On 2-3 October 2026, Astana will host the II Joint Colloquium, “Promoting Health, Promoting Peace: A Shared Commitment to the Care of Vulnerable Children,” organized by the International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue and the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See.

The Colloquium will be co-chaired by Erlan Karin, Vice President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See.

The event will bring together official representatives of Kazakhstan and the Holy See, religious leaders, specialists in pediatrics, bioethics and theology, as well as representatives of international organizations and the academic and expert communities.

The program of the Colloquium will focus on three key areas: the moral foundations of care for children and interreligious solidarity; the protection of the rights and dignity of children with incurable diseases; and the advancement of medical, scientific and institutional cooperation. Particular attention will also be given to the potential applications of artificial intelligence in pediatrics and to the ethical principles governing its use.

One of the central topics of discussion will be the draft of Charter of the Rights of the Child with an Incurable Disease, founded on the principles of respect for human dignity, comprehensive care for the child and all-round support for the family. The Kazakh side will also present the experience of the “Zhusan” humanitarian operation as a practical example of assistance provided to children facing particularly difficult life circumstances.

The II Joint Colloquium represents an important mechanism for direct cooperation between Kazakhstan’s International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue and the Holy See’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. The first Joint Colloquium was held at the Vatican in April 2024.

This format constitutes an important element of the broader cooperation agenda between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Holy See, aimed at strengthening interreligious dialogue, fostering a culture of peace and promoting the protection of human dignity.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-vatican/press/news/details/1303250?lang=ru