The United Nations Digital
Solutions Center for the Sustainable Development of Central Asian countries is
set to be established in Kazakhstan in the coming years. Its specific location,
objectives, and functions will be announced during the Asia-Pacific Ministerial
Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation, which is expected to take
place in Astana this autumn and bring together ministers from 60 countries. Mazhilis,
the Lower House of the Kazakh Parliament, ratified the agreement between the
Kazakh Government and the UN to host the event. The document aims to promote
digitalization in key sectors of the Asia-Pacific region’s economy, coordinate
digital projects’ implementation, expand Kazakhstan’s influence at the regional
level, as well as increase the country’s exports of IT services.
«We want the digital solutions
center to be based here and become a hub, as well as to serve as a soft power
for promoting our IT solutions in the region through the UN division in terms
of economic impact. Over the past five years, our IT sector has grown tenfold
to nearly $500 million annually. I believe that such initiatives provide a
great opportunity for our companies and startups, allowing them to avoid
spending money traveling abroad and organizing roadshows here in Kazakhstan. Thus,
we aim to create a startup alley,» said Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakh Minister of
Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry.
Three cassation courts to be
created in Astana
A total of three independent cassation
courts for criminal, civil, and administrative cases are set to be created in
Astana as part of a draft law aimed at reforming the judicial system, which was
approved by the Mazhilis in the first reading. According to the legislative novelties,
local and cassation courts will be directly responsible for administering
justice. Preliminary hearings will be excluded, and the trial process will be
conducted orally in the presence of parties. Consequently, the role of the Supreme
Court will change, focusing on clarification and ensuring uniformity in
judicial practice, while reviewing acts only in exceptional cases. These and
other innovations are expected to be implemented from July 2025 onwards.
