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UN expert in Kazakhstan to examine impact of market economy on housing rights
The UN Special Rapporteur on Housing, Raquel Rolnik is in Kazakhstan this Monday to report on the status of the country's housing policies.
Raquel Rolnik
Ms. Rolnik wants to see how Kazakhstan's transition to a market economy is affecting the right to adequate housing.
Kazakhstan, a former Soviet Republic, saw an increase in housing development with the privatization of property in 1991.
City beautification programmes and development projects associated with urban renewal, notes the UN expert, should not incur large-scale evictions or displacement of individuals or communities without appropriate protection or compensation.
Rolnik will focus on the measures adopted by the Government to protect the most vulnerable such as low-income families, migrants, and minority groups from the consequences of the crisis. She will also assess the impact of the global economic and financial crises on the enjoyment of the right to adequate housing.
During her eight-day mission, the UN housing expert will meet with Government officials, local authorities, and civil society organizations to discuss the progress made and difficulties encountered in the implementation of the right to adequate housing,
A report by the independent expert will be presented to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council in March 2011.
Charles Appel, United Nations Radio
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