NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved July 19 the main directions of state policy on official development assistance (ODA) for 2021-2025.
The document aims to promote sustainable socio-economic development of partner countries, promote the national interests of Kazakhstan, strengthen its international positions and positive perception abroad.
“The activities of Kazakhstan in the field of ODA is an integral part of the new vector of the state’s foreign policy, its contribution to ensuring peace, stability, regional security and sustainable development globally,” reads the document.
The objectives of Kazakhstan’s participation in promoting international development include:
– further integration of Kazakhstan into the system of regional and international relations;
– the creation of favorable external conditions for the implementation of the national strategies and development programs;
– strengthening peace, global and regional security and stability;
– promoting the implementation by partner countries of the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
While implementing its ODA policy, Kazakhstan is committed to the international norms and principles of development cooperation established by the UN Charter (1945), the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005), the Accra Program of Action (2008), the Busan Outcome document (2011) and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The activities of Kazakhstan will focus on the following sectors of the partner countries: education, healthcare and sanitation, environmental protection, addressing climate change, rational management of natural resources, water supply, digitalization, agriculture, gender equality, support of entrepreneurship, effective public administration and other directions determined by law
The Central Asian countries and Afghanistan will be in the focus of geographic ODA priorities.
The ODA system in Kazakhstan will operate in accordance with the standards of effective and results-oriented management, guided by international best practices and procedures in the field of ODA, used in particular by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD DAC).
The activities of Kazakhstan in the ODA system are open for public discussion with other departments, non-governmental organizations, businesses, scientists, and other interested parties.
According to the OECD Development Assistance Committee, the ODA is a government aid program that promotes and targets the economic development and welfare of developing countries. It was adopted as the gold standard of foreign aid in 1969 and it remains the main source of financing for development aid.
