Currently, Kazakhstan is experiencing historic changes in the field of combating human trafficking. On behalf of the Head of State, a special law is being developed and considered that will provide protection and social support to citizens who have become victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking is considered one of the most severe human rights violations. Crimes related to human trafficking are domestic, regional and cross-border.

Assessments by international organizations allow us to conclude that the scale of this problem is much more significant. It is important to note that victims of human trafficking are subject to violations of human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights, when girls are exploited in sexual exploitation and the provision of online pornographic services.

This type of violence most often affects girls from vulnerable groups without the opportunity to protect their rights. Under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a working group was created, which included all subjects of combating human trafficking to develop a separate draft Law “On combating human trafficking in the Republic of Kazakhstan”. Shakhnoza Khassanova, director of the PA LCWI “Sana Sezim”, also joined the working group to provide recommendations for the draft law.

There is currently no separate national law in Kazakhstan. The development of this draft law was carried out with the participation and discussion of more than 50 experts, including representatives of government bodies, international (UN, OSCE) and non-governmental organizations, as well as scientists from scientific research institutes, national and departmental higher educational institutions.

International conventions ratified by the Republic of Kazakhstan, model laws of the CIS, the UN and the experience of foreign countries were studied. Expert opinions from domestic scientists and international organizations were obtained.

When developing the draft Law, a number of main directions were formed:

• formation of a system to combat human trafficking, which includes the comprehensive work of government agencies and the civil sector;

• improving mechanisms for the prevention of trafficking in persons, in particular, conducting risk assessments and preventive measures;

• application of a victim-oriented approach.

At the same time, protection and assistance to victims of trafficking in persons is a mandatory international norm of many international treaties ratified by the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of combating trafficking in persons.

The competencies of all anti-trafficking actors are outlined. A separate chapter is devoted to the protection of the rights of minors, as the most vulnerable category to human trafficking. In general, the development and adoption of a special law will allow us to develop a systematic and comprehensive approach to this problem, analyse the situation in the country taking into account the high degree of latency and minimize risks, consolidate the interconnection of such important countermeasures as cooperation, prevention, criminal prosecution and protection of the rights of victims of trafficking people.

In addition, structural changes have occurred in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kazakhstan, and a special Department for Combating Organized Crime (DCOC) has now been created, which will separately deal with the area of combating human trafficking. The Police Departments have designated special investigators who are responsible for identifying, suppressing, protecting and preventing human trafficking. The created DCOC will make it possible to better solve crimes related to human trafficking.

Source: Sana Sezim