Kazakhstan Vice-Chairs the 79th session of UNESCAP in Bangkok

(Photo credit: ESCAP Photo/ Philip PM Janikowski)

From May 15 to May 19, the 79th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) is takes  place in Bangkok, the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand. During his speech, Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Askar Zhambakin, presented Kazakhstan's initiative to establish the UN Digital Solutions Center for Sustainable Development in Central Asia. The idea of creating this center was welcomed by  61 participating countries, observers and international organizations The 79th annual session of UN ESCAP is dedicated to the theme "Accelerating Action on Climate Change in the Asia-Pacific Region for Sustainable Development." This session serves as a valuable platform for strengthening regional cooperation in addressing climate change issues at regional and global levels.

During the session, the participating countries noted with appreciation the initiative of Kazakhstan on to establish  the UN ESCAP Digital Solutions Center for Sustainable Development in Kazakhstan. The centre aims to provide practical digital solutions in Central Asia and beyond, which will be a significant achievement for  Kazakhstan on the global stage.

"We are promoting the idea of creating this centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to follow up on the instructions of the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Additionally, the President tasked us to ensure the role of a Eurasian Hub. Undoubtedly, the successful promotion of the idea and its unanimous support was greatly influenced by the authority of the Head of State on the global stage, as well as the image of our country built through the President's policies," said Bagdat Mussin, the Minister of Digital Development.

This new centre will play a significant role in advancing digital cooperation and inclusivity. In the future, implementating of the initiative to create this center will allow the integration efforts of the region's countries in jointly and promptly respond to external challenges in the global digital space. The collaborative work of member States will also enable regional cooperation and the creation of export-oriented innovative breakthrough projects under the Central Asian brand and link them with the rest of the region.

The session participants also welcomed the delivery of the first-ever UN ESCAP Digital Ministerial Conference on Digital Transformation (DMC) in Kazakhstan. The DMC will take place in the capital of Kazakhstan in the fall of 2024, with the participation of ministers from 60 countries. It will be dedicated to mplementing   digital technologies and support mechanism of digital transformation for achieving sustainable development goals through regional technological initiatives, including implementation of the Asian-Pacific Information Superhighway Action Plan 2022-2026.

"Holding the Digital Ministerial Conference specifically in Kazakhstan will be an important step for our country's development in digital technologies and the entire Central Asian region. The initiatives declared by the President of our country regarding achieving carbon neutrality and confirming our international commitments, particularly in the environmental sphere, have received broad support from the international community. The high level of this conference underscores our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and the special attention that UN ESCAP member states pay to the development of regional technological initiatives," concluded Bagdat Mussin.