Head of State meets with high-level UN delegation

The President noted that the visit of such a representative delegation allows discussing the UN's role in solving environmental problems in Central Asia and beyond, reports Todayinfo.kz news agency. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highly appreciated the Organization's contribution to preparing the agenda of the Regional Environmental Summit and meeting. The Head of State noted that in the context of geopolitical instability, coordinating actions against modern challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, and water scarcity is extremely relevant.

– You know well that Kazakhstan supports effective and multilateral diplomacy. We are meeting with you in a volatile period when brute force dominates international law and the geopolitical situation is escalating. Yesterday I spoke in detail about these complex issues. The international community must solve them jointly within the framework of the United Nations and other multilateral structures, – said the Head of State.

The President drew attention to the irreplaceable role of the UN as a universal international platform capable of mobilizing the efforts of states in solving global problems. In this regard, he reiterated his support for the Secretary-General's UN80 program aimed at enhancing the Organization's effectiveness and authority. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev informed the UN delegation members about the large-scale reforms being implemented in the country aimed at building a just and sustainable state. UN representatives positively assessed the high level of organization of the Regional Environmental Summit and the substantive report of the President of Kazakhstan at the plenary session. According to them, the ideas raised by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev formed the basis for discussion and demonstrated the relevance of Kazakhstan's initiatives. The meeting participants informed the Head of State about the activities of the organizations they lead and the projects being implemented in the areas of climate, water security, disaster risk reduction, and food sustainability. During the conversation, special attention was paid to Kazakhstan's global initiatives. The Head of State said he had put forward the idea of creating an International Water Organization within the UN and stated that the UN Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan, opened in Almaty, plays an important role in promoting regional integration. The President confirmed that Kazakhstan will continue to develop cooperation with UN structures on the path to sustainable development, stability, and prosperity. The meeting was attended by Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; Haoliang Xu, UN Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme; Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe; Kamal Kishore, UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction; Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization; Jim Skea, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and Viorel Gutu, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia.