Establishment of the Regional Center for SDGs for Central Asia and Afghanistan | UN Chief

Secretary-General's remarks at the Centre for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan -------------- Distinguished President Tokayev and my dear friend, Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a profound honour to join you today. We have just signed the host country agreement for the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan. The Centre represents the opening of a new chapter – for the region and for our collective journey towards the Sustainable Development Goals. It symbolizes the new era of cooperation in Central Asia – grounded in shared priorities and solutions. And it holds great potential for showing how the strong bonds among the region’s leaders can translate into deeper economic integration, for the benefit of all people. This is more essential than ever. And I commend President Tokayev for his vision and his leadership in helping to shape this new Central Asia that will become more and more a fundamental power in our world order. I thank Member States for supporting this initiative. And I salute the people of Kazakhstan for their warm welcome. Almaty is a fitting home for this Centre. This is a city of history, resilience, and vision. And Kazakhstan is an ideal and generous host. This country has long served as a bridge between East and West, tradition and innovation. The Centre has been mandated by the General Assembly, and I look forward to its operationalization – with terms of reference being finalized and leadership appointments to follow. Soon, it will serve as a hub for regional collaboration … a laboratory for ideas … and a launchpad for action. It will bring together governments, UN country teams, civil society, academia, the private sector, regional organizations, and financial institutions – to develop coordinated, country-led efforts; And tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time – from climate change and water scarcity to youth unemployment, gender inequality and digital exclusion. Working together with our Resident Coordinators and Country Teams, it will contribute to accelerating progress toward the 2030 Agenda in Central Asia and Afghanistan – driven by the spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility that defines the United Nations. Excellencies, dear friends, We are only five years away from 2030 – but far from our destination. The world is facing complex and interlinked challenges that threaten sustainable development. Poverty is stalling. Hunger and malnutrition are plaguing societies. Inequalities are deepening. Conflicts continue to tear communities apart. And the climate crisis is accelerating. In Central Asia, climate change is already draining water supplies, melting glaciers, and fuelling natural disasters. The shrinking of the Aral Sea is a stark reminder of the region’s environmental vulnerability. Rising trade tensions and global uncertainty compound these risks. The region’s landlocked geography presents additional barriers – to trade, connectivity, financing, and access to global markets. That is why I am especially pleased to be here on the eve of the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Turkmenistan. This Centre can become a vital pioneer in implementing the Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries; Today, we must say that Kazakhstan is no longer a landlocked country. Kazakhstan is a centre in the global trade system. A centre in the global logistics, transportation and the telecommunication system with its corridors on roads, railways, fiber optics and transforming this country in really a bridge from East and West, North and South. And the Centre can help ensure that the aspirations of landlocked nations are not constrained by geography – but can empower by cooperation and regional solutions. It will build on the region’s greatest asset – its people. Young people, women, entrepreneurs, and civil society – these are the true engines of progress, driving the innovation and resilience needed to leave no one behind. The Centre will support data-driven policy, spark innovation, and amplify the voices of those too often unheard. And nowhere is that cooperation more urgent than in our support to Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan continue to face immense hardship – from entrenched poverty and mass displacement to earthquakes, climate shocks, and a fragile humanitarian landscape. ... Full Statement: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2025-08-03/secretary-generals-remarks-the-centre-for-sustainable-development-goals-for-central-asia-and-afghanistan-delivered


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