Kazakhstan Institutionalization of a Chamber of Public Experts under the Parliament of Kazakhstan Erlan Aliev, Project Manager, Technical Assistance to the Parliament project

Kazakhstan Description of the Problem Law drafting is not participatory Weak capacity of the Government to work with NGOs NGOs’ under-involvement in the law- drafting process 2005, the President tasked the Parliament with establishing the Chamber of public experts under its lower chamber

Kazakhstan Objectives Strengthen the capacity of the Parliament in cooperation with CSOs in law making Improved legislation quality Broader public participation in decision making Wider access to information MDG-oriented policy development

Kazakhstan Strategy Analytical Phase: Rapid NGO sector assessment with regard to public expertise provision capacities Assessment of donor assistance in the area of democratic governance Dialogue Phase: A series of training activities on public expertise and cooperation of different stakeholders in public expertise process Awareness raising campaign on public expertise

Kazakhstan Innovative Aspects For the first time, civil society participation in law making has been institutionalized For the first time, the question of public expertise methodology, mechanisms and perspectives has been raised Improved public access to draft laws Enhanced cooperation between the Parliament and local government by means of ICT

Kazakhstan Activities Training on public expertise development at the national and regional level (East, South, West and North Kazakhstan) Capacity building events for the Experts’ Chamber members (public expertise procedures and financial mechanisms, team building and strategy planning, etc.) Pilot mechanisms o electronic collaboration between Parliament, Maslikhats (local authorities) and CSOs at the local level in Western and Eastern Kazakhstan Study tour for MPs, representatives of the Parliament, NGOs to France on public expertise, local self- governance and transparency over execution of the national budget

Kazakhstan Partnerships Parliament (Upper and Lower Chambers) Ministry of Culture and Information Local authorities NGOs OSCE in the area of improving transparency of the law making process

Kazakhstan Results Public Experts Chamber established on 10 March 2006 Public Experts Chamber’s Statute developed 4 regional Public Experts Chambers created 36 draft laws examined, 6 amendments proposed by Chamber Funds for Experts Chamber allocated in parliamentary budget for 2007

Kazakhstan Problems Encountered Need to challenge negative perception of the Chamber of Public Experts on the part of some deputies Non-participatory and non-consultative approach in forming the Chambers staff Lack of adequate international practices in this field

Kazakhstan Sustainability State budget allocations for maintenance of the Chamber of Public Experts Further UNDP support ( ) through the project Technical Assistance to the Parliament

Kazakhstan Replicability in Other Country Context Political support at the high level Openness of the legislatives to work with civil society organizations Adequate level of development and expertise of NGOs