Kazakhstan granted observer status at Council of Europe Convention 108 Committee

The decision was adopted after the Committee’s 50th plenary session in Strasbourg, attended by Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, Doszhan Musaliyev. The Committee is regarded as a leading international platform shaping approaches to personal data protection and privacy in the digital age.

“Obtaining observer status is an important step for Kazakhstan. It will allow us to exchange experience with international partners and improve the national personal data protection system based on global best practices. I want to emphasize that gaining observer status is a highly significant event. This year, Kazakhstan’s new constitution adopted a new human rights provision that explicitly affirms individuals’ right to personal data protection, including in the digital sphere. Therefore, this is a logical continuation of this work,” Doszhan Musaliyev told a Qazinform correspondent.

Musaliyev also noted that on the sidelines of the session, he met with the Chair of the Convention 108 Committee, Beatriz de Anchorena, and with the Council of Europe Secretary General, Alain Berset.

In a social media post, Berset highlighted that artificial intelligence transforms modern societies.

“An important discussion was held with Vice Minister Doszhan Musaliyev about Kazakhstan’s digital ambitions and the role of the Council of Europe’s conventions on artificial intelligence and data protection in building trust and shared standards across borders,” Alain Berset wrote.

Convention 108, formally titled the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with Regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, was adopted by the Council of Europe on January 28, 1981. It is a foundational international document in the field of privacy and data protection.

It remains the first and only legally binding international treaty dedicated to personal data protection, setting data privacy standards for both the public and private sectors.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had signed a decree approving the “Digital Qazaqstan” Nationwide Strategy for Large-Scale Digitalization and Complete Integration of Artificial Intelligence Technologies through 2029.