Foreign volunteers will join Caspian and Aral restoration efforts

Tengrinews.kz – Volunteers from other countries will be invited to take part in upcoming environmental initiatives aimed at protecting the Caspian Sea and restoring nature in the Aral Sea region, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said while speaking at a Volunteers Forum in Astana.
Tokayev stressed the need to strengthen international cooperation in volunteering and called for new global platforms to share experience and coordinate volunteer initiatives.

“Kazakhstan participates in the UN Volunteers Programme, which allows our citizens to gain unique experience working within global volunteer structures. It is important to ensure the continued participation of our volunteers in this programme. I believe that new platforms should be created to exchange experience and coordinate volunteer initiatives at the international level,” he said.

The President added that, alongside the United Nations, Kazakhstan is also developing the volunteer movement through major international organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

“For example, this year, at our initiative, Kazakhstan will host the first Forum of Volunteers from the CIS member states. As you know, Kazakhstan is holding the International Year of Volunteers under the motto ‘Together – for a sustainable future!’ Within the framework of the Regional Ecological Summit, which will be held under the auspices of the UN in Astana in April this year, a special session on volunteering is planned. This event will contribute to the implementation of the best volunteer projects in the field of ecology,” Tokayev noted.

He also announced two additional initiatives: an Action Week on the Caspian Sea and an International Volunteer Week for the Aral Sea Ecological Restoration.

“Volunteers from different countries will be invited to take part in them. I support these initiatives aimed at preserving the unique ecosystems of our vast region,” the Head of State said.

In September Tokayev urged UN to take urgent measures to save the Caspian Sea.