Astana opposes excessive politicization of human rights by UNCHR

    Kazakhstan has called for a change in the approach of the UN Council on Human Rights and its special procedures.
    In particular, Kazakhstan’s government is asking the UN Council to avoid overly politicizing human rights issues, Foreign Minister Erzhan Kazykhanov said Wednesday during a meeting with Deputy Secretary General of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, according to Novosti-Kazakhstan.
    Kazykhanov noted that the Council should always maintain a balance between protecting both civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights.
    In addition, the Foreign Minister said Astana shares the international community’s concern of over the events taking place in several countries in North Africa and the Middle East.
    Kazakhstan, as chairman of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is actively promoting an early political settlement of the situation in Syria, as well as addressing humanitarian crises in several countries in the region, he noted.
    The sides also discussed Kazakhstan's candidature to the UN Human Rights Council in 2013-2015, Trend said.