Governments, international agencies, civil society organizations and private sector representatives from more than 100 countries gather in Astana to demonstrate their new techniques and best practices to ensure energy efficiency, while working towards climate action and contributing to sustainable development.
Expo-2017 Energy of the Future takes place from 10 June to 10 September in Astana, Kazakhstan, and introduces innovative technologies and solutions to scale up the world’s sustainable energy production, promoting energy security and efficiency, and advocating for renewable energy around the world.
Two million visitors are expected to attend the Expo, which is made possible with the help of some 4,000 volunteers.
EXPO has showed the true spirit of volunteerism in Kazakhstan, as EXPO-2017 Astana mobilized thousands of volunteers who were full of smiles and energy. —Norimasa Shimomura, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan
The United Nations signed an agreement of participation in the Expo to support the Government of Kazakhstan in the advocacy for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and to convene a dialogue around the issues of sustainable energy.
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) joins UN agencies in a dedicated pavilion where visitors get a first-hand account of the UN’s work in advancing sustainable development around the world.
The Expo is an opportunity for us to excel in our professional experience and skills, while volunteering to contribute to the SDGs on the ground through promotion of sustainable energy.
Asel Ismagulova and Dina Akylbekova are the first national UN Youth Volunteers mobilized in Kazakhstan and they are among the six national UN Volunteers mobilized specifically for the Expo. Asel and Dina view this as a unique experience. They say, “The Expo is an opportunity for us to excel in our professional experience and skills, while volunteering to contribute to the SDGs on the ground through promotion of sustainable energy.” 
These UN Volunteers are joined by more than 50 Expo Student Volunteers to serve at the UN pavilion. The Expo Student Volunteers administered by UNV are the real Ambassadors for Change, giving their time and dedication to spread the messages of sustainability at the Expo. Some of them have had previous experience of engagement in similar events, while for most of them it is the first exposure of this monumental scale.
Volunteers are not only helping hands but are also active models of change – the Expo in Astana is a true testament to this.
Showcasing the energy of the future with many building blocks, one of them volunteers!