The Astana International Forum (AIF) is an international and regional platform for dialogue and a nonprofit organization headquartered in Astana, Kazakhstan. Previously called the Astana Economic Forum, it has been organized by the Government of Kazakhstan since 2008.[1][2] The name change reflects the broader range of topics discussed at the forum, such as climate, food and energy security and is intended to draw of attendees from around the world.[3] The Forum is organized by the Government of Kazakhstan, which includes the Economic Research Institute, Ministry of National Economy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A meeting is held each year in Astana in which more than eight thousand delegates from one hundred countries are brought together: they include chief executive officers, politicians, journalists, scientists and Nobel Prize laureates.[4]
History
The Astana International Forum traces its roots to a proposal for a series of Eurasian integration initiatives made in a 1994 speech at Moscow State University by Kazakhstan PresidentNursultan Nazarbayev. In June 2007, Nazarbayev suggested creating a Eurasian Club of Scientists to help with the economic integration of the Eurasian community and to develop international economic cooperation. The Eurasian Economic Club of Scientists Association was established on June 27, 2008, by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning and the Economic Research Institute.[2][5][6] The Forum then branched out to focus on wider global issues, first changing its name to the Global Challenges Summit and then the Astana International Forum in 2023.[3]
Organizers
The Astana International Forum is mainly organized by the Economic Research Institute and Government of Kazakhstan including 13 Ministries, the National Bank of Kazakhstan etc. Several countries and different organizations—such as the United Nations, National Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna, National Management Holding Baiterek, Reinventing Bretton-Woods Committee, UN, – have aided Astana economic forum in organizing parts of the Forum in different years.
Activities
Annual meetings
The Astana International Forum is held annually in Astana, Kazakhstan. Its recommendations are presented each year to a G-20 Summit.
During the third dialogue, July 1 and 2, 2010, the forum focused on the theme of "crisis lessons and post-crisis model of economic development in globalization conditions," which included topics on public-private partnerships, development of innovative economy and other issues.[10][11][12] Topics on energy efficiency and developing renewable energy were also discussed.[13][14]
The sixth dialogue was held from May 22 to 24, 2013.[22][23] Over 10,000 participants attended the Forum, including representatives of international institutions (UN, IMF, WB, ADB, EBRD, etc.), government officials with huge managerial experience, leading scientists, Nobel Laureates, representatives of political, expert and the business communities.[24] The presentation of the Astana Economic Forum was held in the historical center of the Financial District of New York – Wall Street on April 10, 2014. A unique Kazakhstani project was presented to the heads of international financial and investment companies, as well as experts of world stock exchanges.[25]
The VII Astana Economic Forum and the II World Anti-Crisis Conference will be held on May 21–23, 2014; this year these events will be dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Bretton Woods agreement.[26]
The VIII Astana Economic Forum was held on May 21–22, 2015.[27] The theme of the VIII AEF was "Infrastructure – a Driver of Economic Development."[27] The 1st day of the forum was dedicated to Africa and was titled "Africa – the Next Driver of the Global Economy".[28] Kazakhstan Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov noted: "A few years ago we started turning a keen eye on Africa. We believe it is a historic time when Africa should receive a full focus".[28] Global co-organizers and partners of Astana Economic Forum 2015 included such organizations as the UN, OSCE, WEF, IMF, World Bank, UNDP and OECD.[29]
The IX Astana Economic Forum took place on May 25–26, 2016. The main topic of the IX Forum is New Economic Reality: diversification, innovation and knowledge economy.[30] The Great Silk Road forum will be held as a part of the XIX Astana Economic Forum.[31] The IMF plans held its Regional Conference within the framework of the XIX Astana Economic Forum. The IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde attended the Conference during her first-ever visit to Kazakhstan and the region.[32]
The X Astana Economic Forum took place on June 15–16, 2017. The main topic of the meeting is New Energy – New Economy. During the Forum issues of sustainable economic growth, international trade and innovation will be discussed. The Forum will mark 25th anniversary of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the World Bank, as well as other events such as the Economist Innovation Forum, panel sessions organized by Boao Forum for Asia, UNDP, SAP, BCG, etc.
The XI Astana Economic Forum and Global Challenges Summit took place on 17–18 May 2018. The main topics are Unified Economy, Global Strategy, Urbanization and Sustainability.[33] Speakers at the 2018 forum include former French president François Hollande, former Italian prime minister Romano Prodi, 8th UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon, futurologist Michio Kaku,[34] and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.[35]
The XII Astana Economic Forum was held in Nur-Sultan on May 16–17, 2019. The theme of the forum was "Inspiring growth: people, cities, economies." 5,500 delegates from 74 countries participated in the event that comprised more than 50 sessions on topical global issues.[36] The third annual Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable (KGIR-2019) was held as part of the XII Astana Economic Forum. At the KGIR-2019, international investors and Kazakh companies signed 43 agreements totalling $8.7 billion.[37]
The first iteration of the event under its new name Astana International Forum, took place on 8-9 June 2023. The Forum's mission statement was 'Tackling challenges through dialogue: towards cooperation, development & progress'. Sessions addressed global challenges around foreign policy and international security, international development and sustainability, energy and climate change and economy and finance. Around 5,000 delegates from over 50 countries attended, including President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov of Uzbekistan, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid. [38]
AIF 2024 would have been held on 13-14 June 2024. The event's theme would have been ‘Empowering People, Uniting Nations: Building a Better World Together’. [39] Due to severe floods in April 2024 President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev cancelled the 2024 event.[40]
