Recover Better: Stand up for Human Rights

December 10, 2020 at Al-Farabi the Kazakh National University organzed an online roundtable on the topic “Recover better: Stand up for Human Rights” dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the 10th anniversary of the UNAI Hub KazNU on sustainability and the 25th anniversary of the Faculty of International Relations at al-Farabi KazNU. The organizers of the virtual event were the Faculty of International Relations, the Faculty of Law and Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development.

This year’s Human Rights Day theme is linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need for more effective recovery by ensuring that human rights play a central role in the field.

The agenda of the round table was topical, which found its expression in the interested and enthusiastic speeches and presentations of the participants, they also manifested themselves in the discussion of the problems of the UN activities on the implementation of the principles of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The round table was held online in Kazakh, Russian and English. The discussion was attended by the heads and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, UN, UNESCO, UNDP, UNAI in Almaty, young scientists, Master’s and PhD students of universities in Kazakhstan.

On December 10, 2020, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosted an online round table on the topic “Get better: Stand up for Human Rights” dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the UN, the 10th anniversary of the UNAI Hub of KazNU for Sustainability and the 25th anniversary of the Faculty of International Relations at Al-Farabi KazNU. The anniversary event was organized by the Faculty of International Relations, the Faculty of Law and the Institute of Sustainable Development. Ban Ki-moon at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

This year’s theme of Human Rights Day is linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need for more effective recovery by ensuring the centrality of human rights in the activities carried out in this area.

The agenda of the round table was relevant, which was expressed in the interested and enthusiastic speeches of the participants, they were also manifested in the discussion of the problems of the UN’s activities to implement the principles of the”UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. The round table was held online in Kazakh, Russian and English. The discussion was attended by heads and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the UN, UNESCO, UNDP, UNAI in Almaty, young scientists, undergraduates and doctoral students of universities of Kazakhstan.

The solemn part of the round table was opened by the first vice-rector of Al-Farabi KazNU, Professor Muhambetkali Burkitbayev and congratulated all the participants on this significant date, which is celebrated today by the entire civilized world. In his speech, he focused on the analysis of the activities of youth structures in Kazakhstan, including the role of al-Farabi KazNU in implementing the 16 SDGs, especially during the pandemic.

In her speech, Arina Myasoed, representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty, expressed gratitude for the organization and spoke about the features of the UNESCO organization for human rights. This organization consists of five important sectors, which include: education, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, culture, communication and information. And each of them requires a huge investment of effort and resources to meet the ever-growing challenges of our time. Human rights are not issued to be declared from high rostrums, but to meet the urgent needs of the time.

Vlastimil Samek, Representative of the UN Department of Global Communications in Kazakhstan, also spoke. He noted the special significance of the International Day of Human Rights, noting that all people are born worthy and equal in their rights. Human rights reflect all the Goals of sustainable development, which is further reflected in the 2030 Agenda.

In the report, the Chairman of the Presidium of the NGO “Counter-Terrorism Committee” Amanzhol Urazbayev spoke about the work of the Committee, which has a huge potential in the face of unique specialists-experts, practical generals and theoretical scientists with extensive professional experience. The purpose of the Committee is to consolidate the efforts of citizens, society and state bodies in countering terrorism, extremism, drug crime, illegal migration and other global threats to the Republic of Kazakhstan. Also, he shared the prospects of counteraction during and after COVID-19 in the country.

The young people who gathered in the round table exchanged their points of view and predicted the current cases on human rights in the examples of other regions, including Central Asia. We will achieve our shared global goals only if we can create equal opportunities for all, address the shortcomings identified by COVID-19 that contribute to the spread of infection, and apply human rights standards to combat the entrenched and systematic intergenerational problems of inequality, exclusion and discrimination.

At the end of the event, the Dean of the Faculty of Law of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Doctor of Law, Professor. Baideldinov Daulet Laikovich noted that today, speaking about the “Declaration of Human Rights”, especially during the pandemic, we should pay special attention to the training of students, future specialists, in accordance with a broad consciousness to understand and solve specific problems.