United Nations Secretary-General Guterres and Kazakh President Tokayev officially launch the Regional Center for Sustainable DevelopmentGoals in Almaty.
United Nations Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Opens in Almaty, Kazakhstan
In a significant milestone for Kazakhstan's partnership with the United Nations, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres signed a host country agreement on August 3 to establish the UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
The United Nations Regional Center for SDGs serves as a crucial hub to coordinate and advance sustainable development efforts across Central Asia and Afghanistan. The center aims to unify efforts among Central Asian countries and Afghanistan towards achieving the SDGs, ensuring actions are complementary rather than duplicative. It supports economic resilience, innovation, and deeper cooperation focused on regional needs.
Addressing issues like the Aral Sea environmental crisis and Caspian Sea shrinkage, the center seeks to enhance regional engagement and joint responses to sustainability challenges. It also serves as a platform for sharing best practices and technical assistance, accelerating achievement of SDGs across Central Asia.
The center plays a pivotal role in fostering peace, dialogue, and stability in Afghanistan by integrating its development with broader regional progress, contributing to the security and well-being of the entire region. Guterres referred to Kazakhstan as a symbol of peace, dialogue, and a bridge builder in many circumstances.
President Tokayev emphasized that the opening of the first SDG Center in Central Asia is a milestone achievement for the entire region. He expressed sincere gratitude to Guterres and his team for their support of the SDGs initiative in Kazakhstan. Guterres acknowledged Kazakhstan's role in promoting international cooperation and sustainable development.
Guterres noted that his visit is not only about signing the host country agreement but also about giving global visibility to the SDGs project. He highlighted the significance of the SDGs project in Central Asia and Afghanistan, emphasizing its global importance. According to the Akorda video, he emphasized the importance of giving global visibility to the SDGs project in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
The bilateral discussion between Tokayev and Guterres addressed prospects for UN reform and key issues on the international and regional agenda. Guterres praised Kazakhstan's historic decision to abandon nuclear weapons as a remarkable example to the world. He expressed optimism about the potential for dialogue and cooperation of people of different religions and cultures, as demonstrated by Kazakhstan's initiatives.
The meeting took place on August 3, and Guterres' visit to Kazakhstan precedes the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The ceremony and discussion images were provided by Akorda. President Tokayev expressed gratitude to Guterres for prioritizing the visit to Kazakhstan despite his busy schedule. The UN's commitment to sustainable development goals was underscored by Guterres' visit to Kazakhstan.
In summary, the Almaty center acts as a regional hub to coordinate sustainable development strategies, enhance regional integration, and address common challenges—making it a significant institutional innovation for Central Asia and Afghanistan's long-term growth and stability underpinned by the SDGs framework.
- The United Nations Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Almaty serves as a platform for discussing and implementing policy-and-legislation related to sustainable development in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
- This new center in Almaty also offers opportunities for sharing best practices in politics, particularly in the area of regional engagement and joint responses to sustainability challenges faced by Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.
