UNDP local governance project to cover five regions of Kazakhstan

Five regions of Kazakhstan will join a new UNDP-backed initiative aimed at strengthening local self-government, officials said at the 11th meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Coordination Council chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin, Qazinform News Agency reports.

Zhumangarin said Kazakhstan remains strongly committed to the global sustainable development agenda and has established itself as a regional leader in Central Asia, enhancing its positions at the international arena.

"As President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has repeatedly emphasized, the implementation of the SDGs is directly linked to our national priorities. Speaking at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, the President noted that Kazakhstan had integrated sustainable development goals into state planning and budgeting processes. We attach particular importance to cooperation with international organizations in achieving these objectives," he said.