Kazakhstan Steps into the Global Spotlight with UN Regional Hub in Almaty

The opening of the UN Regional Hub in Almaty marks a significant step in Kazakhstan’s growing influence on the international stage.

Sultan Akimbekov, director of the Institute of Asian Research, said that the development reflects Central Asia’s shift from a peripheral region to a center of critical global processes, The Caspian Post reports per Kazakh media.

“Now we see that the situation is constantly changing. This includes Afghanistan and the transport corridors that are developing around our region. Today we are practically in the epicenter of very important events,” Akimbekov said.

He noted that over the past three decades, Kazakhstan has been a key strategic location for policy-making toward neighboring countries, including Afghanistan and Iran. The presence of international company offices operating across Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Turkey further underscores the country’s regional significance.

Akimbekov stressed that the UN’s decision to establish the hub highlights Kazakhstan’s strategic position and political role. “This shows that the United Nations attaches great importance to the role that Central Asia, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan can play in stabilizing the situation,” he said, adding that sustainable development will also be a major focus.

Earlier this month, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited the Almaty UN Regional Center to sign an agreement establishing the UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan.