Kazakhstan and the Vatican discussed the draft Charter of the Rights of Terminally Ill Children. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

The document is being promoted as a joint initiative of the two countries, the Akorda reported. The discussion took place at the II Joint Colloquium of Kazakhstan and the Vatican.

Participants of the colloquium

The opening ceremony was attended by Vice President of Kazakhstan, Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Yerlan Karin and Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad.

The colloquium is dedicated to protecting the life, health and dignity of children with severe and terminal illnesses. It brought together representatives of government bodies, religious organizations, medical and academic institutions, as well as experts.

Karin's remarks

Speaking at the opening, Karin emphasized that interreligious dialogue must deliver concrete humanitarian results. He also spoke about the political and socio-economic reforms being carried out under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

According to the Vice President, the main goal of the reforms is to improve the well-being of citizens, while protecting children, especially the most vulnerable, remains one of the priorities of state policy.

Karin thanked the Dicastery and the Bambino Gesù Hospital for their participation in preparing the draft charter. He also noted the hospital's cooperation with the corporate fund University Medical Center and wished the colloquium participants fruitful work and substantive discussions.

Meeting between Karin and Koovakad

Before the opening of the event, Karin held a meeting with Cardinal Koovakad. They discussed interaction within the framework of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and the colloquium, as well as the implementation of joint humanitarian initiatives.

The Cardinal conveyed to Tokayev the greetings of Pope Leo XIV and best wishes to the people of Kazakhstan.

Pediatric palliative care

Earlier, Kursiv reported on the problems of pediatric palliative care in Kazakhstan. According to an estimate by the President of the Kazakhstan Association of Palliative Care, Gulnara Kunirova, voiced in 2025, in 2026 such care may be needed by 5,000-9,000 children. She also noted a shortage of trained specialists in this area.