Kazakhstan has become one of the world's leaders in the development of the volunteer movement, said Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator of the UN Volunteers programme, at a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reports infohub.kz.
During the meeting, the head of state thanked Toily Kurbanov for his support of Kazakhstan's initiatives in the field of volunteering and for his participation in the CIS Volunteers Forum held in Astana.
The President noted that Kazakhstan pays special attention to the development of the volunteer movement. "A testament to this is our country's proposal to declare 2026 the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, which was supported by the UN General Assembly," he recalled.
Tokayev emphasized that the country views volunteering as a manifestation of true patriotism and support for youth. He also mentioned that within the framework of the International Year of Volunteers, more than a thousand events are being held in Kazakhstan, and the number of volunteers in the country has approached 300,000.
Toily Kurbanov, in turn, thanked the head of state for his attention to the development of the volunteer movement and noted the high level of cooperation with the UN Volunteers programme. "More than 60 countries have supported Kazakhstan's initiative to proclaim the Year of Volunteers. You are setting global trends; such a public campaign as 'Taza Kazakhstan' has aroused great interest in a number of countries," he said.
In conclusion, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarded the Executive Coordinator of the UN Volunteers programme the Order of Dostyk, II degree, for his significant contribution to the development of volunteering in Kazakhstan.