United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Kazakhstan on Sunday to witness the signing of a host country agreement for a new UN Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will serve Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said in a press conference on Friday that the agreement, previously endorsed by the UN General Assembly, will be signed in the presence of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Key signatories include Murat Nurtleu, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Li Junhua, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

The initiative reflects Kazakhstan’s growing role in promoting regional dialogue and sustainable policy frameworks across Central Asia and Afghanistan. The center is expected to serve as a hub for coordinating efforts on economic, social, and environmental development priorities in the region, The Astana Times reported.

During the visit, Guterres is also expected to emphasize the need for renewed multilateral cooperation in addressing regional and global challenges, including the climate crisis, digital transformation, and inclusive development.

This marks Guterres’s third visit to Kazakhstan as Secretary-General.

From Kazakhstan, Guterres will travel to Awaza in Turkmanistan to attend the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries.