Assembly of People of Kazakhstan works to forge ethnic unity in country

The Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (APK) consisting of 526 delegates of the Regional Assemblies of the People, which was created on the initiative of the first President Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev has several purposes including ensuring social harmony and national unity in the country on the basis of Kazakh patriotism, civil and spiritual and cultural community of the ethnic groups.

The Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (APK), formed in 1995 has over the years worked for promoting "social harmony and national unity" in the country.

The APK is composed of 526 people, its members including authoritative public figures, politicians, members of Parliament and regional maslikhats, businessmen, journalists, creative and scientific intelligentsia, elders, etc.

The purpose of the APK is to ensure social harmony and national unity in the Republic of Kazakhstan on the basis of Kazakh patriotism, civil and spiritual and cultural community of the ethnic groups of Kazakhstan with the consolidating role of the Kazakh people.

The main activities of the APK are assistance in the development and implementation of state policy to ensure public harmony and national unity; assistance to the development of Kazakh patriotism; popularization of the study of the state language and other languages of the people of Kazakhstan and development of the Kazakh model of public harmony and national unity.

The APK also involves itself in the monitoring of the sphere of interethnic relations; participation in the socio-political examination of draft laws on public policy issues; policies in the field of interethnic relations; development of recommendations and implementation of practical measures to resolve disagreements and disputes, prevention of conflict situations in the field of interethnic relations; methodological, organizational and legal assistance to ethno-cultural associations; creation of conditions for dialogue between government agencies and public associations on strengthening interethnic relations; assistance in the development of charity, mediation, etc.

The Assembly of People of Kazakhstan is a unique institution created on the initiative of the country's first President, Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev through a decree on March 1, 1995. The Chairman of the APK is the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The Chairman of the APK has three deputies - the Head of the APK Secretariat, who is part of the Presidential Administration, and also the Deputy Chairman of the APK - Azilkhanov Marat Almasovich. Two (public) Vice-Chairs of the APK from ethnocultural associations are appointed by the order of the President annually on a rotating basis on the recommendation of the APK Council-Maya Tolegenovna Bekbayeva and Zakirjan Pirmukhamedovich Kuziev.

The Deputy Chairpersons of the APK represent the Assembly in state bodies and international organizations, carry out the instructions of the APK Chairman on the implementation of the decisions of the APK Session and the APK Council and also inform the APK Chairman about the state of affairs and the implementation of the APK program documents as necessary.

Regional APKs have also been established in the cities of Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent, and the regions. They are headed by the respective Akims of the regions.

The session of the APK is convened by the President of Kazakhstan through an order to convene a regular session with an outline of the date, venue, and agenda. An extraordinary session may be convened at the initiative of the Chairman of the APK, the APK Council, or at the request of the APK members.

The exclusive obligation of the APK Session is the election of 5 deputies of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, the development of conceptual approaches in determining the development of the APK, and submitting them to the President, hearing the reports of the APK members.

Over the years of independence, the APK has proved that it is a unique institution for intercultural and interethnic dialogue, an effective tool of people diplomacy and for interaction between the state and civil society.

Over 29 years since the establishment of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, the organization has achieved the consolidation and integration of ethnic groups on the basis of Kazakh identity and citizenship.

The tasks of the APK are to ensure effective interaction of state bodies and civil society institutions in the field of interethnic relations, create favorable conditions for further strengthening of social harmony and strengthen the unity of the people of Kazakhstan.

In its effort to promote ethnic unity, the APK also operates 'friendship houses' in Kazakhstan. There are 40 such friendship houses all over the country, as well as 174 Sunday schools, including 124 groups for teaching the state language.

Friendship Houses are open and operate in all regions, the Republican House of Friendship operates in Almaty. Friendship houses are a resource, cultural and methodological centers for ethnocultural associations, as well as project offices and places for the formation and dissemination of ideas of unity, interethnic harmony, education of Kazakhstani patriotism, assistance in supporting priority projects aimed at strengthening social harmony.

Offices of ethnic and cultural associations of the APK, Sunday schools are located in the Houses of Friendship, where meetings, events, and councils are held.

The institution has also created conditions for the development of languages, traditions, and cultures of Kazakh ethnic groups in accordance with international standards; and worked for the recognition of the unifying role of the Kazakh language as the state language.

The APK also promotes a Journalist Club as a permanent platform that contributes to the consolidation of media efforts in strengthening tolerance and preserving public harmony and national unity. The Club develops recommendations for the media on the coverage of interethnic topics, actively promotes the topics of Kazakh patriotism, respect for the traditions of ethnic groups in the information field, and promotes the popularization of the study of the state language.

A Club of Foreign Friends of the APK has also been created that includes friendship ambassadors from France, Azerbaijan, Germany, Uzbekistan, and the Russian Federation while negotiations on cooperation with the United States are underway.

The APK indulges in a range of other activities in order to achieve its goals, including public awards, and scientific and expert councils among other initiatives.

( With inputs from ANI )