At the initiative of the Republic of Kazakhstan, an important historical decision was made at the international level: the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.
A number of projects are being implemented in the region to develop the volunteer movement and support environmental initiatives. One of the main innovations in this direction is the organization of the "Best Environmental Strategies" competition among volunteers. The winner of the competition is awarded a grant of 1 million tenge. The award ceremony will take place at a solemn event summarizing the year's results. Competition participants develop their initiatives in advance and go through stages of selection and project defense.
The region currently has about 3 thousand volunteers, of which 2,456 are youth. To support and develop the volunteer movement, 11 projects with a total value of 19,245 thousand tenge are being implemented in the region in 2026. One of them is the "Promotion of Volunteering in the Kostanay Region" project worth 5 million tenge, implemented by the Regional Youth Resource Center.
Overall, volunteer activity in the country has shown steady growth in recent years. Annually, more than 60 thousand people are attracted to the National Volunteer Network, and more than 200 people have become laureates of the international "Volunteer of the Year" award.
At the regional level, an increase in volunteer activity is also observed. According to the results of 2025, 2,211 events were organized in the region, with the participation of more than 22 thousand volunteers. The total volume of volunteer activity exceeded 4,800 hours. Furthermore, the regional front office is becoming an effective platform providing opportunities for the formation of proactive youth and leaders.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/kostanay/press/news/details/1197131?lang=kk