The OSCE’s Afghanistan Challenge
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan poses three specific sets of challenges for the OSCE and its participating States: instability in Afghanistan; the resultant threats to regional security and stability, especially…
Articles, Briefings and Essays
The views expressed in the articles are those of each respective author and do not necessarily reflect the views or position of the Foreign Policy Centre.
President Biden’s Summit for Democracy launch underwhelms
President Joe Biden made a big deal about democracy during his election campaign - and it is an issue he has demonstrated a great deal of passion for over much…
Election observation credibility protected, but what action should be taken against Russia?
The decision of OSCE’s election observation wing (known by the acronym ODIHR) to withdraw from observation of the forthcoming Russian Duma elections has been made to protect the credibility of…
Retreating Rights – Kazakhstan: Executive Summary
As we approach the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence this publication finds the country in a period of change. The gradual passing of the torch from First President Nazarbayev to…
Retreating Rights – Kazakhstan: Introduction
Kazakhstan is a country that has worked hard to position itself to its people and to the world as Central Asia’s success story. On a number of key measures that…
Human rights and civil liberties in Kazakhstan: A matter of efficiency?
On June 10th 2021, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree to improve the country’s human rights record. He emphasised the rights of citizens with disabilities and victims of human…
Constitutional reform is the basis for change in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan needs to change the paradigm of development from crony capitalism and the monopolisation of all important spheres (starting from the economy through to civil society) in one hand and…
Police kettling in Kazakhstan
As recently as July 6th 2021, a couple of dozens of peaceful protesters were kettled by police in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The protest was held in breach of the legal requirement…
A sustained crackdown on independent worker organising – Kazakhstan, a case study
Ten years ago this summer, hundreds of oil workers in western Kazakhstan were in the midst of a stand-off with their employers in one of longest and most consequential strikes…
COVID-19 and increased state control in the information space
2020 and 2021 so far has been a time of pandemic and quarantine, starting with an extremely difficult lockdown with restrictions on freedom and mitigation measures changing from time to…