President Tokayev says number of volunteers in Kazakhstan nears 300,000
The number of volunteers in Kazakhstan has approached 300,000, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a meeting with Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, Qazinform News Agency cites Akorda.
During the meeting, Tokayev thanked Kurbanov for his continued support for Kazakhstan’s initiatives in the field of volunteering and for taking part in the CIS Volunteer Forum being held in Astana.
The president said Kazakhstan places particular emphasis on developing the volunteer movement. He pointed to the country’s initiative to declare 2026 the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, which was supported by the UN General Assembly.
“We view volunteering through the lens of state policy as an expression of genuine patriotism and, of course, the state’s support for young people,” Tokayev said.
He also noted that, on his initiative, the principle of volunteering was included in Kazakhstan’s new Constitution. For the first time, the promotion of volunteer activities has been formally enshrined at the constitutional level, he added.
More than 1,000 events are being held across Kazakhstan as part of the International Year of Volunteers, while the country’s volunteer community has grown to nearly 300,000 people.
The government is also developing a Concept for the Development of the Volunteer Movement through 2030, while introducing a digital volunteer passport and improving state support and regional infrastructure for volunteer activities.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had welcomed participants of the first CIS Volunteer Forum.
