Kazakhstan takes part in the meeting of UN High-level Panel on refugees and migrants

The United Nations convened for the first time such a high-level meeting dedicated to the movement of large groups of refugees and migrants and aimed at developing coordinated measures to optimize the management of international migration and the formation of an effective system to respond to the movement of large groups of refugees and migrants.

Deputy Minister of foreign policy office stressed in his speech that "Kazakhstan entirely supports the UN's leading role in the development of a multifaceted strategy to control the flow of migrants and refugees."

Ashikbayev reminded that Kazakhstan in the XX century has experienced several flows of migration and forced displacement of large masses of the population. "We know the real meaning of humanity and compassion not from hearsay. Thanks to balanced and responsible policy of the President of Kazakhstan, our country today is a dynamic multi-ethnic society in which representatives of more than 100 ethnic groups live in peace and harmony, which is one of the main achievements of 25 years of independence", said Ashikbaev.

According to him, "the neglect of the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of states leads to the destruction of the sovereignty and statehood of the affected countries and the humanitarian crisis."

Kazakhstan has acceded to the fundamental documents of the UN in this area - the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and adopted a progressive law on refugees (entered into force in 2010), corresponding to the international standards. In particular, it provided the principle of non-refoulement of persons to the countries where they are at risk, and this rule is the key to protecting the rights of refugees. In addition to the adoption of the Law in the legislation, amendments were made which provide for access of refugees to employment, providing their children with free school and pre-school education, medical care.

Kazakhstan in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR "Almaty process"initiated in 2011 a regional dialogue platform for practical cooperation on the protection of human rights, international protection and the development long-term solutions for refugees and migrants. Currently, participants in this process are the 9 countries in the region (Central Asia, Turkey, Afghanistan -members, Iran, Pakistan - observers).

Within the framework of preparation for the UN General Assembly session, the delegation of Kazakhstan has also participated in a number of side events, devoted to humanitarian aid in the conflict zones, food security, implementation of objectives for sustainable development, inter-religious and intercultural dialogue. Kazakh diplomats noted the continued commitment of our country to multilateral efforts to ensure global and regional security, as well as the pursuance of a world free from the threat of nuclear and other conflicts and wars, in line with the ideas laid down in the Manifesto of President Nursultan Nazarbayev "The World. The 21st century".