Astana, 26 October. Education Minister Zhuldyz Suleimenova met Najat Maalla M'jid, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Violence against Children, who is in Kazakhstan on a working visit, and briefed her on the reform of the national child-protection system, the Ministry of Education said.
The post of the Secretary-General's Special Representative on Violence against Children was created by the UN General Assembly: the representative monitors how states meet their commitments to protect children from violence and promotes measures to that end. Najat Maalla M'jid is a Moroccan paediatrician; she was appointed in May 2019 by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and from 2008 to 2014 she was the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children.
Suleimenova presented the main legislative and institutional changes, as well as the "Children of Kazakhstan" concept for 2026–2030, the government document that sets child policy for five years. The two sides discussed the creation of regional departments for the protection of children's rights, the work of guardianship bodies and psychological support centres, early identification of children in need of help and better coordination between the services involved.
They also discussed preventing violence and bullying, psychological safety in schools and colleges, and the single helpline 111, which children and adults can call for help. Kurultai Deputy Chair and Children's Rights Commissioner Dinara Zakiyeva and representatives of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) also took part in the meeting.
The ministry did not mention any documents or agreements resulting from the meeting.
What it means: Kazakhstan showed the UN official in charge of the issue of violence against children how it is rebuilding its child-protection system: new regional departments, a five-year concept and a single helpline.
Who benefits: Children affected by violence or bullying and their families, if the new departments and centres work on the ground. The government, which gets to showcase its reforms internationally, where Kazakhstan reports under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Background: The Ministry of Education has earlier proposed extending nationwide the experience of the Zhambyl region, where schools have introduced a deputy head for legal affairs to prevent juvenile offending and bullying.
