ASTANA, 17 September 2014 - The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and United Nations Development Programme have signed an Agreement to strengthen the Regional Hub of Civil Service in Astana.

The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan has promised $14 million for the institutional support of the Regional Hub for the next 3,5 years and the United Nations Development Programme has agreed to manage it.

The Regional hub was established in 2013 by 25 countries and 6 international organizations as an institutional framework and dialogue platform for continuous exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of civil service.

UNDP and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan have since then provided technical support to the Regional Hub. Today, the Regional Hub consists of 29 participating countries and several international organizations.

Activities in the first year included publication of two editions of the Regional Hub’s e-Journal, a number of technical workshops and trainings and a Global Conference within the Astana Economic Forum.

This year the Government of Kazakhstan decided to expand the institutional and financial support of the Regional Hub, establishing a permanent position of Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Regional Hub of Civil Service in Astana, strengthening the Secretariat and establishing a Civil Service Research Centre.

Alikhan Baimenov, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Regional Hub: "The agenda of the civil service reforms are determined by governments based on their internal priorities. At the same time continuous exchange of experience and knowledge serve as a good support for making respective decisions. The Regional hub will become an institutional base to this end. Studying other countries’ experiences undoubtedly benefits the countries of the region”.

Stephen Tull, UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan: "This new agreement creates a qualitatively better institutional environment for the Regional Hub. Ultimately this benefits citizens in Kazakhstan and across a wide region, as it spreads the best practices in public service. The Regional Hub has come a long way already, and now it will have the capacity to satisfy the demands of its members."