Legislation is seen as much-needed step forward, but it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. 
By Saule Mukhametrakhimova - Central Asia 
RCA Issue 691, 
11 Dec 12

A long-awaited bill on access to information in Kazakstan is now highly unlikely to be passed this year as  planned. Some of the civil society groups that invested great hopes in the law fear it has run out of steam, in  part because of institutional resistance to greater openness.

Rights organisations in Kazakstan and abroad agree that the bill is about as progressive as it could be, in large part because it was formulated in an inclusive consultation process involving local NGOs and international bodies. Also included is a package of changes to other laws, setting out the penalties for infringing access-to-information rights.