October 2, 2020, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan – The United States through its Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the launch of a new, five-year rule of law program for over $7 million. The overarching goal of this program is to support legal reforms in Kazakhstan by strengthening the independence of the judiciary and creating a favorable legal environment for businesses and civil society organizations.

The program will work in close partnership with the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Information and Public Development, building on these institutions’ aspirations to improve public trust and demonstrate greater alignment with internationally recognized standards. In line with USAID’s efforts to strengthen the Government of Kazakhstan’s institutions, this program will provide best practices and international expertise, train judicial officials, support the implementation of new legislation, and promote educated changes in key legislation. The program will also work closely with civil society to support a positive environment for non-profit organizations.  

Since the 1990s, USAID has played a critical role in supporting the development of rule of law and civil society organizations (CSOs) in Kazakhstan. USAID-funded activities have helped build the capacity of these groups and enabled government officials, as well as CSO staff, to obtain necessary knowledge and skills to engage in productive policy development. Throughout the last two decades, USAID has made significant efforts to support these two sectors.  

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USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. For more information, visit: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional  and USAID/Central Asia’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USAIDCentralAsia. 

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