F. Trial Monitoring Project in Kazakhstan, ODIHR and the OSCE Centre in Almaty 134 Model ODIHR project model organized in co-operation with the OSCE Centre in Almaty and financed by the European Commission, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States. Inception Monitoring commenced in February 2005 after a six-month planning phase. Objectives • To facilitate compilation of reliable information on practices of criminal justice to support ongoing reforms in Kazakhstan and to identify areas of concern to be addressed; • To train members of civil society in national and international fair-trial standards and trial-monitoring methodology within the framework of criminal proceedings; and • To obtain independent and impartial reports on criminal trials from the perspective of compliance with national and international fair-trial standards. Reports “Report from the trial monitoring project in Kazakhstan 2005-2006” (2007) Partners No formal partners Monitoring Staff Twenty-five local project monitors included recent law-school graduates, young practicing lawyers, and members of NGOs; programme supervision was provided by a programme co-ordinator who was also a local lawyer. Achievements • A formal letter of support was obtained from the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan that greatly increased access to courthouses and trials; • Publication of a public report providing specific findings on areas impacting the right to a fair trial, statistics, and a list of recommendation to local authorities; • Launch of the report at the Supreme Court, where the results of the project were discussed. Participants included parliamentarians, judges, public prosecutors, lawyers, and NGOs. Trial-Monitoring: A Reference Manual for Practitioners