Volunteers from Central Asia and Azerbaijan to gather at RES 2026 to develop solutions to environmental challenges

The Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, in cooperation with the United Nations (hereinafter – UN), will hold a panel session titled “Volunteering and Environmental Action” within the framework of the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (hereinafter – RES), which will take place in Astana on 22–24 April. The event will bring together volunteers from Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan to exchange experience, develop joint solutions, and consolidate efforts toward sustainable development.
This session at the RES will be held under the auspices of the International Year of Volunteers. This global initiative was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 2023, following an initiative proposed by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in 2020.
The International Year aims to recognize, strengthen, and expand the role of volunteering worldwide as a key mechanism for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The session will take place on 23 April and will bring together more than 100 active volunteers and civil society leaders from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to discuss the role of volunteering in addressing environmental challenges in the region.
The event will be attended by high-level international and government officials, including UN Deputy Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of UNDP Haoliang Xu, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva, Chairperson of the State Support Agency for NGOs of Azerbaijan Aygun Aliyeva, and many others. A special video message by the Executive Coordinator of the UN Volunteers Programme, Toily Kurbanov, is also planned.
Following the panel session, a Resolution will be adopted reflecting the consolidated position of participating countries on the development of environmental volunteering. The document is planned to be submitted to the UN Headquarters.
In addition, within the framework of the platform, an Agreement will be signed on the joint implementation of environmental projects “Caspian Sea Action Week 2026” in the Mangystau region and “Green Aral: Volunteers for Life” in the Kyzylorda region. 
These initiatives will become an important step toward strengthening regional cooperation and uniting volunteer efforts to address pressing environmental challenges.