Latest
Press Release
16 March 2023
Kazakhstan shares innovative approaches to advancing gender equality through digitalisation at CSW67
Learn more
Story
10 March 2023
Celebrating 30 Years of Partnership: The UN's Impact on Sustainable Development in Kazakhstan
Learn more
Story
06 March 2023
'Empowered women - strength of society.' Campaign to combat gender stereotypes to launch on the International Women's Day in Kazakhstan
Learn more
Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Kazakhstan
The UN system in Kazakhstan stands firmly in support of the country’s aspiration to join the ranks of the 30 most developed countries of the world by achieving the OECD standards. We remain convinced that the 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs are an excellent instrument that can help Kazakhstan to effectively achieve its development aspirations as articulated in Strategy 2050 and the subsequent reform agenda.
Press Release
22 February 2023
UNICEF and Dinara Saduakassova launch a new charity campaign in Kazakhstan
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Kazakhstan, together with UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Dinara Saduakassova, launched the Family for Every Child fundraising campaign.
Under the campaign, every citizen of Kazakhstan will be able to contribute and help the most vulnerable children who may or have already been left without parental care and warmth. The aim of the campaign is to reduce the flow of children into institutions, to provide a quality family upbringing for every child, and to provide families with the necessary social services and support.
"The main priority of UNICEF in this good cause is to protect the right of every child to grow up in a caring family environment. I sincerely hope that your donations will contribute to this common cause for every child in Kazakhstan," said Arthur van Diesen, UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan.
Dinara Saduakasova made a video address to the people of Kazakhstan, and noted that a child's happiest memories are connected with his or her family. It is in the family that the child feels safe. She underlined that the child, living separately from his or her parents and family faces the most severe trauma in his or her life, with long-term negative consequences. Dinara called on all caring Kazakhstani people to support the "Family for Every Child" campaign and make their contributions by link.
The right of every child to grow up in a family is guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by the Government of Kazakhstan in 1994. Unfortunately, each year up to 2,000 children in Kazakhstan for various reasons end up in orphanages. The most important task of UNICEF in Kazakhstan is to reduce the flow of children into such institutions and to provide each child with a quality family upbringing. It is extremely important to eliminate the reasons for the separation of children from their parents through family support programs by ensuring comprehensive protection of the civil, economic, social and cultural rights of children without any discrimination.
If the child could not be kept in the family with the birth parents, and when immediate family members are unable to care for the child, every effort must be made to provide family care by involving more distant relatives, or if this is not possible, in a family substitute setting. In order to prevent the placement of children in residential institutions, it is important to provide the necessary legal framework for the further development of the institution of professional foster families in Kazakhstan. At the same time the focus should remain on the child's birth family. Even if a child is placed in an orphanage or a professional foster family, work must be done to restore the rights of the blood relatives.
UNICEF's long-standing experience in this area around the world shows that it is possible through the development of parenting skills programs, providing universal coverage of families with children with medical and educational services, as well as accessible, safe, inclusive and fair social protection focused on the well-being of children. Currently, the Government of Kazakhstan, civil society and UNICEF together have achieved the following results for children and families in Kazakhstan:
Development of social work and special social services for families in difficult situations so that they receive the necessary assistance in a timely manner, as well as work to support parents to prevent separation from their children.
Transformation of orphanages into support centers for children in difficult life situations and an increase in the number of such centers from three to 18 in the last five years. UNICEF continues to support the authorized agencies so that in the future these centers will provide comprehensive support to children and families, providing psychological, legal, social counseling and other support.
Expert support to child care institutions of different types throughout Kazakhstan, including transfer of technical knowledge and best practices from other countries, documentation of regional experiences of child support centers in the country, and development of manuals and guidelines for the transformation of these institutions.
The money raised through the "Family for Every Child" campaign will enable the continuation of comprehensive work to achieve the best results for every child in Kazakhstan. UNICEF's work is financed entirely through the voluntary support of millions of people around the world and our partners in government, civil society, and the private sector. That is why UNICEF pays special attention to the issue of transparency about sources of funding and to how and for what campaign’s resources are spent. As a member of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), UNICEF provides open and comprehensive public access to operational and program data through its Transparency Portal.
UNICEF's "Family for Every Child" program in Kazakhstan helps to prevent the separation of children from their parents and, if a child is placed in an institution, helps to reestablish contact with the biological parents and supports the provision of quality social, medical and educational services to Kazakhstani families. The main focus of the campaign is to prevent the placement of children in residential institutions and to prioritize family-based child care. Support the campaign and help children get what they need to reach their full potential, developing in a supportive family environment. Even a small monetary contribution, can improve the life of a child in need. Make a donation now on the website using this link.
1 of 2
Press Release
23 February 2023
Mural symbolizing fight against gender-based violence opened in the capital's Triathlon Park
November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which also marks the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign. From November 25 to December 10, various campaigns are taking place around the world calling for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.
To honour the start of the campaign, 'Cyber Nomad' mural was opened in Astana's Triathlon Park at 4:00 pm on the 25th of November.
“This is the first portrait from a series of works based on the same concept, the creation of which was inspired by a real persona. The image of a strong woman who knows her worth, who is liberated and active - the embodiment of the historical character of a nomadic woman', says Kazakhstani artist Charli Sword, the author of the 'Cyber Nomad' mural sketch. She attempted to represent the issue of gender-based and domestic violence as a liberation and conscious opposition to the violence of the survivor herself.
The mural was presented by the organisers of the event - representatives of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Canadian Embassy in Kazakhstan. The purpose of this campaign was to raise awareness about the issues of gender-based and domestic violence: according to statistics, last year 157,884 crimes were registered in Kazakhstan, of which 61,464 were reported as domestic violence. According to the Minister of Internal Affairs, more than 100,000 cases of domestic violence have been registered in nine months of 2022, but in 60% of cases the police were unable to press charges as the survivors refused to file a complaint.
1 of 2
Story
10 March 2023
Celebrating 30 Years of Partnership: The UN's Impact on Sustainable Development in Kazakhstan
Today the event entitled "30 Years of the United Nations in Kazakhstan and the Steering Committee of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025" was held in Astana, organized by the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.
First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mr. Kairat Umarov, UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Ms. Michaela Friberg-Storey, heads of UN agencies, representatives of diplomatic corps, civil society and media discussed and exchanged ideas on how to strengthen cooperation in achieving sustainable development goals in Kazakhstan.
Participants have shared experiences, best practices, and challenges in implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2021-2025. Result group chairs presented key results achieved since the start of UNSDCF implementation in the country and outlined the goals for 2023.
"We are delighted to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the United Nations in Kazakhstan. The UN in Kazakhstan activities have come a long way in the past three decades and we are proud of the progress we have made in supporting the country's development. In the coming years, we will focus on several key areas, including strengthening governance and the rule of law, promoting sustainable economic growth, investing in human capital, advancing gender equality and women's empowerment, and addressing the challenges posed by climate change. We believe that by working together, we can build a better future for the people of Kazakhstan", said Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan.
The UNSDCF is the main tool for achieving the 2030 Agenda through consolidation of key resources of strategic partners – UN Country Team, government entities, civil society and private sector representatives. Within three thematic areas – Empowered People, Good Governance, Inclusive Economy and Protected Planet, joint interventions of strategic partners are implemented under six outcomes that focus on social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
Over the past 30 years, the UN has implemented over 400 projects in Kazakhstan at the national, regional and local levels in many areas, such as reducing inequality, modernizing institutions, diversifying the economy, and supporting the most vulnerable groups – children, women, the elderly, migrants and refugees.
1 of 5
Story
06 March 2023
'Empowered women - strength of society.' Campaign to combat gender stereotypes to launch on the International Women's Day in Kazakhstan
In honour of International Women's Day, the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Population Fund teamed up with national postal operator 'Kazpost' to launch a campaign to combat gender stereotypes.
The organizers of the action developed posters with slogans in Kazakh and Russian languages featuring Kazpost employees. With the support of the national postal operator, posters were placed in 2000 branches in all regions of the country. Visitors are invited to scan the poster's QR-code with their smartphones and participate in the International Women's Day online quiz. After answering simple questions, the participants can win in the prize draw.
“This year’s International Women’s Day is entitled “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. This theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. With this campaign we want to celebrate the women and girls who are championing the advancement of sustainable development due to strength, resilience, and commitment to making the world a better place and inspire us all. Let us take this day to honour the incredible achievements of women, celebrate our diversity, and recommit ourselves to advancing gender equality in all areas of life”, noted Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan.
The main goal of the campaign “Empowered woman - strength of society” is to combat gender stereotypes and call for gender equality.
“UNDP recognizes that women’s full participation in decision making in innovation, technological change and digitalization is a pre-requisite to deliver transformative impact in societies and achieve the SDGs. We strongly believe, that only by normalizing the pivotal role of women and girls in these sectors we can tackle the complex economic and social inequities for the sustainable development for all”, said Katarzyna Wawiernia, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan.
"For many years UNFPA has advocated for women and girls, promoting legal and policy reforms and gender-sensitive data collection, and supporting initiatives that improve women's and girls' health and expand their choices in life. Today, it is widely recognised that improving women’s status and advancing their rights yields benefits for whole societies. Gender equality cannot be achieved without the involvement of men and boys. Our programmes encourage men and boys to abandon harmful stereotypes, embrace respectful, healthy relationships, and support the human rights of all people, everywhere", said Ronny Lindström, UNFPA Representative in Kazakhstan and Country Director for Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.
Summing up the results of the action and drawing of prizes will take place in the end of March.
On a global scale, women are underrepresented in the tech field as ICT specialists, in the C-suite of tech companies, as tech start-up owners and gig workers. Women make up only 28 per cent of the STEM industry board seats, while the share of female CEOs and women in management is only 3 per cent and 17 per cent respectively.
"Kazpost employs women of different professions and worldviews, and the proportion of women among our employees is 74 percent. Their main goal is to succeed, strive to develop their professional and personal competencies. Therefore, gender equality is one of the main goals in implementing the principles of sustainable development of the company. We live in the age of digital technologies, which allows women to embrace the opportunities to develop their business on electronic trading platforms, engage in distance learning and strike a balance between work and family - that is, to develop in all aspects of life. The theme of the International Women's Day just emphasizes this. I am sure that the merit of women in this regard will not remain unnoticed,” said Assel Zhanassova, Chairperson of the Board of Kazpost JSC.
1 of 5
Story
27 February 2023
30 years of UN's presence in Kazakhstan: Almaty Office named as UN Plaza
The sides discussed current state and perspectives of UN-Kazakhstan cooperation development.
During the visit a ceremony to name the building as "UN Plaza" took place. The UN Office in Almaty building was officially inaugurated in May 2019 with the participation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. As of today, the UN building in Almaty hosts 18 agencies with a staff of more than 120 people.
1 of 5
Story
22 February 2023
Boosting career opportunities for young Afghan girls in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan
The students also improved their personal and professional development thanks to “Winter Schools” organized in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as part of a joint project by UN Women and UNDP supported by the European Union. During the five-day course, international experts conducted a series of interactive sessions on gender equality, communications, networking, storytelling, public speaking, and financial literacy, which will increase their career opportunities.
"We need more concrete steps and solutions to make (Afghan women and girls) voices heard, and we will continue to work with partners to support our Afghan sisters through education. We express our gratitude to the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan for their support," said Maria Dotsenko, UN Women Representative to Kazakhstan at the opening of the Winter School in Uzbekistan.
“The European Union has not forgotten the people of Afghanistan despite the very difficult situation inside Afghanistan, the EU remains committed to the wellbeing of the Afghan people, inside their country, in neighbouring countries and further afield. The Winter School for Leadership and Economic Empowerment was a unique opportunity to talk and learn about gender basic concepts, role models and self-awareness and that the knowledge and skills acquired during this five-day event will be inspirational and of practical use during their studies and their daily life”, said H.E. Charlotte Adriaen, Ambassador of the European Union to Uzbekistan.
"I admire the courage and resilience of Afghan girls and women. During our school, we did everything possible to plant seeds of important practical skills in participants, as well as give them the necessary support and care, because these young girls are the future of Afghanistan. We have to be with Afghan women and support them in every possible way, and I think we can only do this together," said Claudia de Castro Caldeirinha, an international expert of UN Women Kazakhstan and trainer of the Winter School from Portugal.
Zuhra*, a 26-year-old participant of the Winter School, arrived in Uzbekistan from the Afghan province of Bamyan. After receiving a bachelor's degree in education from Kabul University, she worked as an English teacher, actively searched for information about scholarships and engaged in self-education. The Winter School in Tashkent has become a new opportunity to improve her professional skills, presentation and public speaking skills.
"Physically I am here, but my heart is with my sisters who are still in Afghanistan and do not have the right to work and study. I am very sad for the current situation, but I believe that it will end soon. During the school, I really enjoyed the session on Sustainable Development Goals. This is very interesting and important for my career. In the future, I want to become a university professor in the UK, but I need more information and knowledge for this. Thanks to the wonderful trainers and lecturers, I have increased my knowledge about current issues. I am sure that in the future, in 5 or 10 years, I will overcome all difficulties, and I will be whoever I want, and I will also start my own business in the field of agriculture, and I will help the development of Afghanistan," shares Zuhra.
"Before arriving in Tashkent, I worked as a financial officer in Kabul, but due to restrictions on women, I lost my job. I was happy to receive an educational scholarship within the framework of the EU and UNDP project in Tashkent and come to Uzbekistan. The school was very useful for me, I learned more about gender equality. My big dream is peace in Afghanistan, so every woman in my country will have the same opportunities as men. In the future, I want to get a scholarship to get a master's degree abroad, then return to Afghanistan and work for the prosperity of my people," says Nadia*, a 26-year-old student.
The program, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by UNDP and UN Women, allows Afghan women to get an education at universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The initiative aims to provide higher education to women from Afghanistan to create economic opportunities. The geography and number of project participants has expanded significantly. In a few years, more than 100 Afghan women will graduate from leading universities in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. 50 Afghan female students already completed undergraduate and graduate programs at universities in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
*Names changed to protect the identity of the individuals.
1 of 5
Story
22 February 2023
The Journey of a woman biologist - game warden
"Women dedicated to science are not a rare sight today. Such women are amazing. In our work there is no division of "man" and "woman", both are equal. Modern women can use any means of transport, saddle a horse and drive dozens of kilometres through the mountains, explore the most difficult terrain on foot, pitch a tent, make a fire – clear evidence that they, along with others, are making an important contribution to the development of science in their country," says Elena Krason, a wildlife biologist and game warden.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science has been marked annually on 11 February for seven years. Its aim is to draw attention to the problem of gender stereotypes that prevent women from achieving their professional aspirations in the scientific field, although in Kazakhstan, the dynamics of women's representation in science is a positive one. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, 54 percent of women scientists work in research. In October 2021, the list of prohibited professions for women that existed since 1930, almost a century ago, was abolished.
Despite positive changes in society, there are still gender stereotypes and social norms that prevent women from pursuing careers in traditionally "male" professions.
"In rural areas, girls are rarely seen as equals: in my field, there were misunderstandings and excessive paternalism, sometimes even condemnation for choosing a profession. This often made me feel insecure, but luckily there were always people who supported and helped me - my friends, my family. I think that one should remain self-confident in every situation, take criticism from the outside calmly, present your ideas and theories courageously, make every decision responsibly and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Even a failed experiment is an experiment: learn from your mistakes and move on!" - says Elena.
Elena decided to study natural sciences at school. The world of wildlife attracted her so much that she read all the encyclopedias about animals in the school library. Biology was her favourite subject and wildlife TV programmes were always at the top of her list.
"After my school graduation, I attended university. Unfortunately, the course prepared biologists only as future teachers, so I chose wildlife studies. I found it easy to study, and in my free time I took part in university projects. A most interesting one was the project to restoring the sturgeon population in the Irtysh River. We released the sturgeon into the river as part of the project. This was my first full-fledged experience in studying a specific topic," Elena Krason notes.
Now Elena works for “Tarbagatai” national park, one of the national parks established at the initiative of UNDP in Kazakhstan. Worth noting is that UNDP initiated the creation of eight new protected areas with a total area of 1.85 million hectares and the territories of three existing protected areas were expanded. In addition to the nature reserves of “Akzhayyk”, “Altyn-Dala” and “Ile-Balkhash”, the national parks “Buyratau”, “Zhongar Alatau” and “Tarbagatai” were created.
For the first time in Kazakhstan, the Kapshagai-Balkhash and Kyrgyz-Torgai-Zhylanshyk ecological corridors were established over an area of 2.9 million hectares, which today allow the migration routes of rare wildlife species, such as goitred gazelles and saigas, to be protected.
"After I graduated from university, I had difficulty finding a job. Admittedly, it’s difficult to get a job anywhere without experience, and secondly, the field was not in great demand. When I heard about the establishment of protected areas and the national park, I immediately sent my CV. Soon I was invited to come to work," Elena says.
Within the framework of biodiversity initiatives, UNDP is actively working to equip individual protected areas with new equipment for remote monitoring of the number and migration routes of animals. National parks and nature reserves are provided with camera traps, drones and a SMART patrol system.
"I learned how to work with a simple camera trap model with the help of the internet. A week after installing the first camera trap, we admired the first pictures of argali. In 2019, our team participated in a training on working with advanced camera traps as part of a UNDP project. UNDP also provided us with complete camera traps for wildlife monitoring," said Elena.
With UNDP and the GEF support, in total 294 camera traps were transferred to 13 specially protected natural areas of Kazakhstan, of which 15 were installed in “Tarbagatai” national park territory. With trap cameras the most reliable data on wild animals and the state of ecosystems can be collected. A big plus – they work without an Internet connection and can withstand a variety of weather and climatic conditions.
Elena presented these and other digital solutions for sustainable development and technological devices and systems for monitoring and studying the biodiversity of Kazakhstan at the recent exhibition “Digital solutions for people and the planet”
"Working with the animal world is quite difficult and risky, because you never know at what turn a bear or an angry wild boar is waiting for you! In our work, wildlife monitoring is no longer complete or reliable without the use of technology. Technologies, such as camera traps, drones and SMART systems, are now successfully used in the study of the park's flora and fauna. More than 80 percent of the staff have been trained and can install the cameras themselves without any difficulties, which makes us very happy," says Elena Krason.
By implementing biodiversity conservation projects, UNDP helps protect these unique natural sights and the globally significant ecosystems of our country. With the support of UNDP, a significant contribution was made to the conservation of the biological diversity of mountain, wetland, steppe and desert ecosystems. Ecosystem approaches were introduced to existing protected areas management, which has allowed for the conservation of rare and endangered species and the rational use of the country's biological resources.
1 of 5
Press Release
17 March 2023
Kazakhstan shares innovative approaches to advancing gender equality through digitalisation at CSW67
Entitled "Kazakhstan’s experience in applying digitalisation and innovation to accelerate delivery on Generation Equality Forum’s Action Coalitions commitments,” the event was hosted on March 9, and was organized by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and National Commission for Women Affairs, Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan with support from UN Women Kazakhstan.
During the side event, government representatives from Kazakhstan presented national achievements in fulfilling the commitments made at the Generation Equality Forum (GEF). In 2021, within the framework of the GEF, Kazakhstan joined two Action Coalitions to address Gender-Based Violence and advance Economic Justice and Rights followed by taking five commitments to close the gaps on gender equality. Kazakhstan’s commitments in the context of the GEF are based on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s policy to end violence against women and girls and promote women’s economic empowerment. During the side event, Kazakhstan highlighted innovative digital approaches in designing and delivering on international promises on gender equality.
One of the approaches highlighted was the regional community and virtual knowledge repository “Act for Equal”, a platform launched to share best practices on gender equality and prevention of violence against women and girls in Central Asia, supported by UN Women Kazakhstan. The community is for comprehensive discussions with the participation of representatives of various government agencies, parliamentarians, experts, and civil society from Central Asia and Afghanistan. Since 2021, the regional community of practice convened stakeholders, experts and activists to share their experience in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action, as well as the women, peace and security and human rights and gender equality agendas in Central Asia. Thanks to the platform, around 1000 partners have strengthened cooperation and exchanged knowledge and skills.
In addition, Kazakhstan invested in the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative Regional Programme for Central Asia and Afghanistan.
Currently, Kazakhstan ranks 28th in the UN E-Government Development Index and 15th in the E-Participation Index among 193 countries.
“Today Kazakhstan is at the forefront in using technological solutions that improve the quality of life of people. We are creating an ecosystem to enable innovations. The Astana Hub – our flagship for IT startups- offers generous tax incentives, visa support and other benefits to attract young and talented IT specialists from all over the world. The services include access to free acceleration courses with the participation of global mentors, courses in innovative IT schools. The proportion of female staff at the Astana Hub Technopark is 61%, with 63% of women in managerial positions. More than 30% of IT-school students are women,” said Bagdat Mussin, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, in his opening speech.
In order to use innovative and technological approaches, the government of Kazakhstan launched the Digital Family Social Card, designed to facilitate social support to vulnerable groups. The Digital Family Social Card is a digital platform that accumulates data from 24 government agencies, 30 data resources and determines the level of social well-being of citizens to proactively ensure the provision of government services.
"This is a digital platform that presents a 'real picture' of those in need of assistance, and provides measures of state support, conducts constant monitoring of families in difficult situations. This allows us to see the family's problems and send them messages and push notifications with offers of support and services without bureaucracy," outlined Minister Mussin.
UN Women supported the development of the digital platform specifically targeting early prevention and detection of violence within the family and by widening access to special social services for survivors of domestic violence. The methodology for identifying social risks can potentially become the basis for the process of preventing the onset of social risk, including any act of violence against women and identifying people in a difficult life situation. The Digital Social Card will assess and predict the level of vulnerability of the individual through gender-sensitive indicators in 4 areas: health care, education, social services, law enforcement agencies.
Supporting women’s entrepreneurship
Last year, 17 Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Centers (WEDCs) were launched in Kazakhstan across the country, giving women the opportunity to start or expand their businesses. This project of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken” is supported by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the National Commission for Women Affairs, Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Government of Kazakhstan, UN Women, UNDP, and the Asian Development Bank. The centers, among other types of consultations on access to knowledge, finances and networks, also provides women with the necessary tools and knowledge to digitalize their businesses and establish them on e-commerce platforms.
"The Women Entrepreneurship Development Centers provided a total of 26,386 different services to 9,000 women. A special feature of this project was the provision of services according to the needs of women themselves. Among the training programs, the courses on social media marketing and marketplace business were in particular high demand. Thus, women entrepreneurs and women with entrepreneurial initiative got an opportunity to digitalize their business," said Nurgul Musabekova, coordinator of the Women's Entrepreneurship Development Centers.
Perizat Inkarbayeva, founder of Dignatera, a digital technology center in Karaganda, won a grant from the city's mayor office after receiving training at one of the Women's Entrepreneurship Development Centers. Her project to teach robotics and neurotechnology was recognized as relevant and in demand.
"Thanks to the WEDC, I was trained in social entrepreneurship. Today there are more than 150 children studying at our center, and the income of my business has doubled. The most important is that children have the opportunity to learn digital technology. Our center has been operating for two years now. During these two years we prepared many winners of national and international competitions and created new workplaces for teachers. We are proud to contribute to the development of the city, as the national innovation center of Kazakhstan," said Inkarbayeva.
Also, as part of CSW67, the Kazakhstani digital art exhibition "Behind the door" was launched at the UN headquarters in New York. It is a social art project aimed at combatting domestic violence in Kazakhstan. The language of contemporary art tells five stories of women survivors of violence. The art pieces were created by Kazakhstani women artists, and they are also placed in blockchain format on the NFT platform. The proceeds from their sale will be sent to support centers for women survivors of violence. This project is a social initiative of CITIX, a Kazakhstani company that uses smart solutions and DOOH ecosystems to draw attention to topical social issues. The exhibition is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan with the support of UN Women Kazakhstan.
"At CSW67 the Kazakhstan delegation shared national best practices in using digital technologies for the public good and to support vulnerable groups. Kazakhstan's CSW67 side event showcased the country's key achievements, particularly the use of digital technologies in proactively fulfilling its commitments within the Generation Equality Forum Coalitions on Gender-Based Violence and Economic Justice and Rights. Brilliant works of Kazakhstani artists to raise awareness of the issue of gender-based violence are presented on the global platform and are available to delegates from all participating countries," commented Maria Dotsenko, UN Women Representative in Kazakhstan.
1 of 5
Press Release
08 January 2022
Kazakhstan: UN appeals to exercise restraint, refrain from violence and promote dialogue
Mr. Dujarric confirmed several contacts between the UN and the authorities in Kazakhstan, including a call on Thursday morning between the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Asia, Ms. Natalia Gherman, and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Akan Rakhmetullin.
During these exchanges, appeals to exercise restraint, refrain from violence and promote dialogue to address the situation, were reiterated by the Special Representative, on behalf of the Secretary-General.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Michelle Bachelet, also urged everyone, including security forces, protesters and others, to refrain from violence and to seek a peaceful resolution.
She called on the authorities to ensure Internet services, which are vital for emergency health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, to be “immediately and completely restored.”
Ms. Bachelet said it was now time to “take all steps” to make sure this dialogue happens and to respect and protect human rights during the state of emergency and beyond.
1 of 5
Press Release
11 October 2021
Online video contest: International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2021
In 2016, the UN Secretary-General launched “The Sendai Seven Campaign” to promote each of the seven targets over seven years. The 2021 target is Target F: “Substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of the present Framework by 2030”.
In keeping with the Day’s focus on the impact that disasters have on people’s lives and well-being, this year’s theme is about highlighting best practices and examples of international cooperation, which have a positive impact on the lives of people who live in disaster-prone parts of the world i.e. reducing the numbers of people affected by man-made and natural hazards including extreme weather events, epidemics and pandemics, and earthquakes, environmental catastrophe and technological disasters.
In dedication of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNDRR announces an Online Video Contest & a DRR Questionnaire, which will contribute to raise greater awareness about disaster risk reduction. Participants should submit their best answers following the link https://forms.office.com/r/ECwCKmBjdY
Everyone has an opportunity to show their talent and contribute to the safety of their community by raising awareness on disaster risk reduction by submitting their work. Please read below the terms and condition of the Contest.
Format
• In the Videos participants should complete the phrase: "Disaster Risk Reduction is ..." Then, say the following phrase #OnlyTogether… Prevention Saves Lives.
• All videos must be one-minute maximum of running time
Eligibility requirements:
Anyone with creativity skills is eligible to enter the contest.
Technical specifications for submission:
All materials should be submitted electronically to samal.bekmaganbetova@un.org. Participants are responsible to ensure the quality of the submitted material. Any entries deemed offensive will be immediately disqualified.
The submitted material must be an original creation - no copyrighted images may be used.
The participant must certify and warrant that the submitted material does not violate the rights of a third party or any copyright. UNDRR is not responsible for intellectual property violations that might have resulted through the submissions.
Judging and notification of selected participants:
The Contest closes at 23:59 pm on October 10, 2021, qualifying materials will be judged on adherence to the Contest theme through its message clarity, composition, and overall presentation. UNDRR will appoint a jury to judge the entries.
The selected entry will be announced on October 13, 2021 and the winner will be notified by e-mail.
Rights and ownership:
By submitting their works to UNDRR, participants agree to grant UNDRR free of charge the right to use the submitted work in any manner and media, including without limitation, the right to publish, adapt, distribute, copy, display or translate in printed or electronic media even if they are not the winning entries.
Award:
The selected candidate will receive UNDRR Certificate, will be invited to events dedicated to disaster risk reduction and the winners’ work will be used for UNDRR materials as mentioned above.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Samal Bekmaganbetova, National Technical Officersamal.bekmaganbetova@un.org, tel: (993-12) 488325 (117)
1 of 5
Press Release
20 August 2021
UN statement on temporary relocation of the UNAMA staff to Almaty
It is envisaged that international personnel of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), as well as UN agencies, funds, and programmes, numbering up to around 100 in total, will establish a temporary office in Almaty. This measure is intended to enable the UN to keep delivering vital assistance to the people of Afghanistan with the minimum of disruption while, at the same time, reducing risk to UN personnel. Personnel will return to Afghanistan as conditions permit.
The UN is committed to staying and delivering support to the Afghan people in their hour of need. The majority of humanitarian personnel remain in Afghanistan, providing vital assistance to millions in need.
The temporary remote office in Almaty may, depending on the security situation in Afghanistan, act as a temporary hub for UN staff to rotate in and out of Afghanistan.
The United Nations expresses its deep appreciation to the Government of Kazakhstan for its previous agreement to host a UNAMA remote office as well as the excellent cooperation provided yesterday when the first UNAMA staff arrived in Almaty.
Full recording of the press briefing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSQpz9nLtx4
1 of 5
Press Release
12 July 2021
Call for good practices in the field of digital agriculture
In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, the office of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Kazakhstan has launched a “Call for good practices on digital agriculture in Kazakhstan”. This call will enable to identify, showcase the good practices and innovative solutions that have proven successful in advancing the digital transformation of agriculture in the different regions of Kazakhstan.
The deadline for submission is 31 July 2021.
Successful Shortlisted candidates will receive the opportunity to present their good practices and outstanding achievements at the national online conference on “Digital Agriculture in Kazakhstan” which will be held in November 2021.
The Call for good practices in digital agriculture seeks submissions from individuals and organisations in urban and rural areas involved in the agricultural sector of Kazakhstan, including forestry and fisheries.
Contest requirements are as follows:
The good practice must be already put into practice, or have been successfully finalised in the period from 2018 to 2021;
The practices must be implemented in Kazakhstan.
The good practice must be based on at least one or a combination of various digital technologies (mobile, satellite, cloud computing, machine learning, sensor network, IoT, etc);
The solutions indicated in the submission must be accessible and affordable to stakeholders in the agriculture sector, so the practices can be replicable.
*Please be informed that there is no participation fee.
A complete description of the conditions of the Contest is here
To participate, please submit all information about your good practice at the following link here : https://forms.gle/vHVEDKiJ5UWPgTj26.
Other Information
For any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at email: gulnaz.iskakova@fao.org
1 of 5
Latest Resources
1 / 11
1 / 11