Astana, October 12, 2022 – At the initiative of the IOM Sub-Regional Office for Central Asia, IOM Regional Director for South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, Manfred Profazi met with the Commissioner for Human Rights in Kazakhstan Elvira Azimova.

Emphasizing the close cooperation since 2010, the parties noted such important areas as the protection of the rights of migrants and victims of human trafficking.

In particular, in the field of combating human trafficking, the parties support the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan in developing a draft law on combating human trafficking in the Republic of Kazakhstan as part of the implementation of the Plan of Further Measures in the Field of Human Rights and the Rule of Law adopted in April 2022.

The IOM Regional Director and the Ombudsman discussed the results of assistance to vulnerable migrants from Afghanistan and agreed to continue joint activities to protect the rights of migrant workers as part of the implementation of the second Human Rights Action Plan.