerat, A, Solieva, U, Woldeyohanes, T and Helming, K (2022) Operationalizing water-energy-food nexus research for sustainable development in social-ecological systems: An interdisciplinary learning case in Central Asia. Ecology and Society 27(1), 12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karatayev, M, Rivotti, P, Sobral-Mourao, Z, Konadu, D, Shah, N and Clarke, M (2017) The water-energy-food nexus in Kazakhstan: Challenges and opportunities. Energy Procedia 125, 63–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kazakhstan Human Rights Situation Report 2021 (2022) Available at: https://kz.usembassy.gov/ru/ru-2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices-kazakhstan/ (accessed 17 March 2023).Google Scholar
Kazakhstan, the European Union and UNICEF are working together to Successfully Reintegrate Families and Children who have returned from Conflict Zones (2022) Available at: https://matritca.kz/old/news/109750-kazahstan-evropeyskiy-soyuz-i-yunisef-sovmestno-rabotayut-nad-uspeshnoy-reintegraciey-semey-i-detey-vernuvshihsya-iz-zon-konflikta.html (accessed 17 March 2023).Google Scholar
Keijzer, N and Bossuyt, F (2020) Partnership on paper, pragmatism on the ground: The European Union’s engagement with civil society organisations. Development in Practice 30(6), 784–794.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kovalenko, Y (2018) Analysis of the activities of the European Union bodies, whose competence includes the protection of human rights. Bulletin of the Penitentiary Association of Ukraine 1, 184–190.Google Scholar
Kozuljevic, N (2014) The EU strategic framework on human rights and democracy – possibilities, challenges and implication to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Europe in Global Politics. Brno: Masaryk University, pp. 1–19.Google Scholar
Kuldysheva, G, Mamazakirov, R, Shookumova, D, Dzhunusova, D, Marazykov, N, Chynykeeva, G, Tanatarova, F, Toktobaeva, E, Kuldyshev, A and Abdullaeva, Z (2021) On the women social rights legislative regulation in the Kyrgyz Republic. Open Journal of Political Science 11(1), 169–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
On Further Measures of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Field of Human Rights (2021) Available at: https://www.akorda.kz/ru/o-dalneyshih-merah-respubliki-kazahstan-v-oblasti-prav-cheloveka-9505 (accessed 17 March 2023).Google Scholar
On the Approval of the Plan for Further Action in the Field of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (2022) Available at: https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/P2200000258 (accessed 17 March 2023).Google Scholar
On the Introduction of Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the Issues of Social Protection of Certain Categories of Citizens (2021) Available at: https://online.zakon.kz/Document/?doc_id=33623622&show_di=1 (accessed 17 March 2023).Google Scholar
On the Introduction of Amendments and Additions to some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Improving the Quality of Life of Persons with Disabilities (2022) Available at: https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/Z2200000129 (accessed 17 March 2023).Google Scholar
Perez, MT (2022) European Union protection of human rights through its global policy: the implementation of the regime of restrictive measures against serious violations and abuses of human rights. The Age of Human Rights Journal 19, 255–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peyrouse, S (2022) China’s impact on democracy and human rights in Central Asia. Security and Human Rights 32(1-4), 53–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pierobon, C (2019) EU’s Support to civil society in Kazakhstan: a pilot evaluation of the social capital generated. Evaluation 25(2), 207–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rollan, K and Somerton, M (2021) Inclusive education reform in Kazakhstan: civil society activism from the bottom-up. International Journal of Inclusive Education 25(10), 19–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rule of Law Index 2022 (2023) Available at: https://worldjusticeproject.org/rule-of-law-index/global/2022 (accessed 17 March 2023).Google Scholar
Svante, E, Cornell, S and Starr, F (2019) A Steady Hand: The EU 2019 Strategy & Policy Toward Central Asia. Available at: https://isdp.eu/content/uploads/2019/11/EU-Central-Asia-25.11.19-Print-V-wCover.pdf (accessed 20 March 2023).Google Scholar
The EU’s New Central Asia Strategy (2019) Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/633162/EPRS_BRI(2019)633162_EN.pdf (accessed 20 March 2023).Google Scholar
United Nations (2006) The Core International Human Rights Treaties. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/coretreatiesen.pdf (accessed 22 March 2024).Google Scholar
United Nations (2022) In Dialogue with Kyrgyzstan, Experts of the Human Rights Committee Commend Legislation Promoting Freedom of Religious Belief, Raise Issues Concerning Corruption and Detainees’ Access to Lawyers. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/dialogue-kyrgyzstan-experts-human-rights-committee-commend-legislation (accessed 24 March 2024).Google Scholar
UN Country Team Uzbekistan (2020) United Nations Common Country Analysis: Uzbekistan. Available at: https://uzbekistan.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/United%20Nations%20Common%20Country%20Analysis%20Uzbekistan_en.pdf (accessed 22 March 2024).Google Scholar
Williamson, H (2023) Prominence of Central Asian countries on the Human Rights Council is an opportunity for change. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/24/prominence-central-asian-countries-human-rights-council-opportunity-change (accessed 20 March 2023).Google Scholar
World Report (2024) Kyrgyzstan – Events of 2023. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/kyrgyzstan (accessed 22 March 2024).Google Scholar
Wouters, J, Beke, L, Chane, AL, Hachez, N and Raube, K (2014) Enhancing cooperation between the European parliament and EU national parliaments on EU human rights policy. Available at: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2861/52456 (accessed 20 March 2023).Google Scholar
Yanovskaya, O and Lipovka, A (2022) Gender stereotypes and family decision-making: Comparative study of Central Europe and Central Asia. Central European Management Journal 30(3), 61–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zharkynbayeva, R, Abdiraiymova, A, Sarsenbayev, A and Bekzhanova, N (2020) Societal perspectives: gender equality in Central Asia, between desideratum and realities. Codrul Cosminului 26(2), 331–356.CrossRefGoogle Scholar