Meeting of ERI and UNDP Kazakhstan

Ruslan Sultanov, Chief Executive Officer of Economic Research Institute (ERI), met with Suhrob Hodjimatov, Acting Permanent Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Kazakhstan.

Aigerim Egemberdiyeva Project Manager, UNDP representative, and Zaur Ibragimov Project Expert attended the meeting. ERI was represented by Bauyrzhan Mukan Managing Director, Bakhytgul Khambar, Director of the SDG Secretariat, and Assel Alpysbayeva, Regime Advisor.

Below are some results of joint efforts:

·     The Institute and UNDP have already presented the Voluntary National Review twice (2019 and 2022) at the High-Level Political Forum (UN Headquarters).

·     The first stage of the Integrated National Financing Framework for the SDGs is successfully completed.

·     In 2021, the Institute with the support of UNDP in Kazakhstan, one of the first among the countries of Central Asia, carried out an assessment of the financing of SDG development, and also noted good results on the SDGs budgeting (covers gender issues, children’s budget, and financing of socially vulnerable population groups).

·     Work is being performed for climate budget labeling, which is highly relevant in light of the growing environmental problems.

·     Awareness-raising work is being conducted. In particular, the “Mission 2030” business game, which is a great tool for localization and promotion of sustainable development and many others.

In terms of plans for the future, the parties discussed the prospects for joint efforts to promote the SDGs principles at the level of the Central Asian countries. Thus today, the country has its Regional Knowledge-Sharing Platform on the SDGs for Central Asia.

It should be noted that the President of Kazakhstan highlighted the importance of opening a Regional Center on the SDGs in Almaty during the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.