USAID, or the United States Agency for International Development, is a U.S. government agency that administers foreign development and humanitarian assistance. Its funding policy is aligned with U.S. foreign policy objectives. USAID began operations in Kazakhstan when it broke off from the Soviet Union in 1991. USAID’s core activities are global development assistance, global health, humanitarian assistance and economic development, among other priorities. Following the USSR’s disintegration in 1991, USAID began operations supporting development, as mentioned above.

While USAID programs in Kazakhstan contributed to development efforts, broader issues relating to socio-economic indicators continue. According to the World Bank, about 0.04% of Kazakhstan’s population lives below the international poverty line of $3 a day. Indicating a relatively low poverty rate. However, the same World Bank report states that in Financial Year 2027, Kazakhstan’s growth rate would moderate from 6.5% last fiscal year to 4.6%. Meanwhile, Kazinform reports that while Kazakhstan spends about $15 billion or 7 trillion Kazakh Tenge on education, about 73.5% of the expenditure goes to salaries and social payments. These indicators highlight areas that continue to shape the country’s various economic indicators.

Key USAID Programs in Kazakhstan

Here are the key areas where USAID focuses its programs:

1. Economic Development: USAID provided $39 million in funding for the Power Central Asia program to decarbonize and introduce renewable energy in the country’s energy sector. Emin Hassan’s article provides evidence for this investment. In the article, Mr. Emin talks of how wind energy has one of the highest potentials for renewable expansion, due to Kazakhstan’s arid and windy climate. According to USAID, the agency supported initiatives through the New Silk Road Initiative to diversify the country’s economy and strengthen regional growth.
2. Rule of Law: Kazakhstan is often considered an “authoritarian, super-presidential” country, where the Kazakh president has sweeping powers; international organizations have reported restrictions on civil liberties and press freedoms. According to USAID, it conducts programs such as projects supporting legal reform, nonprofit advocacy and the independence and professionalism of the Kazakh judiciary. One of those programs was Kazakhstan’s Rule of Law program which receives funding and support from both USAID and the European Union. One of the many objectives included: improving the legal climate for businesses, the legal framework for Civil Society Organizations and Judicial independence and modernization, according to the American Bar Association (ABA). As the Astana Times reported, due to the implementation of this program, Kazakhstan’s overall score at the WJP Rule of Law improved to 0.54. Additional improvements included the expansion of e – Justice systems, regulatory enforcement and anti-corruption frameworks improved, thus showing notable positive movement in the “absence of corruption” and “order and security” subsections of the ranking.
3. Civil Society and Human Rights Programs: USAID in Kazakhstan has launched multiple programs in Kazakhstan, including the Civil Society Support Program in Central Asia (CSSP) and the Kazakhstan Human Rights Activity. These programs support citizen government initiatives and fund local NGOs. As fundsforNGOs and the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan reported, these programs’ accomplishments include $2,000-$10,000 grants to local civil society organizations and NGOs; funding for high-profile public events such as Almaty’s first “Trash Fleet;” the brokering of partnerships between academics, civic activists and local businesses; and finally, the provision of specialized capacity-building courses for regional civil society leaders.

USAID’s activities in Kazakhstan are part of a broader U.S. – Kazakhstan development cooperation.

The Impact

USAID’s activities in Kazakhstan affect several sectors, including:

1. Public Health: According to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, USAID programs helped combat HIV cases through a massive increase in HIV/AIDS testing and an increase in outreach programs. USAID launched the Central Asia HIV Flagship program to strengthen HIV prevention, testing and treatment in Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region. Its objective is to reduce HIV incidence and deaths. Its main group included gay men, sex workers and drug abusers. As of 2020, the program has tested more than 10,000 people through many flagship initiatives, provided life – saving care and support services for more than 3,000 people infected by HIV and upgraded 15 different AIDS centers in Kazakhstan. Recent cuts to these programs put these initiatives at risk of cancellation. UNAIDS reported a 90% reduction in testing.
2. Civil Society and Media: The Diplomat reported that recent cuts to USAID have put training programs and support for independent media at risk because the funding cuts could force organizations to suspend them.
3. Economy and Trade: The USAID Power Central Asia regional center has supported diversifying the country’s economy, easing supply chain bottlenecks and mitigating the effects of the war in Ukraine.
4. Energy and Climate: As the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan and Power Central Asia reported, USAID facilitated and funded multiple energy programs in the country, supporting Kazakhstan’s transition to renewable energy. According to USAID, its accomplishments extended to the provision of 1790 MW of renewable energy, the reduction or avoidance of 18 million tons of CO2, $3 billion USD in investments and 2,194 people trained in the Central Asian energy sector.

Challenges That USAID in Kazakhstan Faces

Here are the challenges the organization has faced while operating in Kazakhstan:

1. 1. Challenges With Operating or Maintaining Programs: Recent funding cuts have hurt operations, sometimes even complete elimination of programs, and delayed expansion in Kazakhstan.
   2. Harm to Publish Health Programs: The same funding cuts have also hurt USAID-sponsored HIV/AIDS testing and other public health initiatives. This has put large parts of the population at higher risk of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, due to low testing and medical outreach.
   3. Censorship: Due to the funding cuts, local NGOs had to censor themselves or cease operations entirely due to operational bans by the Kazakh government. This has fueled public petitions directed towards USAID and the U.S. government due to the inclusion of foreign funding restriction laws and funding cuts.
   4. Restrictions from the Government: The restrictive nature of the Kazakh government has also hampered operations due to the restrictions they place on foreign-funded NGOs operating in the country. This includes mandatory reporting to the state; the NGO needs to list itself on the National registry, including disclosing names and registration numbers.

The Future of USAID in Kazakhstan

Foreign policy priorities will influence the future of USAID in Kazakhstan, congressional appropriations and decisions that the presidential administration made. Recent policy changes have altered funding priorities for some international assistance programs.

– Dhruv Bandhu

Dhruv is based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India and focuses on Technology and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons