statement by His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev President of the Republic of at the Summit on Sustainable Development Goals Dialogue 3"Measures to leverage progress across the SDGs" High-level Segment of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly New York, 25 September 2019

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladles and gentlemen. It is a great privilege to participate in the First Summit on Sustainable Development Goals In my capacity as the new President of my country. The 2030 Agenda has given us a clear roadmap towards a better future where all benefit equally from social, technological and economic progress. Kazakhstan shares the international concern that globally we are behind our targets. We therefore support UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' bold commitment to accelerate the implementation of SDGs at the national level. We thus need to take more resolute action in the coming Decade to deliver the expected results. I am pleased to note that the political, economic, social and environmental policies of my country are fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda. Despite the declining situation of the world market, Kazakhstan's economy is expected to grow gradually. I am convinced that my country will be able to accomplish sustainable economic growth, create an inclusive society, develop a clean ecology, and build more efficient and accountable institutions. As part of this programme, I have launched the concept of, what may be described, as a "State that hears"; in other words, listening to the concerns and needs of its people. The aim is to facilitate a dialogue between the government and people, and to make sure that public inputs, into the formation of national policies, will become more visible. The modernization of the educational system, a Green and Digital economy, and rapid infrastructural development are powerful driving forces for our economic prosperity and human progress.

Ladles and gentlemen. The findings and data of UNDP show that 80% of the SDGs are integrated into our strategic government programmes. In 2018, Kazakhstan closeiy cooperating with the agencies of the UN system, introduced an institutional architecture to facilitate reaching the SDG targets, including the establishment of a Steering Council. The first Forum on Sustainable Development Goals was a flagship event of the 2019 Astana Economic Forum. In July 2019, we presented our first Voluntary National Review on Kazakhstan's achievements, as well as, the pending opportunities and challenges to be addressed over the next ten years. The SDGs are obviously interconnected. They constitute a comprehensive picture of our Planet. Thus, we cannot be satisfied with successes in individual categories or by countries only. Bearing that in mind, Kazakhstan is actively collaborating on implementing the SDGs at the regional and international levels. In this regard, I suggest the following; First, we should ensure that financial resources, allocated for the purposes of the SDGs, are spent in a reasonable way. In light of that, the 2030 Agenda requires special attention and support for the middle-income nations, such as Kazakhstan. These countries, as we know, have an aggregate population of 5 billion. Second, the Islamic Organization for , established at the initiative of Kazakhstan's First President , also helps to address issues of desertification, deforestation, erosion, salinity, as well as, social safety. I hope that, in the near future, all 57 Member States will join this important initiative. Third, I propose to establish a UN Interregional Centre in Kazakhstan for the SDGs. Our region has entered a new stage of trade and economic engagement. We are bound together and destined to address and resolve our common threats and challenges collectively. This Centre may focus on accelerating the delivery of the SDGs, not only in Kazakhstan, but across the entire Central Asia and in Afghanistan. More cohesive cooperation and partnerships are crucial for advancing a shared prosperity for the region.

Ladies and gentlemen, Today, we are building a new momentum to translate our commitments into actions. Each one of us is obliged morally to contribute more to secure peace, inclusive growth and sustainable development for our future generations. Thank you.