Kazakhstan, Constitutional referendum, 15 March 2026

Following an invitation from the authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan to observe the 15 March 2026 referendum, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 17 to 20 February. The ODIHR NAM included Ulvi Akhundlu, ODIHR Deputy Head of the Election Department, and Yelena Kovalyova, ODIHR Election Adviser.

The purpose of the mission was to assess the pre-referendum environment and preparations for the referendum. Based on this assessment, the NAM recommends whether to deploy an ODIHR observation activity for the upcoming referendum and, if so, which type best meets the identified needs. Meetings were held with officials from state institutions, representatives of the media, civil society, and the international community. A list of meetings is annexed to this report.