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International activities

An integral part of the activities of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter referred to as the Federation) is cooperation with international organizations and foreign trade union associations. This activity is carried out on the basis of the adopted Strategy of the Federation for 2025–2030 “Fair Labor in an Era of Change: Protection, Development, Innovation,” within the framework of which directions in the field of international cooperation are defined. The international trade union movement is developing rapidly compared to other international organizations. According to the International Labour Organization, more than 250 million workers worldwide are trade union members. The Republic of Kazakhstan is a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and has to date ratified 26 international conventions in the field of labor, employment, and social protection of the population, including 10 fundamental, 4 governance (priority), and 12 technical ones. Kazakhstan has ratified 26 out of 192 ILO Conventions. 10 fundamental conventions, 4 governance conventions, 12 technical conventions. It has been proposed to ratify No. 154 “Collective Bargaining Convention”; No. 160 “Labour Statistics Convention”; No. 168 “Employment Promotion and Protection against Unemployment Convention”; No. 102 “Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention”; No. 190 “Violence and Harassment Convention”; No. 176 “Safety and Health in Mines Convention”; No. 161 “Occupational Health Services Convention”; No. 191 “Safe and Healthy Working Conditions” (Safe and Healthy Working Environment); No. 192 “Biological Hazards in the Working Environment”. The Federation of Trade Unions is an active participant in the global trade union movement and builds its international activities on the principles of solidarity with the goals and objectives of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to promote decent work and social justice. To this end, the International Cooperation Development Program has been adopted, which includes:

  • implementation of ILO initiatives on the future of work and the establishment of the principles of social justice;
  • deepening cooperation with the ILO, including studying global labor trends and promoting the implementation of international standards;
  • promotion and ratification of key ILO conventions;
  • interaction with the United Nations (UN) and its agencies on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the implementation of SDG 8;
  • expanding cooperation with international associations on women’s employment issues and gender equality;
  • strengthening ties with the ITUC, the Pan-European Regional Council (PERC), the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries (CTUCA), and the Organization of Trade Unions of Turkic States (OTUTS).

The General Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, republican associations (associations, unions) of employers, and republican associations (associations, unions) of trade unions for 2024–2026 provides for consultations on the ratification of 9 international ILO conventions. In order to strengthen international cooperation, the Federation regularly conducts work on exchanging experience with leading specialists of the Decent Work Technical Support Team and the ILO Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as well as the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV). One of the key achievements was the removal of Kazakhstan from the “shortlist” of countries failing to comply with the provisions of ILO Convention No. 87 “Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention”. This was made possible thanks to the systemic and persistent work of the Federation of Trade Unions — from preparing legal arguments to engaging in direct dialogue with the ILO Committee on the Application of Standards. At the 112th session of the International Labour Conference of the ILO (Geneva, 2024), an Action Plan (Roadmap) of the FTURK, the Government, the “Paryz” Employers’ Confederation, and the ILO was signed, covering:

  • reforming the minimum wage system;
  • developing social dialogue mechanisms;
  • modernizing the occupational safety and health system;
  • promoting new standards of labor regulation under digitalization and AI.

From 2021 to 2025, the Federation of Trade Unions participated in and initiated the implementation of 12 ILO projects in Kazakhstan — focusing on platform employment, youth employment, occupational safety, sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery, climate issues, just transition, the informal sector, and training and professional development. This practice has formed a unique experience of aligning global and national tasks, which has already received a positive evaluation from the ILO. In 2024, the first visit in the history of Kazakhstan by the ILO Director-General, Gilbert Houngbo, to Kazakhstan took place. It is symbolic that the first meeting within the framework of the visit was held at the venue of the Federation of Trade Unions, which testifies to the recognition of the Federation’s leadership role in promoting the labor agenda. During the period from 2021 to 2025, 782 representatives of the Federation of Trade Unions took part in 123 international events — conferences, forums, sessions, and seminars. This is not just participation — it is the consolidation of positions, learning new approaches, and forming a personnel reserve with international expertise. Following the restoration of the strategic dialogue with the ITUC in 2021–2022, the Federation of Trade Unions became an affiliate of the global trade union movement of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on November 17, 2022. This became an important international recognition of the FTURK’s ability to play a constructive role in the global trade union movement. In 2023, the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, Satybaldy Dauletalin, was elected Vice-President of the ITUC Pan-European Regional Council (PERC), and in 2024, a member of the ITUC General Council, giving Kazakhstan a voice at the highest decision-making level of the global trade union movement. The Federation of Trade Unions actively participates in the PERC Executive Committee, meetings of the Coordinating Council, the PERC Women’s School, and the PERC Youth Council, thereby ensuring systemic representation of Kazakhstan’s trade unions at all levels — from strategic to operational. In 2021, the Federation of Trade Unions became a co-founder of the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries (CTUCA). Over four years of work, 8 meetings of the Council have been held, and priorities on labor migration, collective agreements, and the green economy have been agreed upon. These steps allow us to speak of the CTUCA as a realistically functioning integration mechanism in the labor sphere. Today, the CTUCA has transformed from an expert platform into a sustainable regional coalition unifying Central Asian countries around a common labor agenda. In 2023, the Federation of Trade Unions chaired the CTUCA and initiated unique projects:

  • launching a common website and information platform;
  • designing and introducing the logo, flag, and unified visual identity of the CTUCA;
  • initiating the creation of the CTUCA Youth Council and holding the International Youth Forum “Evolution of Labor”;
  • launching the regional contest “Best Collective Agreement”;
  • signing a memorandum on the development of labor tourism;
  • holding the now traditional futsal tournament “CTUCA CUP – 2023” among trade unions of Central Asian countries as a platform for the social integration of youth;
  • initiating the creation of Unified Regional Standards for the regulation of AI in the labor sphere.

The next logical step was the initiative of the Federation of Trade Unions to establish the Organization of Trade Unions of Turkic States (OTUTS) – as a form of interregional strategic alliance. In December 2024, the OTUTS was officially registered. At the first congress of the OTUTS (Ankara, May 22, 2025), the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions was elected Secretary General of the new structure. This is not just a nominal title — it is the recognition of Kazakhstan as a center of trade union leadership in the Turkic world. The OTUTS has become a new focal point for consolidating the efforts of trade unions in the Turkic world on issues of labor migration, climate, AI, and social protection. On July 9–10, 2025, Astana became the first venue in Central Asia to host the Summer School of the ITUC Pan-European Regional Council (PERC), gathering about 70 trade union leaders and experts from 50 national trade union centers. Over the course of two days, the participants discussed a wide range of issues related to collective bargaining, protection of labor rights, workplace democracy, and contemporary challenges in the world of work. Particular attention was paid to international mechanisms for protecting workers’ rights — ILO Convention No. 98, EU directives, global framework agreements, as well as the impact of digitalization and artificial intelligence on working conditions and new opportunities for trade unions in a technologically changing world. Within the framework of the event, ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle and ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch, along with leaders of the ILO and national trade union centers, visited Kazakhstan, which highlighted the high status of the Summer School and the growing role of Kazakhstan in the international trade union movement. The FTURK reaffirmed its active position at the global level, supporting the initiatives of the ITUC PERC aimed at developing social dialogue, collective bargaining, and shaping responsible approaches to the regulation of artificial intelligence and digitalization in the labor sphere. An important task of the Federation is to activate the participation of its representatives, including member organizations, in all international events to enhance professional skills and trade union experience as a whole. To date, the Federation has established cooperation with more than 60 organizations from among foreign trade union centers and international organizations, including those from the United Nations system, such as: the ILO, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and UN Women. In addition, cooperation has been established with the International Trade Union Confederation, the Japan International Labour Foundation (JILAF), and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Furthermore, trade union members, staff of the central apparatus, and regional trade union organizations of the Federation annually undergo training at the Japan International Labour Foundation (JILAF). This program is aimed at training trade union leaders from countries in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, as well as other regions, ensuring the exchange of advanced practices and the development of professional competencies. Over the entire period of cooperation, 42 representatives of the Federation have completed training at JILAF, and in 2026, the participation of two more employees is planned, which will allow for the continued strengthening of international experience and the enhancement of the qualifications of the Federation’s human resources potential. The joint activity of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) takes place on a permanent and fruitful basis. Within the framework of cooperation, joint training seminars are organized annually dedicated to conflict resolution, mediation, and labor dispute resolution. These events are aimed at increasing the professional competencies of trade union leaders and staff of regional organizations, developing negotiation skills, and strengthening the capacity for effective social dialogue. The Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan actively develops international cooperation and strengthens professional ties with foreign trade union centers. Within the framework of this work, memorandums of understanding and cooperation have been signed with a number of leading organizations in the region and the world. Among them are the Georgian Trade Union Confederation, the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions, the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation, the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan, and the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions. In addition, a Cooperation Agreement was signed with the largest Turkish trade union organization, Hak-İş. The Federation of Trade Unions consistently and purposefully shapes a new international identity for the Kazakhstani trade union movement. Not limiting itself to symbolic participation, the FTURK:

  • creates international alliances, develops the institutional infrastructure of cooperation;
  • forms thematic leadership on issues of AI, the green economy, occupational safety, and just transition;
  • achieves the inclusion of national initiatives in the global labor agenda;
  • strengthens the personnel and intellectual potential of the trade union movement of Kazakhstan;
  • expands the geography and depth of its influence, moving from the role of a participant to the role of an initiator and co-author of decisions.
Useful resources and documents