UN General Assembly: Central Asia is shaping new meanings of sustainable development
# Article
30 September, 2025
Experts in the field of sustainable development note the need for new approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals
A series of meetings within the framework of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly has concluded in New York. One of the key events was a panel discussion on the sustainable development of Central Asia, bringing together leading experts in finance, logistics, digitalization, ecology, and sustainable development.
This platform demonstrated Central Asia's growing role as a strategic bridge between East and West, building on the legacy of the Great Silk Road to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan presented initiatives in green finance, renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and inclusive trade.
Particular attention was paid to practical examples. For instance, AITAS, the largest agricultural holding in Kazakhstan, implements its social mission through systemic investments in education and rural development. Every year, the Aitas Foundation channels millions of dollars into supporting rural areas. To bridge the gap between urban and rural areas, the Education Development Support Fund was established, which has already attracted over $100 million in social investments, renovated over 325 rural schools, trained more than 6,000 teachers, and provided access to quality education for more than 130,000 rural children.
"We are developing and implementing strategies for the sustainable development of rural areas—this is a new model of business social mission. For five years now, they have been implemented in three regions of Kazakhstan, combining the efforts of government, business, and society. Over this time, we have managed to implement more than 200 projects with the attraction of over $70 million in investments," noted Daniyar Toktarbayev, head of the Education Development Support Fund, during the panel.
At the same time, the expert drew attention to the need for a new understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals themselves:
"Our economies are not the largest, and we are not always at the center of global politics. But we possess something that the world needs no less than resources today—new meanings. The rich experience of synthesizing cultures and traditions allows our region to offer a holistic perspective, free from ideological prejudices and aimed at a deep understanding of connections. Such an approach can gift the world a new image of the future, which is needed today more than ever."
According to Toktarbayev, it is Central Asia that can offer the world a holistic model and philosophy of sustainable development, where the SDGs become not a formal set of indicators, but a system of values and a way of life.
A series of meetings within the framework of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly has concluded in New York. One of the key events was a panel discussion on the sustainable development of Central Asia, bringing together leading experts in finance, logistics, digitalization, ecology, and sustainable development.
This platform demonstrated Central Asia's growing role as a strategic bridge between East and West, building on the legacy of the Great Silk Road to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan presented initiatives in green finance, renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and inclusive trade.
Particular attention was paid to practical examples. For instance, AITAS, the largest agricultural holding in Kazakhstan, implements its social mission through systemic investments in education and rural development. Every year, the Aitas Foundation channels millions of dollars into supporting rural areas. To bridge the gap between urban and rural areas, the Education Development Support Fund was established, which has already attracted over $100 million in social investments, renovated over 325 rural schools, trained more than 6,000 teachers, and provided access to quality education for more than 130,000 rural children.
"We are developing and implementing strategies for the sustainable development of rural areas—this is a new model of business social mission. For five years now, they have been implemented in three regions of Kazakhstan, combining the efforts of government, business, and society. Over this time, we have managed to implement more than 200 projects with the attraction of over $70 million in investments," noted Daniyar Toktarbayev, head of the Education Development Support Fund, during the panel.
At the same time, the expert drew attention to the need for a new understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals themselves:
"Our economies are not the largest, and we are not always at the center of global politics. But we possess something that the world needs no less than resources today—new meanings. The rich experience of synthesizing cultures and traditions allows our region to offer a holistic perspective, free from ideological prejudices and aimed at a deep understanding of connections. Such an approach can gift the world a new image of the future, which is needed today more than ever."
According to Toktarbayev, it is Central Asia that can offer the world a holistic model and philosophy of sustainable development, where the SDGs become not a formal set of indicators, but a system of values and a way of life.
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