QAZAQ GREEN. The 7th meeting of the Coordinating Council for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) took place in Astana, with the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Alikhan Smailov, as the chairman. The meeting was attended by heads of central government agencies, as well as representatives from the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the European Union (EU). The agenda included discussions on updating the national SDG indicators, localizing the SDGs in the regions, and preparing an annual report on the implementation of SDGs, UNDP Kazakhstan reports.

During the meeting, Mr. Smailov emphasized that the primary goal of the SDGs is to improve the quality of life of Kazakhstan's citizens by implementing advanced international standards.

"In September of last year, the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, participated in the United Nations' SDG Summit. During his speech, the President emphasized that achieving the SDGs is a top priority for the nation. As a result, Kazakhstan is always willing to collaborate with all Member States to pursue a more just and sustainable world," said Mr. Smailov.

During his welcoming speech, Sukhrob Khojimatov, the UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan a.i., highlighted two key areas that the UNDP focused on in 2023. The first area was the localization of the SDGs within the framework of a regional programme to establish an SDG Platform for Central Asia, funded by the European Union. The second area was the support provided by UNDP to the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan in creating a Parliamentary Commission for monitoring the implementation of national goals and objectives in the field of sustainable development.

In this regard, Mr. Khojimatov pointed to a proposal voiced during one of the meetings of the Parliamentary Commission to revise the list of national SDG indicators since their excess complicates the monitoring process. UNDP proposed selecting two-three critical indicators for each SDG, integrating them into Kazakhstan's strategic programmes and documents, and distributing the rest among central and local authorities.

"Thus, creating an efficient and high-quality monitoring system that prioritizes results will be possible. It will help establish comprehensive national SDG indicators while developing local indicators that target inclusivity and improve quality of life. Such a system will ensure that second and third-level indicators work towards achieving the key SDG indicators," said Mr. Khojimatov.

Johannes Baur, the Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan, emphasized that in 2024, the EU and its member states have committed to supporting Kazakhstan's transition to a carbon-neutral economy by 2060. During this year, they will launch the implementation of the Team Europe initiative, which will focus on energy, water resources, and climate change in Central Asia. The initiative will receive a budget of 20 million euros. This cooperation will be extended through a new bilateral mechanism to facilitate the transition to a "green" economy and modernize Kazakhstan's Emissions Trading System.

Following discussions, the SDG Coordinating Council has approved an action plan for 2024.