What We Do
Find out how UNICEF drives change for children and young people in Kazakhstan every day
UNICEF in Kazakhstan
UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to reach the children and young people who are most at risk and most in need. In Kazakhstan, we work to protect every child’s rights. To ensure they are healthy and safe. To help them learn and develop from the earliest years. To empower adolescents and young people with the skills, resilience and opportunities they need to shape their future and contribute to the country’s development.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been working in Kazakhstan since 1994, supporting the Government in advancing child rights and strengthening national systems in health, education, social protection and child protection.
Today, UNICEF’s cooperation is guided by the 2026–2030 Country Programme, which contributes to national priorities, the Sustainable Development Goals and Kazakhstan’s long-term development vision.
Our overarching goal is to support Kazakhstan in strengthening human capital and accelerating progress for children – especially the most vulnerable, including children with disabilities and those living in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
UNICEF focuses on high-impact, systemic change across several priority areas:
Early years
We work with the Government and partners to ensure that every child grows up safe, protected from violence, abuse and neglect, and supported to develop in a caring and respectful environment.
Our focus is on:
We support national and local systems to ensure that every mother and every child can access high-quality and reliable health services — from pregnancy and childbirth to early childhood.
This includes strengthening immunization, nutrition and environmental health services, as well as improving early identification and support for children experiencing developmental delays or disabilities.
We work to make early childhood education more accessible, affordable and inclusive for all children.
This includes improving standards and financing of pre-primary education, strengthening educator training, promoting play-based learning, and supporting the use of digital and assistive technologies so that children with disabilities and special education needs can learn alongside their peers.
We help strengthen national systems to better monitor children’s development and provide timely, coordinated support when needed.
Our focus is to ensure that children — especially those in vulnerable situations — benefit from comprehensive early childhood services that bring together health, education and family support.
Protective environment
We work with the Government and partners to ensure that every child grows up safe, protected from violence, abuse and neglect, and supported to develop in a caring and respectful environment.
Our focus is on:
We support the development of a stronger and more coordinated child protection system to prevent and respond to violence, abuse and neglect.
This includes improving laws and policies in line with international standards, strengthening coordination between institutions, and ensuring that children who experience violence receive timely and quality support.
We work with national and local authorities to strengthen social services that support children and families.
This means building a stronger professional social work system, improving case management, and expanding family support services so that risks are identified early and children can grow up in safe and caring environments.
We place special focus on adolescent mental health and psychosocial support.
UNICEF supports better services across schools, health and protection systems, while also promoting positive social norms that reduce stigma and encourage young people to seek help.
In an increasingly digital society, we also work to strengthen safeguards that protect children from violence, exploitation and harmful content online.
Sustainable social development and climate resilience
We work with the Government and partners to ensure that all children, especially the most vulnerable, benefit from fair and effective social policies, stronger public investment in children, and systems that are resilient to climate and environmental risks.
Our focus is on:
We support national and local authorities to better plan, budget and invest in children.
This includes strengthening child-focused public financing, integrating child rights into national and local development plans, and promoting more equitable allocation of resources so that no child is left behind.
We help strengthen systems that generate and use reliable data on children.
This means improving child rights monitoring systems, supporting the Child Well-Being Index, enhancing digital data platforms, and ensuring that policies and investments are informed by evidence.
We promote child-sensitive climate and environmental policies that reduce risks and protect children’s health, education and well-being.
UNICEF supports climate-resilient social services, disaster risk reduction systems and green skills development, while also empowering young people to engage in climate action and environmental decision-making.
Partnerships for children
We work with partners across Kazakhstan to mobilize resources, expertise and innovation in support of children’s rights and well-being. Strong partnerships help translate policies into real improvements in children’s lives and accelerate progress at scale.
Our focus is on:
We partner with businesses, financial institutions and philanthropists to advance child rights and human capital development.
This includes mobilizing financial resources for high-impact programmes, promoting responsible business practices that support children and families, leveraging innovation and digital transformation, and building long-term partnerships that contribute to sustainable results for children.
We support volunteerism and civic participation as powerful drivers of social change.
UNICEF works with young people, communities and partners to create opportunities for meaningful engagement — from youth advocacy and climate action to community outreach and awareness-raising initiatives. By strengthening volunteer networks and youth platforms, we empower young people to contribute to solutions that shape their future.
Across all areas of work, UNICEF brings technical expertise aligned with international standards, advocates for child rights, mobilizes public and private partnerships, and supports innovation and digital transformation. We work closely with ministries, Parliament, local authorities, civil society, academia, the private sector and young people themselves to translate laws and policies into tangible results for children.
UNICEF in Kazakhstan is committed to a vision where every girl and every boy grows up healthy and resilient, protected from violence and poverty, equipped with the knowledge and skills to fulfil their potential – and empowered to help build a more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous Kazakhstan.
