AKIPRESS.COM - An OSCE-supported training seminar on enhancing civil society’s participation in the law-making process began today in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The two-day event is co-organized in partnership with the Public Foundation for Parliamentary Development in Kazakhstan with the Parliament’s support and brought together some 30 representatives of non-governmental organizations and political parties as well as active and former parliamentarians.

It aims to equip civil society activists from across the country with the skills and knowledge on developing proposals to legal acts and preparing relevant documentation, including comparative tables and explanatory notes. Participants will also learn how to properly draft and submit requests to the Parliament and discuss the ways to improve communications between civil society and the legislature.

“A transparent and inclusive law-making process is a key driver for political, economic and social development and an important contribution to security and stability. Civil society organizations play a crucial role in conveying public opinion to elected officials,” said the Deputy Head of the OSCE Program Office in Astana, Mirco Guenther.

The seminar is a follow-up to a series of OSCE-supported events aimed at enhancing the role of civil society in the law-making process.