BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Kazakhstan
attaches particular importance to the development of the volunteer
movement.
This was announced by the press service of the Kazakh
government, citing a statement made by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during
a meeting with UN Volunteers Executive Coordinator Toily
Kurbatov.
According to the information, the president noted that
Kazakhstan's proposal to declare 2026 the International Year of
Volunteers for Sustainable Development, supported by the UN General
Assembly, is evidence of the country's focus on developing
volunteerism.
"We view volunteering through the prism of state policy as an
expression of true patriotism and, of course, the state's support
for young people. At my initiative, the principle of volunteering
was included in the new Constitution. For the first time, support
for volunteer activities has been enshrined at the constitutional
level," Tokayev said.
More than 1,000 events are being held in Kazakhstan as part of
the International Year of Volunteers, while the number of
volunteers in the country has approached 300,000.
The country is also developing a Concept for the Development of
the Volunteer Movement through 2030, introducing a digital
volunteer passport and strengthening state support and regional
volunteer infrastructure.
Kurbatov thanked the president for his attention to the
development of the volunteer movement and highlighted the high
level of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UN Volunteers
Programme, as well as their coordinated work during the
International Year of Volunteers.
"Kazakhstan is the only country to have reached such heights in
the field of volunteering. More than 60 countries supported
Kazakhstan's initiative to proclaim the Year of Volunteers. You are
setting global trends. A public initiative such as Taza Kazakhstan
has attracted considerable interest from a number of countries,"
the UN Volunteers Executive Coordinator said.
