The Soros Foundation–Kazakhstan seeks to respond to local and national political developments in Kazakhstan, and at the same time promote international standards for good governance and human rights. Its current priorities are to advance budgetary transparency and accountability, particularly around revenues from the country’s oil resources; reforming the criminal justice system; supporting independent media; and strengthening the capacity of local civil society groups.

The foundation, through its Kazakhstan Revenue Watch program, is at the helm of a coalition of nongovernmental organizations working to ensure government compliance with the standards of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, an international effort that promotes full public disclosure of natural resource revenues. The Kazakh government has adopted many of the coalition’s key recommendations for improving compliance.

The foundation has also been a leading advocate for reform of Kazakhstan’s criminal justice system. It has expanded legal aid services across the country, remedied human rights violations in hundreds of criminal cases, and worked with the government to create a separate court system for juvenile defendants.

In its efforts to promote access to information and freedom of speech, the foundation has been a key supporter of independent media by providing financial and technical assistance to local media organizations and journalists, training young reporters, and fighting government attempts to monopolize the national press.