UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2021-2025)
UNECE is a signatory of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and contributes in particular to the following strategic priorities:
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Outcome 3.1. By 2025, all people in Kazakhstan, especially the most vulnerable, benefit from inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economic development with improved productive capacities, skills and equal opportunities for sustainable and decent jobs, livelihoods, and businesses.
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Outcome 3.2. By 2025, all people in Kazakhstan, in particular the most vulnerable, benefit from increased climate resilience, sustainable management of the environment and clean energy, and sustainable rural and urban development.
UNECE works in close cooperation with the Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Country Team.
Key highlights
Energy
Kazakhstan is a major energy producer and is actively engaged with UNECE on sustainable energy and the use of renewable energy, with focus on hydrogen ecosystem and the extractive industry, including critical raw materials needed for green transition (SDG7 and SDG12).
Kazakhstan is a beneficiary of several UNECE-led projects, including Enhancing National Capacities to Develop and Implement Energy Efficiency Standards for Buildings in the UNECE Region, sustainable hydrogen production pathways in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Improving capacities of the UNECE member States to decarbonize the transport sector by increasing the use of natural gas as a motor fuel, and “Strengthening energy policies of Countries with Special Needs to build back better from COVID-19” (SDG7 and SDG12).
Kazakhstan is also a beneficiary of the project Improving capacities of the UNECE member States to decarbonize the transport sector by increasing the use of natural gas as a motor fuel and of the UNECE Carbon Neutrality Toolkit.
Environment
Kazakhstan is a Party to 4 UNECE environmental conventions and several of their protocols.
It is invited to ratify the Protocols of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention), as well as the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) under the Espoo Convention (SDG9, SDG11 and SDG13).
UNECE has supported national policy dialogues on water, which led to the signing of the signing of the bilateral Chu-Talas Agreement between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and setting up of the Chu-Talas Commission. UNECE has also supported the bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation on the Ural River, and a study of the pollution of the Syr Darya River, which contains the first ever inventory and mapping of tailing storage facilities, and a concrete investment proposal. In addition, UNECE provided support for the implementation of the Work Plan of the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan Working Group on the environment and water quality of the Syr Darya River (SDG6 and SDG13).
As part of the UNECE Project on supporting countries of Central Asia in strengthening the safety of mine tailings (2020-2023), Kazakhstan has established an inter-institutional working group on tailings safety and the prevention of accidental water pollution.
UNECE welcomes the plans of Kazakhstan to accede to the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in 2024, building on the 2021 Environmental Code and its provisions on SEA and transboundary environmental impact assessment, which were developed with support from UNECE.
The Third Environmental Performance Review of Kazakhstan addresses issues of specific importance, such as air quality, biodiversity and protected areas, as well as water, waste and chemicals management, industry, agriculture, energy and health. It further provides a substantive and policy analysis of the country’s climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and its participation in international mechanisms (SDG13).
Forests
UNECE has developed a National profile of Kazakhstan’s forests and forest sector and has supported the country in national reporting to FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment - overview of the State of Forests and Forest Management in Kazakhstan. UNECE has also supported the strengthening of national monitoring systems through the capacity-building project “Accountability Systems for Sustainable Forest Management”, as well as forest landscape restoration work, through the development of National Policy Guiding Principles on Forest Landscape Restoration (SDG12, SDG13 and SDG15).
Gender equality
The standards body of Kazakhstan is invited to sign the Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development (SDG5, SDG9 and SDG12).
Population
UNECE is assisting Kazakhstan to develop a road map on mainstreaming ageing, including relevant recommendations (SDG3 and SDG11).
Statistics
A global assessment was conducted in 2023, and recommendations from the previous round were largely implemented. UNECE is ready to support Kazakhstan to modernize its statistical production, for example by planning to use more administrative and big data Sources (SDG11).
Trade
UNECE continues supporting Kazakhstan in removing regulatory and procedural barriers to trade and embracing circular economy principles (SDG8 and SDG9).
Kazakhstan has played a strong role in the UNECE Steering Committee on Trade Capacity and Standards. As a participating State and strong supporter of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), it is the first country to report on having included SPECA’s Principles of Sustainable Trade in its national development plans (SDG8 and SDG9).
There is an opportunity for Kazakhstan to accelerate circular economy transition by active participation in Circular STEP stakeholder engagement platform. It can also benefit from the UNECE project “Accelerating the transition to a circular economy in the UNECE region” (SDG9).
Transport
Kazakhstan has acceded to 18 UN legal instruments on inland transport.
As the largest landlocked country in Central Asia and a major transit route for other Central Asian countries, railway plays an important role in Kazakhstan’s economy, trade and people’s travels. UNECE is working with the Government to deepen digitalization in transport and facilitate cross-border transit through the eTIR international system (SDG8 and SDG9)
UNECE is currently focused on the country’s participation in the Euro-Asian Transport Links Project (EATL), strengthening the country’s capacity to develop sustainable urban mobility policy, sustainable transport connectivity and implementation of transport related SDGs in selected landlocked and transit/bridging countries. UNECE is also working with the authorities to launch a national road safety performance review (SDG3, SDG9 and SDG 11).
Urban Development
The UNECE Country Profile on the Housing Sector of Kazakhstan highlights the need to develop policies for management of multiapartment buildings to ensure access to decent affordable and energy-efficient housing for all. The UNECE smart sustainable cities profiles developed for Nur-Sultan and Almaty demonstrate the importance of improving urban planning, promoting use of nature-based solutions and further developing innovative financing to attract investments into urban infrastructure (SDG11).
UNECE is working with Kazakhstan to develop policies for management of multiapartment buildings to ensure access to decent affordable and energy-efficient housing for all through implementation of The Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing principles, The Geneva Declaration of Mayors and San Marino Declaration (SDG 11 and SDG13).