Spotlight Report: Kazakhstan 2025

Spotlight Report on the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Voluntary National Review (VNR) of Kazakhstan

This Spotlight Report examines the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Kazakhstan through the lens of transgender inclusion, highlighting critical gaps between national commitments and lived realities. While the 2030 Agenda aims to ensure peace, justice, and prosperity for all—leaving no one behind—transgender people in Kazakhstan continue to face systemic invisibility and exclusion from state policy, official data, and SDG implementation mechanisms. Authored by civil society and transgender-led initiatives, the report draws on a range of national and international sources, including human rights documentation, UN committee observations, and case studies, to assess the extent of this exclusion. It underscores the need to recognize transgender people as a distinct and multiply marginalized group, whose exclusion undermines both justice and the core principles of sustainable development. Beyond analysis, this report also serves as a visibility and advocacy tool, offering concrete recommendations grounded in global standards and inclusive best practices to ensure no one is truly left behind.

SDGs under review in this Spotlight Report:

1. SDG 1- No poverty

2. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

3. SDG 4 - Quality education

4. SDG 5 - Gender Equality

5. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities

6. SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

7. SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Download the full publication here