TEHRAN (Iran News) –On June 8 and 9, Kazakhstan was the host to one of the biggest economic event in the region and Asia as high-level delegates from diverse backgrounds and perspectives across the world attended Astana International Forum (AIF) Astana, capital of Kazakhstan Republic.
The forum brought together renowned leaders, policymakers, scholars, and experts to give them a voice that can empower their ideas for change.
In the opening ceremony and in his address at the plenary session, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the current era as “a period of unprecedented geopolitical tensions” characterized by the “process of destroying the very foundation of the world order that has been built since the founding of the United Nations.”
He emphasized that the global system must work for all, bringing peace and prosperity to the many, not to the few.
President Tokayev shared the stage with heads of state and government and executives of international organizations, including the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva. Richard Quest, distinguished British journalist and CNN International news anchor, moderated the plenary discussion.
In her remarks, Georgieva stressed the importance of human contribution to world development, urging the young population to realize their potential.
“We know that there are a lot of opportunities. For example, in the private sector. The most valuable asset of the region are people! Some 60% of people are under 30. Central Asia can demonstrate to the rest of the world that working together is possible,” she said.
Georgieva emphasized the need for multilateralism and cooperation, saying that “if we master the political will, we can do it.”
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the AIF participants via a video address, calling on the world community to act promptly “to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reform an unfair financial architecture and address common threats at a series of important summits starting with the SDG Summit.”
President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov, spoke to moderator Richard Quest about regional integration, stating that “Central Asian countries need to act together as a region through solidarity and coordinated policies.”
Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, Director-General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Audrey Azoulay, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana and Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Helga Schmid also attended the flagship session of the AIF.
The two-day international event aimed to find solutions to the current global challenges and find ways to promote peace, prevent conflict, and organize the global order for the benefit of the whole world.
Meanwhile on June 9, President Tokayev highlighted the essential contribution of the United Nations (UN) to the agenda of the Astana International Forum (AIF) during a meeting with the UN delegation on June 9 in Astana, reported the Akorda press service.
The UN delegation included Armida Alisjahbana, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Ivana Živković, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), David Chikvaidze Chef De Cabinet, Office of the UN Director-General, and Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator for Kazakhstan.
Tokayev emphasized the UN’s exceptional role in strengthening peace and ensuring security.
The President stressed the need to carry out a comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, noting the importance of its expansion. He also reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to join efforts with the UN to strengthen its role.
Over 20 different UN institutions are successfully operating in Kazakhstan. Tokayev reiterated the initiative to open the UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty. The center will focus on strengthening the coordination of UN agencies with the region’s governments by adopting comprehensive measures to advance the 2030 Agenda.
High-ranking UN diplomats shared their impressions of the AIF, highlighting the platform’s strategic importance in developing approaches to addressing the pressing challenges of our time. Central Asia’s role was particularly noted in the transport and logistics sphere and digitalization.
The parties discussed the prospects for developing multifaceted cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UN institutions and exchanged views on topical issues of the international and regional agenda.
