ASTANA – The newly launched UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty will serve as a catalyst for coordinated action in making economies resilient and vibrant, enhancing regional innovation, and fostering deeper cooperation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a visit to the center with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Aug. 3, reported Akorda.
Photo credit: Akorda
According to Tokayev, there will be no overlapping functions and duties between this center and other institutions in the region or beyond. Instead, it will complement the existing efforts, adding value through its regional focus on the needs of the people across the broader region.
He emphasized the importance of stronger collaboration to address shared challenges, such as the environmental degradation of the Aral Sea and the shrinking of the Caspian Sea.
Tokayev announced that Kazakhstan will host a Regional Environment Summit in Astana in April 2026 in partnership with UN agencies. He also reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to supporting Afghanistan through humanitarian assistance, educational projects, trade and food security initiatives.
“We will also be placing priority on further digitalization and artificial intelligence, as well as building diversified transport infrastructure to make Kazakhstan a truly Eurasian hub of international cargo trade,” he stated.
Guterres welcomed the center’s launch on the eve of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, set to take place in Turkmenistan. He praised Kazakhstan’s growing role in global logistics and connectivity.
“Kazakhstan is no longer a landlocked country,” he said. “This country is really a bridge. A bridge from East and West, the North and South.”
He also commended Kazakhstan’s internal reforms and international contributions, calling the country “a symbol of wisdom, a bridge builder, and a messenger of peace.”
“I will never forget that Kazakhstan renounced its nuclear weapons and, through that decision, became a symbol of peace and disarmament – something that is more necessary today than ever. Kazakhstan has always been a voice of reason in a world where, unfortunately, reason itself is struggling to be heard,” he concluded.
