President of Kazakhstan Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev, addressing the International Forum on Peace and Trust, underscored the urgent need for reform of the United Nations. He called for the expansion of the Security Council and the strengthening of the role of the General Assembly in global decision‑making.
“Despite certain successes in resolving individual conflicts, the overall situation in the world remains extremely tense. We are witnessing a deficit of such critically important factors as mutual trust, tolerance, and recognition of the value of peace and cooperation for sustainable development,” Tokayev stressed. He drew attention to the decline in the authority and effectiveness of multilateral institutions, primarily the United Nations.
In the opinion of the President of Kazakhstan, without restoring strategic balance and building a fair world order, international stability and security may remain merely a figure of speech and a good wish in negotiations and resolutions of multilateral forums. Therefore, Kazakhstan advocates for the reform of the United Nations, including expanding the composition of the Security Council and strengthening the role of the General Assembly.
Tokayev recalled that at the 80th session of the General Assembly, Kazakhstan initiated the creation of a “group of like-minded people” to prepare specific proposals for reforming the UN system.
During his remarks, the President of Kazakhstan supported the idea of the President of Turkmenistan regarding the creation of a UN University of Peace and Neutrality.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev highlighted the importance of addressing conflicts that resonate across the globe. He welcomed the activation of the negotiation process on the Ukrainian conflict, reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s consistent support for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, and praised the signing of the Joint Declaration on Peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Turning to the issue of regional security, President Tokayev stressed the necessity of continuing assistance to Afghanistan, underscoring Kazakhstan’s commitment to stability and humanitarian support in the wider region.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev drew attention to another vital dimension of security—water security. He stressed that urgent decisions and coordinated measures are needed to address challenges related to transboundary water use and the ecological state of the Aral and Caspian Seas.
Expressing confidence in the power of collective political will, President Tokayev emphasized that critically important issues on the water agenda must be tackled on a systemic basis, rather than in a fragmented manner as has often been the case.
Continuing this theme, the Kazakhstan leader spoke in favor of creating an International Water Organization, which could consolidate all existing mandates of various UN organizations. In his opinion, the optimal option could be transforming the interagency mechanism UN-Water into a full-fledged specialized agency or UN organization.
As Tokayev stated, Kazakhstan intends to launch the process of international consultations on the creation of a global water organization in April 2026 at the Regional Environmental Summit.
In conclusion, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed confidence that the Ashgabat Forum will contribute to strengthening constructive partnerships among interested states and will give a strong impetus to international efforts to build a fair world order based on mutual trust. ///nCa, 12 December 2025 (photo credit – Akorda)