On March 17, 2026, an international expert roundtable titled “Kazakhstan’s New Constitutional Model: Towards a Resilient and Modern State” was held with the participation of Kazakhstani and international experts. The event was organized by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in cooperation with Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU).
During the meeting, an analytical report focusing on key areas of the country’s political and institutional transformation was presented. The document examines the rationale behind the constitutional reform, its institutional parameters, mechanisms for protecting citizens’ rights, and value-based priorities for Kazakhstan’s long-term development.
The authors outlined their vision for the development of Kazakhstan’s constitutional model in the context of political and institutional modernization. The report was co-authored by a number of international and Kazakhstani experts, including international relations expert Alberto Turkstra; former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary David Aptsiauri; Deputy Director of the Energy, Growth and Security Program at the International Tax and Investment Center (USA) Wesley Alexander Hill; Central Asia expert Professor Andrei Kazantsev; President of the International Foundation for Freedom of Speech Adil Soz Karlygash Dzhamankulova; Head of the Regional Cooperation Department at KazISS Amina Urpekova; and other experts.
The roundtable was moderated by Sergey Pen, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board for Science, Innovation and Artificial Intelligence at Maqsut Narikbayev University. In his welcoming remarks, he emphasized that the constitutional reform consolidates institutional changes aimed at strengthening governance, modernizing the political system, and adapting state institutions to emerging development challenges.
Presenting the report, Director of KazISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhandos Shaimardanov noted that constitutional reform forms part of a broader process of political and institutional transformation in the country. (The report is available at: https://insightscentral.asia/publications/2ef67d72-e898-4c55-b7d8-f8199565d040.)
“Kazakhstan is entering a new phase of development – a transition from quantitative growth to qualitative development. Sustaining this stage requires stronger and more adaptive institutions,” said Shaimardanov.
Discussing the institutional aspects of the reform, Alberto Turkstra stressed that the reform is not limited to isolated institutional changes. Rather, it establishes a broader framework aimed at improving the effectiveness of public institutions while simultaneously strengthening the protection of citizens’ rights and freedoms.
“The reform reflects a dual objective: enhancing the efficiency of state functioning and reinforcing the central role of citizens within the constitutional system,” he noted.
In her remarks, Karlygash Dzhamankulova stated that constitutional reform in Kazakhstan strengthens mechanisms for protecting human rights and contributes to the development of a human-centred legal system capable of responding to the challenges of the digital age.
“Modern constitutional systems must take into account the challenges of the digital era and ensure that technological progress does not undermine fundamental human rights,” Dzhamankulova emphasized.
Amina Urpekova presented the results of sociological studies on public perceptions of the constitutional reform.
“The greatest public interest has been generated by provisions that combine modernization priorities with issues of direct social relevance. Considerably more attention is paid to those elements of the reform perceived as having practical significance for everyday life,” Urpekova noted.
David Aptsiauri provided a comparative analysis of international practices in constitutional referendums.
“Kazakhstan is following the same global trend whereby key institutional reforms are validated through direct citizen participation,” he stated.
Wesley Alexander Hill pointed out that international experts typically focus on several key factors when assessing constitutional reforms: the inclusiveness of the amendment-drafting process, the regulatory framework governing referendums, the media environment, and the broader political context of the reforms.
“When a constitution is revised, society effectively reconsiders the architecture of state power – the distribution of authority, the functioning of institutions, and the relationship between the state and society,” Hill observed.
In his address, Andrei Kazantsev noted that constitutional reform in Kazakhstan reflects the country’s transition to a new development model based on productivity growth, technological modernization, and the strengthening of human capital.
“Kazakhstan is gradually moving from a model primarily oriented toward quantitative economic growth to one focused on qualitative development grounded in productivity gains, technological modernization, and the strengthening of human capital,” the expert stressed.
During the roundtable, participants exchanged views on the analytical report presented. Experts emphasized that continued discussion of constitutional reform within the international expert community contributes to a deeper understanding of Kazakhstan’s political and institutional modernization processes.
