Crossroads Asia | Diplomacy | Central Asia

Kazakhstan and the Board of Peace: Humanitarian Aid and Middle Power Ambitions

Kazakhstan’s commitments at the Board of Peace are backed by a multi-layered, field-tested approach to international development assistance.

Kazakhstan recently joined the newly launched U.S.-led Board of Peace. Although the board’s original mission was presented as limited to rebuilding Gaza, its peacekeeping mandate has since expanded to encompass broader international conflicts. Kazakhstan’s primary objective in joining the board appears to be maintaining its relationship with the current U.S. administration. 

At the same time, membership presents an opportunity for Kazakhstan to enhance its regional influence. 

To this end, Kazakhstan has focused particularly on civilian humanitarian assistance – namely addressing educational and food needs in Gaza – a domain in which it is uniquely positioned, given its extensive experience working with conflict-affected countries, particularly through KazAID.

Since its establishment in 2020, KazAID – founded by the government of Kazakhstan and operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – has implemented Kazakhstan’s official development assistance policy by supporting development and sustainability in partner countries. The agency has assisted more than 40 countries, with a particular focus on the Central Asian region and Afghanistan, delivering initiatives oriented toward long-term development rather than emergency relief alone.

Kazakhstan’s commitment to supporting Gaza in healthcare and education builds directly on KazAID’s established record. These efforts include training seminars for Afghan healthcare professionals under the “Promoting Kazakhstan’s ODA Cooperation with Afghanistan” project in 2018. Through the “Avicenna: Healthcare” program, the agency has facilitated academic mobility for medical students from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan at Astana Medical University. Educational assistance has become a central pillar of KazAID’s mandate. At the tertiary level, the “Study in Kazakhstan” framework has created opportunities for students from 32 partner countries, encompassing Central Asian states, Afghanistan, and 19 African countries. Kazakhstan awards 550 higher education grants annually, providing international students with access to leading institutions such as Nazarbayev University.

These initiatives are further reinforced by partnerships with global organizations, including UNICEF and UNHCR, focusing respectively on inclusive education and full scholarships for refugees. These collaborative efforts signal that Kazakhstan’s commitments to the Board of Peace are backed by a multi-layered, field-tested approach to international development assistance.

As one of the world’s major wheat producers, Kazakhstan’s pledge to enhance food security in Gaza aligns naturally with KazAID’s long-standing humanitarian portfolio, which spans food provision, medical aid, and educational support. In recent years, Kazakhstan has delivered 2,200 tons of humanitarian supplies – including wheat flour, rice, and vegetable oil – to Afghanistan, alongside substantial food shipments to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. In 2025, KazAID dispatched several air cargo shipments containing 3.4 tons of medical equipment and medicines to Kabul. Over the five years since its founding, KazAID has allocated more than 15.3 billion tenge (around $10.9 million) to humanitarian aid. This record of accomplishment provides a credible foundation for the commitments President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has articulated at the international level.

Kazakhstan’s participation in the Board of Peace thus reflects more than just a symbolic gesture toward Washington. It represents a continuation of the country’s broader strategy to position itself as a responsible regional actor and emerging middle power. Drawing on the institutional capacity of KazAID and a proven record of development cooperation, Kazakhstan is well placed to translate its diplomatic commitments into tangible humanitarian outcomes.

Get to the bottom of the story

Subscribe today and join thousands of diplomats, analysts, policy professionals and business readers who rely on The Diplomat for expert Asia-Pacific coverage.

Get unlimited access to in-depth analysis you won't find anywhere else, from South China Sea tensions to ASEAN diplomacy to India-Pakistan relations. More than 5,000 articles a year.

Unlimited articles and expert analysis

Weekly newsletter with exclusive insights

16-year archive of diplomatic coverage

Ad-free reading on all devices

Support independent journalism

Already have an account? Log in.

Kazakhstan recently joined the newly launched U.S.-led Board of Peace. Although the board’s original mission was presented as limited to rebuilding Gaza, its peacekeeping mandate has since expanded to encompass broader international conflicts. Kazakhstan’s primary objective in joining the board appears to be maintaining its relationship with the current U.S. administration. 

At the same time, membership presents an opportunity for Kazakhstan to enhance its regional influence. 

To this end, Kazakhstan has focused particularly on civilian humanitarian assistance – namely addressing educational and food needs in Gaza – a domain in which it is uniquely positioned, given its extensive experience working with conflict-affected countries, particularly through KazAID.

Since its establishment in 2020, KazAID – founded by the government of Kazakhstan and operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – has implemented Kazakhstan’s official development assistance policy by supporting development and sustainability in partner countries. The agency has assisted more than 40 countries, with a particular focus on the Central Asian region and Afghanistan, delivering initiatives oriented toward long-term development rather than emergency relief alone.

Kazakhstan’s commitment to supporting Gaza in healthcare and education builds directly on KazAID’s established record. These efforts include training seminars for Afghan healthcare professionals under the “Promoting Kazakhstan’s ODA Cooperation with Afghanistan” project in 2018. Through the “Avicenna: Healthcare” program, the agency has facilitated academic mobility for medical students from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan at Astana Medical University. Educational assistance has become a central pillar of KazAID’s mandate. At the tertiary level, the “Study in Kazakhstan” framework has created opportunities for students from 32 partner countries, encompassing Central Asian states, Afghanistan, and 19 African countries. Kazakhstan awards 550 higher education grants annually, providing international students with access to leading institutions such as Nazarbayev University.

These initiatives are further reinforced by partnerships with global organizations, including UNICEF and UNHCR, focusing respectively on inclusive education and full scholarships for refugees. These collaborative efforts signal that Kazakhstan’s commitments to the Board of Peace are backed by a multi-layered, field-tested approach to international development assistance.

As one of the world’s major wheat producers, Kazakhstan’s pledge to enhance food security in Gaza aligns naturally with KazAID’s long-standing humanitarian portfolio, which spans food provision, medical aid, and educational support. In recent years, Kazakhstan has delivered 2,200 tons of humanitarian supplies – including wheat flour, rice, and vegetable oil – to Afghanistan, alongside substantial food shipments to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. In 2025, KazAID dispatched several air cargo shipments containing 3.4 tons of medical equipment and medicines to Kabul. Over the five years since its founding, KazAID has allocated more than 15.3 billion tenge (around $10.9 million) to humanitarian aid. This record of accomplishment provides a credible foundation for the commitments President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has articulated at the international level.

Kazakhstan’s participation in the Board of Peace thus reflects more than just a symbolic gesture toward Washington. It represents a continuation of the country’s broader strategy to position itself as a responsible regional actor and emerging middle power. Drawing on the institutional capacity of KazAID and a proven record of development cooperation, Kazakhstan is well placed to translate its diplomatic commitments into tangible humanitarian outcomes.

Bimal Adhikari, PhD, is an assistant professor of Political Science and International Relations at Nazarbayev University.

Assel Rakhmetullina is an undergraduate student pursuing Political Science and International Relations major at Nazarbayev University.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Kazakhstan and Board of Peace

U.S.-Kazakhstan relations

© The Diplomat