Priorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan
at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly
INTRODUCTION
The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly is ushering a watershed moment in the history of the World Organization as we encounter dramatic changes with interlocking challenges, which demand new solutions.
We see the surge of a relentless arms race, unabated extremism, terrorism, transnational crime and money laundering, all resulting in grave humanitarian catastrophes further compounded with the highest toll of internally displaced and refugees ever known since World War II.
We are committed to engage fully in the collective integrated global policy coordination responses, new partnerships, interlinked with multi-sectorial measures at all levels – from local, national, regional to international – in order to deliver on our jointly agreed goals and pledges for Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability.
The Pact of the Future and its annexes: the Global digital compact and Declaration for Future Generations, along with the UN Charter, Agenda 2030, “Our Common Agenda” and the “New Agenda for Peace”, will serve as compass in our joint endeavors to transform our uncharted world of chaos and turmoil into a trajectory of peace and progress.
As we look forward to the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, we are confident that, despite all challenges, the organization will remain a unified and effective platform to address all pressing global issues.
Kazakhstan is convinced that a strong sub-region will further lead to regional and global stability. Considering the current development in geopolitics, we are cooperating with our brotherly Central Asian States, based on the principles of equality and mutually beneficial collaboration, in diverse spheres ranging from trade and investments, transportation, water management to culture and education.
As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018, Kazakhstan actively promoted, and continues to further the common interests of the Central Asian states. We will reinforce measures critical for the successful and secure development of the region, and the proposed creation of a model Zone of peace, security and cooperation in Central Asia. Initiatives such as the International Aral Sea Fund and the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in Central Asia support this idea, and Kazakhstan will sustain efforts towards their effectiveness.
The peace and security in Afghanistan have always been a priority for Kazakhstan. With its high potential promise and possibilities, we consider Afghanistan as our important regional partner.
Our regional security and stability are intertwined with the fate of Afghanistan and all others in an interconnected world. We, therefore, see Afghanistan’s sustainable development crucial for the entire Central Asian region and thus will continue to invest in its advancement.
Kazakhstan continues to work on the establishment of the UN Center for Sustainable Development for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty. This initiative aims to support the efforts of the UN leadership to reform the UN development system, closer interaction between UN agencies, governments, civil society, academia and business, and the transformation of the region into a zone of peace and sustainable development.
During the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Kazakhstan, with the support of the countries of the region, intends to initiate a resolution of the General Assembly on the establishment of this Center.
After joining the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances and Lisbon Protocol to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation feature among the main priorities of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy.
We welcome the entry into force in January 2021 of the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) – the first multilateral legally binding agreement to ban the development, stockpiling, testing and use of nuclear weapons. The Treaty, supported by 122 UN Member States, strengthens our collective hope for a world free of nuclear weapons.
The early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty will remain a major objective for Kazakhstan. As one of the most affected countries by the harmful consequences of nuclear tests, we are striving to reach Global Zero. Our initiative to observe the International Day against Nuclear Tests annually on 29 August is effectively helping to mobilize the international community towards this goal.
III. COUNTERTERRORISM
Terrorism remains one of the most significant threats to international peace and security. Kazakhstan is committed to a long-term, comprehensive engagement with the UN system, Member States, regional organizations, as well as private sector, academia and civil society in countering terrorism and urges the international community to continue making concerted efforts at the global, regional and national levels.
Kazakhstan has ratified all 19 universal counter-terrorism conventions and protocols and widely engages with the United Nations agencies and Member States to fully implement the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS). The Joint Plan of Action for the Implementation of the GCTS in Central Asia serves as an effective tool to align regional and national efforts and facilitate intraregional cooperation. In our view, the resolution of problem of terrorism is closely linked to sustainable development and should be addressed through comprehensive approach.
Kazakhstan also shares the international community’s concerns over new technologies and methods used by terrorists and violent extremists. Kazakhstan’s «National Concept on digital transformation and development of ICT industry and cybersecurity for 2023-2029» puts particular focus on countering the spread of terrorist and extremist ideology in the Internet and calls for enhancing international cooperation and coordination in this area.
We intend to continue our contribution to the activities of the UN negotiating platforms, including the "Open-Ended Working Group on Security in the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and ICT Themselves for 2021-2025 (OEWG)".
Kazakhstan has launched the process of ratification of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime known as the first and universal international treaty seeking to address internet and computer crime.
Kazakhstan has been consistently expanding its contribution to the UN peacekeeping operations and fully endorses the Secretary General’s Initiative on Action for Peacekeeping.
Kazakhstan also stands ready to further expand its contribution by sending peacekeepers to multiple UN peacekeeping operations.
Our country aims at enhancing national and regional peacekeeping capacity-building in accordance with the UN standards. Our national peacekeeping training centres, such as KAZCENT, the Demining Centre, and the Military Medicine Centre of Excellence, with their UN-recognized courses, will continue to provide training to women and men, civilian and military experts from around the world.
The pandemic has exposed our shared vulnerability and accentuated our interdependence. COVID-19 has taught us the need for more focused cooperation between governments to better prepare for future pandemics and biological threats.
It is imperative to enhance the World Health Organization’s capacity in preventing and responding to diseases. In this regard, we have proposed to build a network of Regional Centres for Disease Control and Biosafety under the auspices of the UN.
Furthermore, at the seventy-fifth session of the UN General Assembly, Kazakhstan had proposed to establish an International Agency for Biological Safety (IABS).
The legal basis for the establishment and operation of IABS is the 1972 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC).
VII. PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Kazakhstan was recognized by the global medical community in September 1978, when WHO member states adopted the Alma-Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care (PHC), which had a global impact on the development of health care system.
In 2018, WHO Member States adopted its successor, the Astana Declaration on PHC, reaffirming their commitment to the fundamental human right to the highest attainable standard of health and their desire to ensure this right for every person without any distinction.
On 22-23 October 2023, the Global Conference on Primary Health Care was held in Astana, dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the Alma-Ata and the fifth anniversary of the Astana Declaration on PHC.
Kazakhstan believe in special significance of the Alma-Ata and Astana declarations in improving the international healthcare system and providing primary health care, and proposed to launch the Coalition of countries supporting PHC.
On May 27, within the framework of the 78th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, a presentation of the concept of the Coalition of Countries on Primary Health Care took place. Countries were invited to join and support the initiative.
VIII. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Kazakhstan reaffirms its strong commitments to the Agenda 2030, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, Paris Agreement and wants to ensure that no one is left behind, especially women, youth, children, elders, persons with disabilities.
The SDG Coordination Council under the Deputy Prime Minister’s leadership is functioning in the country to implement the adopted commitments. The Parliament has a Commission for Monitoring the Implementation of National Sustainable Development Goals and Targets, which has a positive impact on the process of ensuring an objective assessment of implementation of the SDGs.
As a result of the measures taken in 2023, according to the «Sustainable Development Goals Index» rating, Kazakhstan has achieved the necessary results on poverty eradication. There is a positive trend towards achievement of SDGs on good health, clean water, sanitation, decent work and economic growth, development of industrialization, combating climate change.
Businesses are engaged in the process of SDG implementation, focusing on ESG principles that encompass social, environmental, and economic issues. To ensure broad participation of citizens and public institutions, a Civil Forum is held annually, which sets the impetus for establishing an open dialogue between the state and society on achieving SDGs.
Moving from an aid recipient to a donor country, Kazakhstan will focus efforts on expanding the outreach and impact of KazAID, the country’s agency for official development assistance to countries in the region and beyond. We will collaborate with the UN system and aid agencies of other countries to provide humanitarian aid and support other developing countries in their progress.
Kazakhstan considers climate change a major existential and multi-dimensional threat multiplier with far reaching ramifications. We support multilateral efforts to fight against climate change. Kazakhstan has announced its intention to become carbon-neutral by 2060. To achieve this goal, Kazakhstan is developing the Concept of Low-carbon Development until 2050 and the national project on water resources management.
Throughout the 79th session, Kazakhstan will actively participate in international climate conferences, such as the Conference of the Parties (COP) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Kazakhstan is continuously engaged in renewable energy development both domestically and through international partnerships, attracting scaled investments. It has vast renewable energy potential, particularly in wind and solar power, and will further strive to attract investments in these sectors.
Given its vulnerability to climate impacts like droughts and extreme weather events, Kazakhstan is prioritizing measures to enhance resilience and adapt to climate change effects. This includes better water resource management, agricultural practices, and infrastructure resilience.
This year, we assumed the Chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth-largest body of inland water. Together with France, we are planning to co-host the first One Water Summit. We are also planning to convene a Regional Climate Summit in Kazakhstan in 2026 under UN auspices to develop further mitigation, adaptation, and resilience measures and present a Central Asian voice on the global stage.
Kazakhstan, as the largest landlocked country in the world, is actively engaged in addressing the economic, social, and geopolitical issues that affect landlocked countries. We look forward to a successful 3rd UN Conference for LLDCs to be held in December in Botswana and the adoption of a new Programme of Action for 2024-2034. Kazakhstan believes that preparing a comprehensive roadmap for the accelerated implementation of the new Programme of Action is of paramount importance. This roadmap will identify specific roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders to ensure that concrete deliverables facilitate the implementation of the Programme of Action and enable the LLDCs to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and respond to emerging challenges.
We are seeing this in our own region. Kazakhstan, the largest landlocked developing country, is becoming a vital Asian land corridor to Europe. Kazakhstan is already a reliable link for nearly 80% of overland transit traffic between Asia and Europe. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – the so-called “Middle Corridor” – can significantly strengthen East-West engagement. This route could increase the pace of trade between critical markets, cutting by almost half the time required to transport goods via the maritime route.
Kazakhstan fully supports the ongoing reforms by the Secretary-General. It is critical to improve the accountability, transparency and overall coordination of all UN entities to meet the objectives of long term balanced regional and global development.
We will continue to fully engage in the revitalization of the UN, and its organs, including the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, and the Security Council, the International Court of Justice.
We consider that the voices of Middle Powers and all developing countries in the Security Council need to be amplified and clearly heard. Since the Security Council appears unable to move beyond deadlock, it should become more representative so that other countries – including developing countries – can play a greater role in the maintenance of peace and security.
Kazakhstan believes that the repositioning of the UN development system should respond to national needs and priorities on the ground, and be positioned to better support and implement the 2030 Agenda. It must ensure effective links between monitoring and revision of the decisions for the 2030 Agenda, as well as, better coordination between the UN agencies. Kazakhstan thus supports the initiative of the Secretary-General to establish Regional Collaborative Platforms to promote his approach.
UN inter-agency coordination is becoming more essential in view of competing demands and shrinking resources. Kazakhstan has made its contribution by hosting 18 UN agencies at the regional, sub-regional and multi-country levels under one roof at UN Plaza in Almaty. We believe this will ensure better coordination of the UN system and cost-effective measures, as well as a holistic approach to “Deliver as One”.
XII. PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY
Since its inception in December 2007, the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) has established itself as an important partner for all five countries of Central Asia to strengthen the region's capacity to meet the challenges of peace and stability through preventive diplomacy and dialogue.
We welcome the Center's approach to working together with other multilateral institutions to focus on its mandate and priority issues, such as promoting peace and countering terrorism, violent extremism, organized crime, drug trafficking and water security. Therefore, Kazakhstan expresses its support for the Program of Action for 2021-2025, and especially for its segment related to "Building partnerships for conflict prevention, including with regional and subregional organizations".
The focus of Kazakhstan is on border security, food and water security and prevention of conflicts.
XIII. INTERRELIGIOUS AND INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE
Kazakhstan, as an inter-ethnic and multi-religious country, places the utmost importance on strengthening interfaith dialogue, both domestically and globally. Currently, representatives of more than 100 ethnic groups live in harmony in Kazakhstan, around 4000 religious associations representing 18 confessions operate freely. We believe that this is our priceless wealth and an inherent advantage. As evidence of our commitment, we have been hosting the triennial Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions since 2003. This esteemed platform facilitates constructive dialogue among prominent representatives of various religions and confessions. During the latest 7th Congress, we were honored to have UN Secretary-General António Guterres address the participants. His call to faith leaders to promote non-violence within their communities and reject all forms of intolerance, including xenophobia, islamophobia and racism, resonates deeply with our shared objectives.
In alignment with the United Nations’ concept of the Culture of Peace, our efforts aim to promote dialogue and understanding among diverse cultures, religions, and nations, with the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable peace and security.
XIV. RULE OF LAW, HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER EQUALITY, YOUTH AND VOLUNTEERS
Kazakhstan fully stands for the rule of law at the national and international levels, with the UN Charter as one of the cornerstones of the international multilateral system, the violation of which can cause tragic consequences across the world.
Kazakhstan is committed to promoting human rights and freedoms, especially those of women, youth, children and the entire spectrum of other vulnerable groups and include them in all decision and policy making processes.
As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, elected for the second time, for the term 2022-2024, Kazakhstan is striving to further promote IHL, international cooperation and make a noteworthy contribution to the mandate of the Council, cooperating closely with the UN system and other relevant stakeholders.
Gender equality has been an important priority for Kazakhstan since its independence. Kazakhstan has gradually introduced progressive policies and reforms to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment in all areas of the country’s political and economic life. Kazakhstan strictly fulfils its international obligations and actively implements the UN recommendations in this area.
Being committed to the global trend of zero tolerance for any form of violence, Kazakhstan has initiated the Central Asian Alliance to eliminate all forms of Gender-based violence, as part of the UN-EU led Global Spotlight Initiative.
Kazakhstan emphasizes the crucial role of volunteers in addressing modern challenges, their contribution to the achievement of the SDGs. To further support global volunteer movement that play an important role in addressing modern challenges and achieving the SDGs, Kazakhstan, as part of a gross-regional group of like-minded countries, has initiated the UN General Assembly resolution to proclaim 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.
Finally, legislation in conformity with international legal instruments and norms has been enacted for the wellbeing of various categories of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, the elderly, the economically disadvantaged, ethnic minorities and rural populations.
CONCLUSION
Multilateralism has not faced a greater risk at any point of time as now, since 1945. Mutual trust and respect have deteriorated and retrogressed to an all-time low. The UN Charter is now need to be effective – in the face of irreconcilable conflicts, the arms race, persistence of COVID-19 and other diseases, and the SDG targets fading.
So, as we stand at the crossroad, despair must be turned into undaunted hope. Internationally agreed rule of law, justice, equality and human rights should be observed, and never abandoned. New confidence-building measures need to be reinforced by firm ethical tenets of societal responsibility and personal accountability. This is the time to embrace our diversity and focus on sustainable development agenda to counteract conflicts, hostilities, gross humane injustices, inequalities, destruction of the planet and climate emergencies.
We will follow the UNGA motto of “Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability”. We are at a moment of transformation – a time to recalibrate multilateralism and strengthen the foundations of global cooperation, while striving to get the SDGs back on track.
We believe that the Summit of the Future offers a unique opportunity for us all to address the current economic and geopolitical turbulence and revitalize the multilateral system, enabling it to fulfil the promises of the UN Charter and the 2030 Agenda.
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