Astana, 24 April 2026 – First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Ashikbayev held a meeting with Deputy Regional Director of UNICEF for Europe and Central Asia Octavian Bivol.

During the meeting, the Kazakh diplomat thanked UNICEF Regional Director for his participation in the Regional Ecological Summit and expressed appreciation for the active support of UNICEF’s Regional Office in organizing panel sessions and events of the Summit involving relevant Kazakh government agencies.

He emphasized that environmental issues are directly linked to children’s well-being, as they are among the most vulnerable groups in the face of natural disasters and man-made emergencies caused by global climate change.

Bivol noted that the Summit platform provided an opportunity to view the regional ecological agenda from a new perspective and helped align approaches on the most pressing issues of regional environmental cooperation.

The UNICEF representative underscored that the Summit marked the launch of a unique regional project titled “Green Schools,” the concept of which is based on integrating environmental education principles into school curricula, fostering responsible and conscious attitudes toward the environment, and developing skills among younger generations for the sustainable and rational use of natural resources.

He also noted that the new country programme of cooperation between the Government of Kazakhstan and UNICEF for 2026–2030 reflects Kazakhstan’s key national priorities related to children’s well-being and the protection of their rights.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue a constructive dialogue on child rights issues and expand UNICEF’s presence at the United Nations Regional Centre for Sustainable Development for the countries of Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/1208461?lang=kk