The Second Regional SDG Summit "Beyond COVID - Towards Just Recovery in Central Asia" took place in Almaty on June 16-17, 2022. The Summit was organized by the Government of Kazakhstan in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the European Union.

The Regional Summit brought together political leaders from regional governments, international experts, representatives of international organizations, the diplomatic community, private sector leaders and civil society representatives from Central Asia.

In his speech, the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and Chairman of the Presidential Administration, Mr. Akylbek Zhaparov, noted the commitment of the Kyrgyz Republic to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, considering the principle of "leaving no one behind". In addition, he named the problem of climate change as one of the most fundamental in the modern world and outlined the efforts made by the Kyrgyz Republic to decrease its negative impact. Mr. Zhaparov stressed the openness of Kyrgyzstan to cooperation in this matter.

The Summit's thematic sessions provided communication platforms to discuss regional development challenges in Central Asia and post-pandemic recovery strategies with a focus on the green economy and the climate agenda. At the Roundtable of Mayors, where the First Vice Mayor of Osh, Mr. Isaev M. took part, participants discussed local solutions for the development of cities and towns in Central Asia and their transition to sustainable development through localization of the SDGs.

Separate sessions were also focused on the digitalization of public services, empowering women and youth for sustainable development, synergizing SDG financing with the climate agenda, and partnerships to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.

To move forward in achieving SDGs, bold action and innovative partnerships are needed at both the national and regional levels in the countries of Central Asia. This requires collaboration and communication across countries, sectors, and disciplines. All actors-public, private, national and international- have a role to play in ensuring that the necessary steps are taken to achieve sustainable development.

The programme of the Summit and the list of speakers are available on the landing page: http://sdgs-summit.kz/

A full recording of the live broadcast of the Regional Summit, including speeches by representatives of Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, can be viewed here.

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