On January 21, Almaty hosted the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia. The meeting was chaired by Umut Shayakhmetova, who was elected Chair of the Board in August last year, DKNews.kz reports.
The event marked an important milestone for the region, signaling a new stage in the development of a platform that promotes responsible business practices and the UN Sustainable Development Goals across Central Asia.
A Regional Platform for Responsible Business
The UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia brings together companies from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The Network serves as a regional dialogue platform connecting business, the expert community, and international partners around ESG principles and sustainable development.
In recent years, the Network’s role has grown significantly, becoming increasingly relevant not only for companies, but also for governments focused on long-term economic and social development.
Membership Grows Nearly Fourfold
During the meeting, participants reviewed the Network’s results over the past three years. Between 2023 and 2025, the number of organizations participating in the UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia increased from 36 to 146.
This growth reflects a clear trend: more companies in the region are integrating sustainability and ESG principles into their core business strategies rather than treating them as formal commitments.
Strategy for 2026–2030
A key item on the agenda was the discussion of the Network’s strategy for 2026–2030. The proposed strategy focuses on strengthening regional cooperation and moving toward more systematic, impact-driven initiatives.
The priority areas include:
- expanding partnership formats between businesses, experts, and international organizations;
- launching joint regional initiatives;
- promoting best practices in sustainable development;
- using analytical and research tools to support sustainable business decisions and improve the competitiveness of companies in Central Asia.
Regional Consolidation and the Role of Business
Chair of the Board Umut Shayakhmetova emphasized that the core mission of the Network is to unite Central Asian countries around shared principles of sustainable development.
She noted a growing trend toward regional consolidation, supported at the highest levels of government and by the heads of state of Central Asian countries within the framework of the UN global agenda.
According to Shayakhmetova, the activities of the UN Global Compact can have a long-term, systemic impact on the region’s development. However, the key condition for success remains the active involvement of business, the private sector, and professional communities in a unified ESG and SDG agenda, fully integrated into corporate governance and human capital management practices.
Responding to Global Challenges
Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia, Dinara Seydzhaparova, highlighted that today’s global challenges are deeply interconnected.
Climate change, gender inequality, and geopolitical uncertainty require new models of cooperation between international institutions and the private sector. In this context, the UN Global Compact remains a unique international platform that builds sustainable dialogue between the United Nations and business.
The Network’s mission, she said, is to unite Central Asian companies and support the adoption of international standards that contribute to the region’s sustainable development.
What’s Next
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants agreed on the relevance of the agenda discussed and approved the priority areas for the Board of Directors and the Network for the coming years.
The next meeting of the Board of Directors of the UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia is scheduled for October 2026 and will take place in Tashkent.
Experts believe that the continued development of the Network could become a key factor in building a more sustainable, competitive, and integrated economic space in Central Asia.
