LocationsRegional Development in Kazakhstan: Why Effective Local Self-Governance Is the Key to Everything
March 31, 2026
Photo: UNDP Kazakhstan
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Kazakhstan, convened a Strategic Session on "Regional Development: The Role of Effective Local Self-Governance." The event brought together key national and international partners to develop practical solutions in the areas of local government and regional development.
Participants included representatives of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Office of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Government Project Office for Regional Development, regional akimats and maslikhats, the Public Association "Union of Maslikhat Deputies of Kazakhstan," and the Delegation of the European Union to Kazakhstan.
The Strategic Session marked a significant milestone within the framework of the regional project concept "Support for the Advancement of Local Self-Governance Reform in Kazakhstan," being developed by UNDP jointly with the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan as donor and strategic partner.
The project concept is grounded in the principles of the Territorial Approach to Local Development (TALD) — the EU's flagship methodology aimed at unlocking the potential of territories by strengthening the role of local executive and representative bodies as key actors in sustainable territorial development.
Photo: UNDP Kazakhstan
Regional Development as a State Priority
Session participants emphasised that regional development remains a top priority at the highest levels of government. Regions constitute the foundation of economic growth, social stability, and citizens' quality of life. The country is implementing a consistent policy to strengthen local self-governance — both the executive and representative branches at the local level — which aligns organically with the TALD approach.
Key reforms include the new Regional Development Concept through 2030, updated Budget and Tax Codes aimed at deepening fiscal decentralisation, and the introduction of a regional standards system establishing uniform minimum requirements for infrastructure and service quality regardless of citizens' place of residence.
Institutional Reforms and Rural Economic Development
Representatives of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan identified two principal areas of practical work: developing the institutions of public administration and local self-governance, and stimulating the economies of rural districts. They noted that engagement with international partners — the EU and UNDP — helps to surface systemic challenges facing territories and translate them into concrete legislative proposals.
Representatives of the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan confirmed the Ministry's openness to sharing data and analytics with development partners, noting that the regional standards system introduced in 2025 provides a solid analytical foundation for joint work.
The Analytical Centre of the Government Project Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan presented data on the socioeconomic situation of rural populations and the household categorisation system by welfare level. Under the Auyl Amanaty programme, microcredit models are being implemented for families in vulnerable categories: projections indicate that farming at least three hectares with appropriate agronomic support enables a family to achieve a stable monthly income. The presenter underscored that it is precisely the combination of data, digital tools, and support measures that makes it possible to design targeted solutions for specific territories.
Maslikhats as Drivers of Change
Representatives of the Union of Maslikhat Deputies of Kazakhstan presented an initiative to establish deputy councils in districts. While noting that the European experience of professionalising representative bodies serves as a benchmark for Kazakhstan, the Union emphasised that the Local Councils concept — successfully implemented across EU Member States — demonstrates that maslikhats have the capacity to become genuine engines of local development, provided they receive adequate institutional strengthening.
Photo: UNDP Kazakhstan
UNDP's Contribution
Ainur Baimyrza, Head of the Governance Unit at UNDP Kazakhstan, articulated the project's guiding philosophy concisely: not to arrive with ready-made answers, but to help partners find their own. Across six areas of support — ranging from strengthening the legal framework for local self-governance and developing digital solutions for local administration, to building the capacity of akimats and maslikhats, facilitating experience exchange with EU Member States, and establishing a permanent inter-institutional dialogue platform — UNDP intends to work with each region individually, taking into account its specific context. As the presenter emphasised, there are no universal formulas: every territory has its own potential and its own pathways for growth.
At the close of the Strategic Session, participants recorded a fundamental convergence of views: local self-governance reform in Kazakhstan has reached a stage at which discussion must give way to concrete legislative and institutional action. The proposals developed during the session — with the participation of regional representatives, civil society, and international partners — will inform recommendations to competent authorities and feed into the finalisation of the draft Law on Local Self-Governance, currently under inter-agency review.
Photo: UNDP Kazakhstan
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