Legislation

This Law ascertains legal principles of languages functioning in the Republic of Kazakhstan, responsibilities of the state in establishing the conditions for their study and development, ensuring equally respectful attitude to all languages used in the Republic of Kazakhstan without exception.

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. (Principal notions)

The following notions are made use of in this Law:

• Diaspora - part of the people (ethnic community), living outside the country of it historic origin;
• Onomastics - section of linguistics studying, proper names, history of their origin and transformation;
• Orthography - spelling, a system of rules determining uniformity of the ways of expressing speech (words and grammar forms) in writing;
• Toponymy - section of onomastics studying names of geographical objects, regularities of their origin, change, functioning;
• Transliteration - a word-for-word expression of texts and individual words of one graphic system by means of another;

Article 2. (Object of regulation of this Law)

The object of regulation of this Law shall be social relations arising in conjunction with usage of the languages in the activity of state, non-state organizations and local self-government. This Law shall not regulate usage of languages in relations between individuals and in religious associations.

Article 3. (Legislation on languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan)

Legislation on languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be based on the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, comprising this Law; other normative legal acts thereof, related to the usage and development of languages. Legislation on languages shall apply to citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, foreigners and stateless persons permanently residing in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Article 4. (State language of the Republic of Kazakhstan)

The state language of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be the Kazakh language. The state language shall be the language for state management, legislation, legal proceedings and office work, functioning in all spheres of social relations in the entire territory of the state. The duty of each citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be mastering of the state language, being the major factor in consolidating the people of Kazakhstan. Government, other state, local representative and executive bodies shall be obliged to:

• develop the state language in the Republic of Kazakhstan to the utmost, strengthen its international authority;
• create all necessary organizational, material and technical conditions for unrestrained and free learning of the state language by all citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• render assistance to the Kazakh Diaspora in maintaining and developing the native language.

Article 5. (Usage of the Russian language)

The Russian language shall be officially used on a par with the Kazakh language in state organizations and local self-government bodies.

Article 6. (The state's concern of the languages)

Each citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be entitled to use a native language, to freely choose the language for communication, upbringing, education and creation. The state shall take care of the conditions for study and development of the languages of the peoples of Kazakhstan. In the places of close settlement of national groups their languages may be used in conducting activities.

Article 7. (Inadmissibility of preventng functioning of the languages)

Infringement of the citizen's rights of language shall be inadmissible in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Actions of officials preventing the functioning and study of the state and other languages represented in Kazakhstan, shall entail responsibility in pursuance of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

CHAPTER 2

LANGUAGE IN STATE AND NON-STATE ORGANIZATIONS AND SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES

Article 8. (Usage of the languages)

The languages for work and office work in state bodies, organizations and local self-government bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be the Kazakh language, the Russian language being officially used on a par with the Kazakh language. In the work of non-state organizations the state and, if required, other languages shall be used.

Article 9. (Language of the acts of the state bodies)

Acts of the state bodies shall be worked out and adopted in the state language, if required, they may be developed in the Russian language providing as far as possible the translation thereof into other languages.

Article 10. (Language of documentation management)

Record management of statistical, financial and technical documentation in the state bodies system, organizations of the Republic of Kazakhstan regardless of the forms of property, shall be effected in the state and the Russian languages.

Article 11. (Languages for responses to appeals of the citizens)

Responses of the state and non-state organizations to the citizens' appeals and other documents shall be issued in the state language or the language of the appeal.

Article 12. (Language in the Armed Forces and law-enforcement bodies)

Functioning of the state and the Russian languages shall be ensured in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, likewise in all kinds of military and militarized units, in organizations of state control and inspection, of legal protection of citizens and in law-enforcement bodies.

Article 13. (Language of legal proceedings)

Legal proceedings in the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be conducted in the state language, the Russian and other languages being equally applicable therewith in legal proceedings in case of necessity.

Article 14. (Language of proceedings in administrative infringements of the law)

Proceedings in administrative infringements of the law shall be conducted in the state language and, if required, in other languages as well.

Article 15. (Language of transactions)

All transactions of legal and natural persons in the Republic of Kazakhstan carried out in writing shall be set forth in the state and the Russian languages, the translation into other languages being, attached in necessary cases. Transactions with foreign national and legal persons performed in writing, shall be expounded in the state language and the language acceptable for the parties.

CHAPTER 3

LANGUAGE IN THE SPHERE OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE, CULTURE AND MASS MEDIA

Article 16. (Language in the sphere of education)

Setting up of children's pre-school institutions functioning in the state language is ensured in the Republic of Kazakhstan and in places of close settlement of national groups - in their languages. The language of education and upbringing in children's homes and organizations equated therewith shall be ascertained by the local executive bodies with regard to the national composition of the contingent thereof. Secondary, special secondary and higher education shall be ensured in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the state, Russian and, if necessary and possible, in other languages. The state and the Russian languages shall be obligatory subjects both at the state and non-state educational institutions and shall be entered in the list of subjects in the educational document.

Article 17. (Language in the sphere of science and culture)

Functioning of the state and the Russian languages shall be provided in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the sphere of science including execution and defense of theses. Cultural activities shall be conducted in the state and, if required, in other languages.

Article 18. (Language of press and mass media)

Functioning of the state and other languages shall be ensured for printed matter and mass media of the Republic of Kazakhstan. With the view of creating the necessary language medium and functioning of the state language in full value, the volume of broadcasts in the TV and radio channels irrespective of the forms of property thereof, should not be less in duration than the total volume thereof in other languages.

CHAPTER 4

LANGUAGE IN THE NAMES OF INHABITED LOCALITIES, PROPER NAMES, VISUAL INFORMATION

Article 19. (Procedure for usage of toponymic names, names of organizations)

Traditional, historically formed Kazakh names of inhabited localities, streets, squares, as well as of other physic-geographical objects should be reproduced in other languages in compliance with transliteration rules. Names of state organizations, structural subdivisions thereof shall be given in the state and the Russian languages. Names of joint ventures, foreign organizations should be given with transliteration in both the state and the Russian languages.

Article 20. (Spelling of personal names, patronymic and surnames)

Spelling of personal names, patronynic and surnames in official documents should comply with the legislation and normative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Article 21. (Language of requisites and visual information)

Texts of seals and stamps of the state bodies shall comprise the names thereof in the state language. Texts of seals, stamps of organizations regardless of the forms of property shall be drawn up in the state and the Russian languages. Forms, signboards, advertisements, advertising, price lists and other visual information shall be set forth in the state and the Russian languages and, if required, in other languages too. Labels (tags) with special data, marking, instructions for the products manufactured in Kazakhstan, should contain the necessary information in the state and the Russian languages. Labels (tags) with special data, marking, instructions for the products of foreign manufacture shall be provided with translation into the state and the Russian languages at the expense of the importing organizations. All texts of visual information shall be placed in the following order: from the left or the top - in the state language, from the right or the bottom - in the Russian language and shall be written in the equal in size letters. If required, the texts of visual information may be given additionally in other languages. In this case the type size should not exceed the requirements specified by normative legal acts. Oral information, advertisements, advertising shall be given in the state, Russian and, if required, other languages.

Article 22. (Language of post and cables)

Post and cables within the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be made in the state or the Russian languages and outside thereof - in compliance with the established international regulations.

CHAPTER 5

LEGAL PROTECTION OF LANGUAGES

Article 23. (State protection of languages)

The state and other languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be protected by the state. The state bodies shall provide necessary conditions for functioning and development of these languages. Development of the languages shall be ensured by the State Program stipulating the priority of the state language and a stage-by-stage transfer of office work to the Kazakh language. The list of professions, specialties and posts requiring the knowledge of the state language in the certain volume in compliance with qualification requirements, shall be identified by the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall form the appropriate state commissions for terminology, onomastics and, if required, other structures.

Article 24. (Responsibility for infringement of the legislation on languages)

First leaders of the state bodies, organizations of any form of property as well as legal and natural persons claimed guilty of violating the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, shall bear responsibility in pursuance of the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The official's refusal to accept citizens' appeals justified by being ignorant in the state or other languages, likewise any prevention to use the state and other languages in the sphere of their functioning, shall involve responsibility specified by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Article 25. (Authorized state body)

The authorized body the activity whereof being regulated by the relevant Provision approved by the Government of the Republic of Kazakstan, within its competence shall be obliged to:

• ensure implementation of unified state policy in the sphere of development of the languages;
• develop the State Program for functioning and developing the languages and accomplish its realization;
• execute control over observance of the laws on languages, consider cases of infringement thereof and make decisions on them;
• coordinate the onomastic and terminological work in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The authorized body shall be entitled to:

• execute, in compliance with its competence, the state control over observance of the laws on languages;
• request ministries, departments, central and local executive bodies, organizations regardless of the forms of property, for information, data, documents in observance of the laws, the State Program for functioning and development of the languages;
• fulfill other functions that may be specified by the legislation.

Article 26. (Ensuring the observance of this Law)

Personnel, material-and-technical, financial, educational and methodical support for implementation of the provisions of this Law shall be charged with the Government and other state bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

CHAPTER 6

USAGE OF LANGUAGES IN RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Article 27. (Language in international activity)

Activity of diplomatic representations of the Republic of Kazakhstan and representations thereof in international organizations shall be implemented in the state language using, if necessary, other languages. Bilateral international agreements shall be concluded as a rule, in the state languages of the contracting parties, multilateral international agreements - in the languages ascertained with the consent of the parties thereto. Official receptions and other activities with representatives of other states in the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be conducted in the state language with translation into other languages.

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

N. Nazarbaev

Almaty, July 11, 1997

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