On September 10, 2024 in the Committee on Legislation and Judicial Reform of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Director of the Institute of Parliamentarism, Doctor of Law Safinov K.B. took part in the discussion of the development of local self-government in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The discussion on the development of local self-government and improvement of legislation in this area was initiated by the Institute of Parliamentarism as part of the execution of the instruction of the President of the country aimed at strengthening the potential of local government. During the discussion, expert opinions were taken into account, as well as the best international practices were analyzed. As Professor Safinov noted, the key aspects of the issues under discussion are the introduction of digital technologies and increasing citizen involvement in management processes, which contributes to strengthening transparency and accountability of local authorities.
A comparative analysis of international experience has shown that the successful development of local self-government largely depends on the active participation of citizens in decision-making at all levels of government. In this regard, an important aspect of the discussions was to provide citizens with real opportunities to influence local government processes.
Expert discussions were conducted taking into account the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which guarantees compliance of the initiatives under consideration with international standards. The issues discussed covered a wide range of topics, including the modernization of the local governance structure and mechanisms for citizen participation in local decision-making processes.
Summing up the meeting, Kanatbek Safinov expressed confidence that continuing work on the development of local self-government and improving legislation in this area will be a significant step in improving the quality of local governance, which, in turn, will contribute to the sustainable development of the country's regions.
