UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan Yakup Beris spoke at the plenary session of the Eurasian Media Forum

September 16, 2021

Photos credit: Eurasian Economic Forum

On September 16, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan Yakup Beris spoke at the plenary session of the Eurasian Media Forum dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Independence. Among other speakers were Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairperson of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federatoin, Igor Rogov, Deputy Executive Director of the Foundation of the First President of Kazakhstan and other prominent public figures.

The discussion focused on the analysis of the 30 years since independence and considered the preservation of stability in an unstable world, as well as the desire for creative growth.

In his speech Mr. Beris focused on Kazakhstan’s progress over the past 30 years in the context of human development. “Between 1990 and 2019, Kazakhstan’s Human Development Index value increased from 0.690 to 0.825, showing 19.6 per cent growth and steady improvement on all three basic dimensions of human development - a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. Today Kazakhstan belongs to the group of countries with very high level of human development”, he said.

With three decades of growth and steady socioeconomic progress, Kazakhstan also has arrived at a tipping point, amidst fragile and unpredictable environment. Pandemic with its devastating effects on people, institutions and businesses threatens to reverse development gains of the past.

As speakers noted, Kazakhstan already has the main building blocks in place to maintain the momentum of the advance and bring in the transformation to flourish in the next frontier of development. While the Government leads in this process, partnership and cooperation are of great importance to generate and sustain the desired changes. “UNDP has been supporting key reforms in Kazakhstan since its independence and we stand ready to continue our long-standing cooperation for the country and people of Kazakhstan,” Mr. Beris concluded.

Eurasian Media Forum is the leading platform, uniting representatives of difference countries, professions and opinions with the aim of creating an open dialogue and supporting the development of the media.  The topics of the 2021 forum cover the global changes and trends that have emerged in recent years in the areas of geopolitics, post-pandemic recovery, technology, digital media, ethical standards and many others.