A panel session entitled "Volunteering and Environmental Action" was held as part of the Regional Environmental Summit under the auspices of the International Year of Volunteers, initiated by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Participants included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aida Balayeva; UN Under-Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator, Haoliang Shu; Chairperson of the Agency for State Support to NGOs of Azerbaijan, Aygun Aliyeva; and representatives of the expert community. The session also brought together over 100 active volunteers and civil society leaders from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The key topic of discussion was the role of volunteerism in addressing the region's environmental challenges.

The Head of State congratulated the session participants. Deputy Prime Minister Aida Balayeva read out Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's address.
"The environmental volunteer movement is actively developing in Kazakhstan. More than 100,000 of our creative and patriotic citizens are involved in this common cause. The country is implementing the nationwide project "Taza Kazakhstan," aimed at fostering a progressive environmental culture. The country's new Constitution, adopted by referendum, enshrines care for nature and volunteerism as key principles of societal development. "Caring for the environment is becoming a powerful factor in strengthening cooperation both between countries in the region and throughout the international community," the President addressed the participants.

Aida Balayeva specifically highlighted measures to support volunteerism in Kazakhstan. In particular, she noted that this work is systematically structured within the framework of a three-year Roadmap. Furthermore, the Law "On Volunteer Activity" is in effect.
"The Government of Kazakhstan will consistently continue the course outlined by the Head of State. Together with the volunteer community, we have begun developing a Concept for the Development of the Volunteer Movement until 2030. Focus groups and research are being conducted in all regions. International experience and best practices are being studied. In particular, the issues of accounting for volunteer activity in employment and admission to educational institutions, as well as life insurance for volunteers, are being considered. To implement these issues, it is planned to adopt the relevant legislative amendments," Aida Balayeva emphasized.

The Deputy Prime Minister added that, at the President's direction, a Program for the Development of Environmental Volunteering is being developed. Today, the environmental movement unites more than 100,000 citizens of the country. Over the past year, over a thousand events have been held, 10,000 tons of waste have been collected, and approximately 2 million trees and shrubs have been planted. Over the past five years, 10,000 volunteers have helped plant saxaul trees on the dry bed of the Aral Sea over an area of 1 million hectares.
Following the panel session, a Resolution of Central Asian countries on the development of environmental volunteering was adopted. The document is planned to be sent to UN Headquarters. In addition, agreements were signed within the framework of the platform on the joint implementation of the environmental projects "Caspian Sea Action Week 2026" in the Mangystau region and "Green Aral: Volunteers for Life" in the Kyzylorda region.