Bangkok, 3 September 2026. During the fifth session of the UN ESCAP Committee on Information and Communications Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation, the delegation of Kazakhstan presented an update on progress in implementing the project to establish the UN ESCAP Asian and Pacific Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development in Almaty.

In his statement, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to UN ESCAP Margulan Baimukhan reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to fulfilling the obligations undertaken under the relevant resolution adopted at the 82nd session of the Commission and noted that the country plans to ensure the opening of the Centre in 2027. The head of the Kazakh delegation called on ESCAP member States to actively participate in the work of the Centre, including by seconding representatives and experts, as well as by sharing best practices and digital solutions.

Several participating UN ESCAP member States expressed their support for Kazakhstan’s initiative and welcomed the progress made in implementing the Astana Ministerial Declaration on Digital Inclusion and Transformation in Asia and the Pacific.

Background: During the 82nd session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, a resolution establishing a UN ESCAP Asia and Pacific Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development in Almaty was adopted by consensus of all 52 member States.

The initiative attracted an unprecedented number of co-sponsors for an ESCAP resolution - 21 countries in total: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bangladesh, Vanuatu, Georgia, Cambodia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Fiji and Sri Lanka.

It is symbolic that the establishment of this new United Nations entity in Kazakhstan has taken place in the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, as proclaimed by H.E. Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan.

The Centre will become ESCAP’s sixth regional institution, alongside its existing specialized centres in Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, India and Iran.

The Centre is envisaged as a neutral international platform under the auspices of the United Nations, aimed at identifying and disseminating best digital solutions from across the Asia-Pacific region in the field of public and social services.

The activities of the new United Nations entity will contribute to bridging the digital divide across the region, with a particular focus on supporting least developed countries, landlock countries and small island developing States.

The initiative also creates conditions for enhancing Kazakhstan’s export potential in IT services and promoting domestic digital solutions in international markets.

The establishment of the UN ESCAP Asia-Pacific Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development in Almaty will constitute a significant contribution to advancing the priorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s state policy in the fields of digitalization and artificial intelligence development.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-thailand/press/news/details/1284942?lang=ru