How the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan was established

The idea of establishing the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan was first proposed at the Forum of the People of Kazakhstan in 1992. On 16 February 1995, at a meeting with the heads of national cultural centres, Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed creating it as a consultative body under the president. 1

The decree and the first session

On 1 March 1995, a presidential decree established the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan as a consultative and advisory body under the head of state. Its first session was held in Almaty on 24 March. Representatives of 40 national cultural centres took part; the Assembly’s main organisational structures were formed at the same time. 1