ASTANA – To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the United Nations this year, the Coalition for a Green Economy and the Development of G-Global, the Astana EXPO 2017 company, the United Nations office in Kazakhstan, the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) and the Sustainable Development Land Foundation came together to organise a tree-planting event coinciding with Kazakhstan’s National Forest Planting Day on April 28.
This spring planting day was dedicated to supporting the upcoming international exposition, EXPO 2017, in Astana, as well as the work of the UN.
One thousand tree seedlings were planted on the grounds of Nazarbayev Intellectual School, the UN Development Programme office in Astana reported. The young trees were planted in an area now called Alley EXPO 2017. The site consists of seven alleys of trees: UN Alley, Kazakh Parliament Alley, Alley of the Astana EXPO 2017 Company, Alley of Nongovernmental Organisations, Youth Alley and Alley of Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools.
“Today, we plant Alley EXPO 2017 and I think it is a great contribution to the greening of our city. You know that one of our sub-themes of the exhibition is the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. I congratulate all of you, I think today we make a great contribution to the expo,” First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Rapil Zhoshybayev, who is the EXPO 2017 commissioner, said, according to the report from Strategy2050.kz.
“We’ll be planting 70 trees for 70 years of the United Nations…,” UN Resident Coordinator Stephen Tull said at the event, according to a UNDP report. “Let me just talk a little bit about what 2015 is bringing for the world. World leaders have called for a very ambitious, long-term agenda for sustainable development so that our development around the world is promoting social, economic and environment development jointly. And in September there will be a summit of world leaders at the United Nations where we’ll all initiate the Sustainable Development Goals. This will be the theme that we’ll be convening various meetings on throughout the United Nations anniversary year. And here in Kazakhstan we are very happy that the government and people of Kazakhstan are firmly behind the sustainable development agenda for the future,” he said.
National Forest Planting Days occur in the spring and fall ever year with the participation of regional authorities, businesses and volunteers. The days were launched in order to involve citizens in the environmental movement and promote a national sense of responsibility and respect for the environment and for green spaces. Trees have been planted around cities and national parks across the country over the last few years of the initiative.
The planting at the Astana NIS was attended by representatives of diplomatic missions, members of Parliament, representatives of state bodies, culture and sport figures, representatives of nongovernmental organisations, youth leaders, and teachers and students from the school.
