The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area–Background Paper 2021 EU institutions. Moreover, the EU provided Official Development Assistance (ODA) to human rights organizations in Mongolia to support their abolition advocacy efforts. The international non-governmental community welcomed the decision to abolish and, after Mongolia’s ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR in 2012, continued its efforts, following up on its ratification campaign.111 Numerous international experts and representatives worked on lobbying legislators and key officials, and raising awareness among the public and targeted groups.112 In Kazakhstan, international monitoring bodies and their reporting processes also influenced the abolition process. After its Universal Periodic Review in 2010, Kazakhstan agreed to recommendations concerning its move towards abolition in law, and confirmed that it would continue the policy of gradual abolition.113 Some international NGOs also played a powerful convening role by organizing conferences on the abolition of the death penalty in Central Asia. For example, on 26 April 2011, participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were convened to discuss how to move the process of death penalty abolition forward across the Central Asia region and agreed on 26 recommendations to this end. It has been noted that continued advocacy efforts at the national and regional level — EU and OSCE — also contributed to the promotion of reforms in the criminal justice system in Kazakhstan.114 On 9 February 2013, a roundtable was held in the Mazhilis (the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament), during which participants discussed capital punishment and life imprisonment in the amended Criminal Code.115 Forum participants welcomed a variety of diplomats, as well as international and national CSOs.116 111 World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, ADPAN welcomes Mongolia’s decision abolish death penalty in law, 18 December 2015. 112 International experts and organizations were key, including delegations of Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights, Community of Sant’Egidio, financial support of the Human Rights and Governance Grants Program of the Open Society Institute, French Ambassador to Mongolia, United Kingdom Ambassador to Mongolia, European Union, and the UNDP Resident representative in Mongolia. 113 Penal Reform International, The abolition of the death penalty and its alternative sanction in Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, May 2013. 114 Ibid. 115 Parlam, СМЕРТНАЯ КАЗНЬ – АЛЬТЕРНАТИВА: круглый стол в Мажилисе (Death Penalty – Alternatives: round table in the Mazhilis), 19 February 2013. 116 The round table was held by the Chamber’s Committee on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Reform in conjunction with the Representative Office of Penal Reform International (PRI) in Central Asia and the Charter for Human Rights public foundation with the support of the EU and the British Embassy in Astana. 30