Astana, Kazakhstan—President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Executive Coordinator Toily Kurbanov on 20 August to discuss Kazakhstan’s leadership in advancing volunteerism and progress for the International Volunteer Year (IVY) 2026.
The President underscored Kazakhstan’s strong commitment to developing the volunteer movement, highlighting the country’s successful proposal to declare 2026 the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
President Tokayev noted that volunteerism continues to gain momentum across Kazakhstan. More than 1,000 events are being organized nationwide within the framework of IVY 2026, while the number of volunteers in the country has grown to nearly 300,000.
We consider volunteering through the prism of state policy as a manifestation of true patriotism and, of course, state support for young people. According to my initiative, the principle of volunteering was introduced into the new Constitution. For the first time at the constitutional level, it enshrines the encouragement of volunteer activities," stated President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The meeting held on the sidelines of the CIS Volunteer Forum also reviewed key efforts to strengthen the enabling environment for volunteerism, including the development of a Concept for the Development of the Volunteer Movement until 2030, the introduction of a digital volunteer passport, and continued improvements in state support mechanisms and regional volunteer infrastructure.
Toily Kurbanov expressed his appreciation to President Tokayev for the attention given to volunteerism and recognized Kazakhstan’s close cooperation with the UNV.
Kazakhstan is the only country that has reached such great heights in the field of volunteering. More than 60 countries supported Kazakhstan's initiative to proclaim the Year of Volunteers. You set global trends, such a public action as "Taza Kazakhstan" aroused great interest among a number of countries," stated Toily Kurbanov, UNV Executive Coordinator.
President Tokayev awarded the Order of Dostyk II (Friendship) to UNV in recognition of its contribution to the development of volunteerism in Kazakhstan.
Please click here to read the press release in Russian.