A/HRC/13/23/Add.1 Kazakhstan has not fully completed its transition to democratic institutions. Democratic structures, particularly at the local level, are critical for minorities to voice their concerns and issues and to achieve meaningful solutions. People belonging to minority communities expressed frustration at their lack of meaningful participation in political life and decision-making about issues that affect them. Some noted that even in localities where they make up a high proportion of the population, members of minorities are rarely appointed to fill senior positions of authority. If appointed, such minority representatives are confined in their actions to the conduct of a centralized policy from the capital. According to the Constitution, Kazakh is the State language and Russian is used in State bodies on an equal footing. The Russian language is an important medium of communication for ethnic groups in Kazakhstan. The Government is moving forward with its policy to strengthen Kazakh as the State language. However, sensitivity must continue to be exercised to ensure that it does not have an undue impact on the rights and opportunities of those that might require additional assistance, time and resources to gain proficiency in the Kazakh language. In the period of transition towards the use of Kazakh as the primary language of administration, there should be no discrimination or undue restrictions, particularly with regard to recruitment and employment of civil servants and the rights of citizens to petition the Government or engage government services. In the field of education, the Government has implemented positive measures to support minority schools and promote minority language education including through support to ethnocultural associations. Concerns were expressed however about: ensuring the highest standards of quality in minority and non-Russian language schools, including the Kazakh schools; guaranteeing adequate funding and resources, particularly to schools that teach in the languages of the smaller ethnic groups; ensuring sufficient provision of minority language textbooks; ensuring that all textbooks include appropriate consideration of the cultures, traditions and histories of minorities and their contributions to Kazakh society; and ensuring equality of access to university education for students from all groups. Most important is that all schools adequately prepare all groups for full inclusion in all aspects of Kazakh society. Members of minority communities described an environment of relative equality and non-discrimination in private-sector employment, access to services and general societal interactions. Non-discrimination provisions exist in both the Constitution and individual pieces of legislation. However, Kazakhstan should adopt a specific, comprehensive law addressing racial discrimination to enhance enforcement of the rights of individuals from all communities to seek and receive remedies for acts of discrimination against them. Kazakhstan has exhibited inter-faith harmony and religious freedom for those religions recognized as traditional or orthodox, however, people whose faiths are considered to be “non-traditional” (including Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baptists, evangelicals, Scientologists, non-recognized forms of Islam and others) feel that they have not been accorded the same freedoms. Rules for registration of certain religious groups, public statements and publications by the Government warning the population against certain religious faiths, confiscation of property, imposition of fines, arrests, deportations and other actions by police, national security agents and bureaucrats create a climate of repression for those religious groups. The independent expert urges that the rights and freedoms accorded to traditional religious groups must be extended to all religious groups and recommends a wide-ranging dialogue with “non-traditional” groups. The Government and diverse people of Kazakhstan must be commended for the inter-ethnic tolerance that is generally evident in the society. Some incidents have occurred when ethnic tensions have flared into violent attacks on particular minority groups. In some cases deaths have resulted and community members have fled their homes. Although these 2 GE.10-10602