English
Forum Topic
Challenges and Prospects of Local Self-Governance Development
On August 21, 2025, the XII Civil Forum of Kostanay Region was held under the theme “Civic Engagement as a Tool for Effective Public Oversight.” The forum served as an important platform to discuss budget transparency and accountability, strengthen public oversight over the implementation of state programs and national projects, and enhance the role of civil society in the region.
Participants discussed the “Participatory Budget” mechanism and exchanged experiences on using it to address citizens’ real needs. Saniya Arapova, Vice President of the NGO Association for the Development of Social Technologies and an expert in local initiatives and citizen engagement, moderated the session. Participants examined the role of NGOs and initiative groups in promoting participatory budgeting, shared successful examples from various regions, and explored ways to overcome challenges. Special attention was given to project monitoring and expanding citizen participation at all stages of the budget process.
A key session of the forum was “Public Oversight of State Programs and National Projects: From Formality to Real Impact,” moderated by Alexander Ivanovich Bratenkov, head of the private institution Public Project (Almaty). Participants discussed how to make program implementation truly effective, tools for engaging citizens in monitoring, the role of NGOs, journalists, and initiative groups in data collection, and regional case studies where civic oversight led to adjustments in state programs.
Another session, “Budget Transparency and Accountability as the Basis for Effective Civic Oversight,” was moderated by Zhanat Nurgaliyev, head of INTEGRITY ASTANA and an expert in anti-corruption policy and public administration transparency. Participants discussed the accessibility and clarity of budget information for citizens, tools for civic auditing and data visualization, successful cases of NGO and initiative group involvement, and the role of public councils in enhancing government accountability.
Additionally, a session titled “Human Rights and Public Oversight in the Penal System” was moderated by Asylbek Birmagambetov, Chair of the Public Monitoring Commission for Kostanay Region. Discussions covered the Regional Action Plan on Human Rights and the Rule of Law for 2025–2026, protection of prisoners’ rights, cooperation with the NPM and PMC, compliance with sanitary and medical standards, support for vulnerable groups, and access to legal aid. Participants also addressed issues related to prisoners’ access to healthcare, social benefits, legal status of foreign nationals, and detention conditions. The session included representatives from the penal system, PMC, NPM, human rights organizations, and experts, and its outcomes were incorporated into the forum’s final resolution.