On September 17, 2026, Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Samarkand, Talgat Sharipov, participated in the Central Asian Civil Society Forum entitled “The Importance of Civil Society Institutions in Democratic Development: The Experience of Uzbekistan and Central Asian Countries,” held to mark the International Day of Democracy.

During the thematic sessions, participants discussed prospects for expanding cooperation among civil society institutions of the Central Asian states, mechanisms for implementing joint projects, as well as the development of cross-border expert networks and associations of non-governmental organizations. Particular attention was paid to the development of permanent dialogue platforms, the exchange of social innovations, and the dissemination of effective practices of the non-governmental sector at the regional level.

The presentations by the Kazakh delegates attracted considerable interest from the audience. Kaisha Atakhanova, Director of Regional Programmes at the Association for Civil Society Development “ARGO,” presented a report entitled “From Global Goals to Local Solutions: The Role of Civil Society in Achieving the SDGs – Kazakhstan’s Experience,” highlighting the cross-border nature of climate-related challenges. In turn, Lyudmila Sengirbayeva, Head of the “Yermensai” Public Association, presented a successful case study on the development of a three-tier “government – civil society – local self-government” model aimed at effectively addressing local social challenges.

The conceptual approaches proposed by the Kazakh side were highly appreciated by international experts, who expressed practical interest in expanding the application of Kazakhstan’s experience in cooperation between government institutions and civil society organizations at the local and regional levels.

Overall, the outcomes of the Forum demonstrated sustained mutual interest among the Central Asian states in the practical exchange of experience in the development of civil society institutions.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-samarkand/press/news/details/1294958?lang=ru