Astana, December 18, 2024 – An international conference dedicated to “The next steps of professional social work in achieving sustainable Development Goals in the context of Kazakhstan: the implementation of the SOLID project” took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted together with the National Alliance of Professional Social Workers.
Within the framework of the final conference, SOLID projects implemented in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China and Germany aimed at the re-socialization of people with addictive behavior and persons released from prison were discussed.
The conference also discussed the current state of socio-economic development through the prism of professional social work in Kazakhstan. The Professional Association of Social Workers shared its achievements over the five years of its existence and proposed the following joint steps with stakeholders for the next five years.
The event was attended by representatives of the deputy corps, line ministries, the Constitutional Court, the National Center for Human Rights, the academic sphere, the expert community, civil society, as well as the scientific director of the SOLID project, Professor Heino Stover.
In her welcoming speech, Ambassador at Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alua Nadirkulova shared information about the importance of the event not only for the professional community, but also for the entire social sphere of our country and the region. «Today we are faced with the task of discussing key aspects related to the role of social work in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are the global agenda for building a more just and sustainable world», - the Ambassador noted.
During the meeting, Deputy of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Natalya Dementieva noted the study of the possibility of developing professional standards for line ministries, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Education and others, in the context of the implementation of the Action Plan in the field of human Rights.
In turn, the head of the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Kazakhstan Saltanat Tursynbekova noted the solution of such key tasks as improving conditions for socially vulnerable groups, ensuring equal opportunities for all and protecting the rights of those who face difficulties, including in the field of health, social support, justice and rehabilitation.
In general, the discussion of the final conference was open and constructive. Representatives of government agencies and the academic sphere, the expert community, representatives of civil society listened to questions, as well as reports from doctoral and postdoctoral students and gave practical recommendations on the systematic improvement of professional social work issues in achieving sustainable development goals in the context of Kazakhstan.