UN reform returned to the agenda. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed how the organization should adapt to contemporary global challenges, while also focusing on Kazakhstan’s green development agenda, DKNews.kz reports.
Tokayev met Ban Ki-moon in Seoul on September 14 during his state visit to the Republic of Korea. Ban, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, currently serves as Chairman of the Global Green Growth Institute.
UN reform becomes a central topic in Seoul
The two sides exchanged views on reforming the United Nations and adapting the organization to contemporary realities.
For Kazakhstan, this is not a new diplomatic theme. Tokayev has repeatedly called for changes to the UN system, including reform of the Security Council and stronger representation for Asia, Africa, Latin America and middle powers. In his address to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, he described comprehensive UN reform as a strategic necessity.
The subject also carries a personal dimension. Before becoming President, Tokayev worked at the United Nations, serving as UN Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva.
Ban Ki-moon headed the United Nations from 2007 to 2016, meaning the two politicians worked within the UN system during the same period.
Green growth links climate policy with economic development
Another major focus of the meeting was the work of the Global Green Growth Institute.
Tokayev highlighted the organization’s role in helping developing countries transition toward a green growth model designed to combine economic development with climate resilience and social stability.
Ban Ki-moon, in turn, welcomed Kazakhstan’s achievements in sustainable development and expressed his readiness to continue cooperation within the global climate agenda.
The discussion matters for Kazakhstan because its environmental commitments increasingly extend beyond domestic policy. The country has committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2060, while Tokayev has argued internationally that climate policy must take into account the economic and energy circumstances of individual states.
Ban Ki-moon has already backed a Kazakh global initiative
The Seoul meeting follows another recent point of contact between Ban Ki-moon and Kazakhstan’s international agenda.
The former UN chief recently backed Tokayev’s global water initiative. His support does not constitute an official UN endorsement, but it carries political significance given his experience leading the organization and his longstanding professional relationship with the Kazakh President.
Ban Ki-moon recalled that their professional ties date back to the period when both served as foreign ministers, before their careers crossed again at the United Nations.
That background gives the latest discussion an unusual degree of continuity: the agenda now covers two issues both men dealt with at the UN level — reforming multilateral institutions and coordinating international responses to climate risks.
Kazakhstan is pushing its environmental agenda onto the global stage
Kazakhstan has recently secured another international result in environmental diplomacy.
On August 31, 2026, the UN adopted an initiative proposed by Kazakhstan to establish the International Day for the Greening of the Planet. It will be observed for the first time on April 22, 2027, alongside International Mother Earth Day.
The initiative focuses on ecosystem restoration, expansion of green spaces and broader participation by governments, international organizations and civil society.
Against that backdrop, Tokayev’s talks with Ban Ki-moon connect Kazakhstan’s domestic green transition with a broader diplomatic objective: gaining international partners for environmental initiatives while maintaining its push for reform of global institutions.
Just days ago, we also reported on Ban Ki-moon’s support for Tokayev’s global water initiative, including why the former UN chief’s position carries political weight even though it is not an official decision of the United Nations.
