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Turkmenistan to Ditch Forced Labor in Cotton Harvesting

According to reports published by Turkmen.news, the government of Turkmenistan and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have adopted a roadmap for cooperation for 2024-2025, The document details specific steps to prevent the use of forced labor by adults and children during the cotton harvest. It also provides mechanisms for hired labourers to lodge complaints regarding coercion or extortion, and sets a minimum wage for pickers. If all of the conditions and measures outlined in the roadmap are implemented, significant progress will be made towards eradicating forced labor in Turkmenistan. The key aim is the legislation of a presidential decree on measures for organized cotton harvesting to eliminate the use of forced or compulsory labor. It is expected that a system of prohibitions and penalties will be introduced regarding the practice of forced mobilization or extortion. The roadmap stresses the need for a simple and easily accessible means whereby complaints of coercion can be anonymously filed to prevent officials retaliating against the complainant. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Justice, the Ombudsman Institute, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security are tasked with developing the document's recommendations. “Overall, if the measures in the roadmap are implemented, it will be a big step forward. Although the government has not publicly recognized the problem, such a detailed plan is encouraging,” said Ruslan Myatiev, editor of Turkmen.news.

Social Legislation Constitution

Kazakhstan’s Constitution Now Published in Braille

The Kazakh Constitutional Court has presented the first edition of the country's Constitution printed in Braille, making it accessible to the visually-impaired. The initiative to translate copy of Kazakhstan's Basic Law into Braille (relief-dot tactile font) was realized with support from the OSCE Program Office in Astana and the Ministry of Culture and Information. Welcoming the move, Chair of the Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan Elvira Azimova stated: “The Constitutional Court will continue to promote equality, dignity, and justice for everyone according to the Constitution of Kazakhstan and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The publication of the Braille text of the Constitution is our joint contribution to promoting this policy." Volker Frobart, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, emphasized the Kazakh authorities' commitment to valuing human rights and demonstrating an inclusive approach to ensure equal access to information. Publications in Braille will be distributed to 56 institutions, including national and regional libraries, training centers, and specialized schools. According to the World Health Organization, Kazakhstan is currently home to 160 thousand visually- impaired citizens.

Kulibayev Oligarchs Nazarbayev Legislation Judiciary Rule of law Security Oil & Gas

Nazarbayev In-Law, Askar Kulibayev’s Oil Terminal Seized

Representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office of Kazakhstan have reported that an oil terminal in the port of Aktau belonging to Askar Kulibayev has been returned to the state. The 134-hectare property is valued at $66 million. “It was established that in 2011, the oil terminal was alienated into the ownership of Kulibayev's company. On February 26th, 2024, by the decision of the Specialized Inter-district Economic Court of Mangistau region, the claim of the Almaty city prosecutor was satisfied, and the oil terminal was returned to the state's ownership," said the supervisory body. The Almaty prosecutor's office stated that the claim was filed to compensate for the damage caused by the unlawful seizure of a foreign investor's property. However, the official message does not name the affected company. Now 87-years-old, Askar Kulibayev served as First Secretary of the Guryev (now Atyrau) Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan and as the Minister of Construction in independent Kazakhstan. He is the matchmaker of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev's daughter, and the father of Kazakhstan's richest man, Timur Kulibayev. In 2024, Timur Kulibayev and his wife Dinara Kulibayeva, still sit atop the list of the richest Kazakhs. The combined fortune of the Nazarbayev family is estimated at almost $10 billion.

Uranium Investments Energy Issyk-Kul Export/Import Economy Kumtor Legislation Mining Environmental Awareness Rare Earth Elements

Kyrgyzstan Lifts Ban on Mining of Uranium and Thorium

Deputies of the Kyrgyz Parliament have approved a bill lifting the ban on mining uranium and thorium by 69 votes in favor to three against. Parliamentarians are confident that the legislative changes will bring significant economic dividends to the country. The law banning uranium and thorium mining was passed in 2019. At that time, authorities wanted to sell the license to develop a deposit, but faced a significant pushback from residents who feared the project could harm the environment and damage the water table. The result was a complete ban on the entire territory of the Republic. In the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan alone, 150,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste were accumulated from uranium mining in the last century. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the country has 92 burial sites, with 23 tailing dumps containing uranium elements. Kyrgyzstan's total volume of poisonous and hazardous substances stands at 2.9 million cubic meters. The notes behind the new bill indicate that alternative sources of income are needed due to severe economic impacts over recent years. However, these activities must strictly comply with environmental norms and standards in uranium and thorium mining. Speaking in parliament, Minister of Natural Resources, Environment, and Technical Supervision, Melis Turganbayev assured deputies that the bill's passage would not harm the environment or the health of Kyrgyz citizens. “For uranium mining to be profitable, a deposit needs 40-50 tons. Kyrgyzstan lacks such reserves. There are occurrences from 0.01 to 0.08% in 83 locations. Our goal is not the uranium, but the associated metals,” Turganbayev said. Authorities plan to mine titanomagnetite, which is accompanied by uranium and thorium. Both elements will be processed at the Kara-Balta Combine in Chui Oblast. Thorium will be stored, while uranium will be sold to other states. Iskhak Masaliyev, one of the three deputies who voted against the bill, reminded his colleagues of discussions in the early 2000s on ecology. However, only now has it been possible to begin to eliminate harmful waste. Doctor of Geological and Mineral Sciences, academician Rozalia Jenchuraeva told The Times of Central Asia that the 2019 law banning mining was “a big folly” as it suspended all waste activities and impacted jobs, leaving hazardous materials lying no more than 20 meters deep are slowly contaminating the soil and water. “If they pull it all out, it will be wonderful. It will clean up the land. This is work for the Kara-Balta Combine. I think the government has decided to develop Kyzyl-Ompol, which is the right thing to do,” Jenchuraeva said. Jenchuraeva believes that Kyrgyzstan has qualified personnel who have previously worked at uranium sites, know how to mine uranium and thorium, and can develop the deposits using their expertise and resources. Earlier, President Japarov met with residents near the Kyzyl-Ompol deposit. “The development of Kyzyl-Ompol will create over a thousand jobs. This mine will become the second Kumtor (gold deposit). The local budget will cease to be subsidized, and the people will get richer,” the president said. Kyzyl-Ompol is...

Rule of law Judiciary Legislation Social Human rights

Turkmenistan Residents Detained for Public Displays of Affection

Police in Turkmenistan have detained couples for holding hands, sitting close together, and public displays of affection. A young married couple in Turkmenabat, witnessed cuddling in a parked car, were horrified when a policeman threatened to detain them for “undermining moral values.” In his defence, the man said, “I hugged my wife to calm her down. She was crying as we were discussing where to get enough money for essential medicines." Describing what had ensued, he said that the policeman had demanded to see both their passports and marriage certificates. However, after receiving verification that they were married, the policeman continued to harass them in hope of a bribe. The case is not unusual and in recent weeks, Turkmenabat, the administrative center of the Lepab province, has received reports of many similar incidents in which the city's police have seen fit to reprimand couples who hold hands, sit beside each other, kiss, or hug in public places. Although public displays of affection are not banned in Turkmenistan, the police in the country's regions, including the capital Ashgabat and Mary province, have detained young men and women in parks and on the streets for violating “social norms.” In the worst case scenario, "violators” in Mary were handcuffed and forced to attend lectures on moral values at the local police station. Residents say that restrictions imposed in Turkmenabat since April, have created a backlash of complaints from local students and other young people of being ambushed by security forces who appeared to be acting as vice police. According to several people targeted by the raids, most incidents ended with the police taking monetary bribes from the couples.

Economy Migration Legislation Security

Kazakhstan Changing Its Labor Laws to Better Reflect the Country’s Needs

Kazakhstan has recently adopted regulations that make it more difficult for migrants and citizenship-seekers to enter the country. Urazgali Selteyev, a political scientist and director of the Institute for Eurasian Integration, told The Times of Central Asia that the legislation is being streamlined rather than tightened. According to some experts, Kazakhstan is the most attractive country in Central Asia for migrants. For many years, foreign workers have been entering the country, and illegal migration is high, as residents of neighboring countries are hired in the agricultural and construction sectors and are involved in transportation and services. In recent years, cases of detection and deportation of illegal migrants from the farthest regions, including Africa, have become more frequent. In addition, since 1991, more than one million 'kandas' (formerly known as oralmans) have arrived in Kazakhstan -- persons of Kazakh nationality resettling in the country according to established quotas. Often, kandas arrive from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia. Also, after the partial mobilization for Russia's war in Ukraine announced in September 2022 by Russian president Vladimir Putin, an unspecified number of draft evaders and their family members entered Kazakhstan. This situation forces the Kazakh authorities to take a stricter approach to regulating migration flows. Just the other day, the website “Open Normative Legal Acts” (“Open NLA”) posted a document highlighting the discussion that began two years ago. The document states that Kazakhstan will develop rules to determine whether kandas have a right to claim Kazakh nationality. In May this year, Kazakhstan's president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the law “On introducing amendments and additions to some legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the improvement of legislation in the field of migration and penal system.” This law provides new grounds for refusal of admission and restoration of Kazakh citizenship, such as ignorance of the state language at the elementary level, the basics of the Constitution of Kazakhstan, and a certain level of national history determined by an authorized body in the field of science and higher education. Simply put, applicants for citizenship will have to pass the exam. As explained by the Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, the test will include three components: the first is knowledge of the Kazakh language, the second is the basics of the Constitution, and the third is the basics of the history of Kazakhstan. “These tests will be required to be taken by persons who apply for citizenship. There are reservations on a separate list of honored: on the presidential list, minors and people with disabilities will be exempted,” explained Nurbek. According to the new migration rules, EAEU citizens can stay in the country for no more than 90 days within 180 days; other foreigners can stay for no more than 30 days, and a maximum of 90 days in six months. In the previous version of legislative acts, there were no restrictions concerning the 180 days, thus, foreigners lost the opportunity to repeatedly renew the terms of stay, leaving the country for...