Geneva, April 11, 2025 – The 71^st session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) took place in Geneva on 9-10 April 2025, bringing together 56 Member States from Europe, America and Central Asia to discuss priorities for regional cooperation on climate change and infrastructure development.

During the High-Level Dialogue on “Climate Action and Resilient Infrastructure for Sustainable Development”, Vice-Minister of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Kassenov emphasized the importance of achieving specific goals of the National Infrastructure Plan of Kazakhstan until 2029, taking into account the priorities of the Strategy for Achieving Carbon Neutrality until 2060. He also called on UN Member States and UN agencies to actively support the UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty and the Astana International Forum, which will be attended by the UN Under-Secretary-General and UNECE Executive Secretary Ms. Tatiana Molcean.

The Vice-Minister also spoke at a High-Level Round Table, reaffirming Kazakhstan's commitment to the SDGs through various mechanisms such as the Parliamentary Commission for Monitoring the Implementation of National Sustainable Development Goals and Targets, national and local SDG reviews, the UN Water Convention, the UN Forum of Mayors, the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), and also informed about the UN Regional Climate Summit to be convened in Kazakhstan in 2026. A meeting of SPECA participating states’ Heads of Delegation was held on the sidelines of the UNECE session under the chairmanship of Turkmenistan.

During the session, the UNECE Member States unanimously elected Kazakhstan to serve as a Vice-Chair of the Commission's Bureau in 2025-2027. Italy was elected as the Chair of the Bureau, and Montenegro as the second Vice-Chair. Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva Yerlan Alimbayev expressed his gratitude to the Member States for their trust and assured that Kazakhstan will carry out its activities in the Bureau taking into account the ongoing UN reform under the UN-80 initiative and the interests of all Member States, with a special emphasis on the countries of Central Asia.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-geneva/press/news/details/974951?lang=kk