At the inaugural meeting of the National Organizing Committee in Astana, preparations for the International Year of Volunteers were discussed, according to the Kazakh Culture and Information Ministry.
Kazakh Culture and Information Minister Aida Balayeva highlighted Kazakhstan’s active participation in global volunteering, particularly with UN and UNICEF programs. She noted that, with government support, eight Kazakh volunteers served in UN agencies from 2020 to 2023, and seven were deployed to UN offices in Kenya, Thailand, and Türkiye in 2024.
As reported by Kazinform, the committee reviewed initiatives to promote volunteerism and civic engagement. Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator of the UN Volunteers program, praised Kazakhstan as the first country to form such a committee and thanked them for their support in hosting the International Year of Volunteers.
A key outcome of the meeting was the announcement to open a UN Volunteers Central Asia Subregional Office in Almaty.
The UN General Assembly, following a proposal by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, designated 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. Kazakhstan will also host the first CIS Volunteers Forum in 2026. /// nCa, 16 May 2025