The first CIS Volunteer Forum has kicked off in Astana. The initiative to hold it was put forward by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and the decision was supported by the CIS Council of Heads of Government. The forum will become an annual platform for uniting volunteer initiatives and exchanging experience among the Commonwealth countries, reports infohub.kz.
The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva, Executive Director of the UN Volunteers Programme Toily Kurbanov, Secretary General of the CICA Sarybai Kairat, Deputy Secretary General of the CIS Nurlan Seitimov, as well as representatives of volunteer organizations and delegations from CIS countries.
The opening began with a welcoming address from the President of Kazakhstan, read out by Aida Balayeva. It reads, in part: "It is highly symbolic that this important event is taking place during the International Year of Volunteers, declared by the UN at Kazakhstan's proposal. This is a recognition of the enormous role that volunteers play in addressing many social, humanitarian, and environmental challenges.
By initiating this forum, Kazakhstan aimed to create a permanent CIS platform for exchanging experience and consolidating volunteer initiatives on the international stage. It is especially important for us to focus on building bridges of friendship, fostering values such as solidarity, mercy, and compassion.
In Kazakhstan, volunteerism serves to develop human potential, promote the idea of responsible citizenship, and shape a new public ethics. Since July 1, the new Constitution has come into force, which for the first time in the country's history has enshrined state support for volunteer activities at the highest legal level.
The noble aspirations of volunteers are an inexhaustible source of inspiration and a powerful transformative force. A vivid example is the nationwide movement 'Taza Kazakhstan'. This good initiative quickly united many citizens, especially active youth. Overall, within the Year of Volunteers, thousands of events have been held, and the number of volunteers in the country has approached 300,000 people.
I am confident that this forum will make a significant contribution to the development of humanitarian cooperation among our countries and will help strengthen human ties, trust, and good neighborliness. The main goal is to turn the Commonwealth into a space of creation and progress, unity and mutual understanding.
I express sincere gratitude to all volunteers for their compassion and readiness to change the world for the better.
I wish the forum participants productive work and great joint achievements!"
The two-day forum brings together about 300 delegates from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, including representatives of government agencies, volunteer organizations, and individual volunteers. The program includes panel sessions, thematic discussions, and presentations of successful volunteer practices. Special attention will be paid to developing interstate cooperation and forming joint initiatives in ecology, social and inclusive support, as well as youth volunteerism.