Press room

21 January saw the first BoD meeting of the UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia. The meeting took place in Almaty under the leadership of the Chairperson of the Board of Directors - Umut Shayakhmetova, elected to the position in August of the last year.

The UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia brings together business representatives from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan and serves as a regional platform for promoting the responsible business principles and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Network’s performance results for the past three years were presented at the meeting. Between 2023 and 2025, the number of participants of the UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia increased from 36 to 146 organizations. Discussion of the Network’s strategy for 2026–2030 was the key agenda item. The presented strategy provides for development of partnership formats for interaction among companies, expert community and international partners, implementation of joint initiatives, promotion of best practices in sustainable development as well as use of analytical and research tools to shape sustainable business decisions and enhance competitiveness of companies in the region.

“Uniting the efforts of Central Asian countries to shape a strong region that shares the principles of sustainable development is at the heart of our mission. We clearly see a growing trend towards regional consolidation, which receives support at the highest level of governments and heads of states of Central Asia within the framework of the global UN agenda. I am convinced that activities of the UN Global Compact will have a systemic and long-term impact on the development of the entire region. Active engagement of business, private sector and communities in a unified ESG and SDG agenda, with its integration into corporate governance and human capital management practices, remains a key condition for success,” noted Umut Shayakhmetova.

“Today’s global challenges – climate change, gender inequality and geopolitical uncertainty – are closely interconnected. In these conditions, the UN Global Compact remains a unique international platform for building sustainable dialogue between the United Nations and the private sector. Our task is to unite businesses in Central Asia and promote the implementation of international standards, forming sustainable development in the region,” – highlighted Dinara Seidzhaparova, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia.

In conclusion, the meeting participants noted the relevance of the discussed agenda and agreed on the priority areas of work for the Board of Directors and the Network in the coming years.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors of the UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia will be held in October 2026 in Tashkent.