ANTALYA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev urged world leaders to adopt greater responsibility, restraint, and pragmatism in managing global security challenges, while also calling for urgent reform of the United Nations during his remarks at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 17. The Astana Times attended the session.
Speaking at a high-level panel alongside several international leaders, Tokayev emphasized that modern global leadership must be anchored in accountability, particularly when addressing issues of international peace and security.
He underlined that restraint has become an essential principle in today’s volatile geopolitical environment.
“I would say the most important thing: global leadership and those people who are heading their own states in each part of the world must be responsible with regard to international security and peace, and then must be very much restrained. Strategic restraint plays an extremely important role nowadays,” he said.
Tokayev warned that regional disputes are increasingly no longer confined within borders, noting their expanding global consequences.
“Regional conflicts nowadays go far beyond regional dimensions. They become global,” he added.
UN Reforms
The Kazakh President reaffirmed that the United Nations remains “indispensable and universal,” but stressed that its effectiveness is being weakened by unresolved structural challenges.
“Everyone is speaking about the necessity of supporting the UN, it is true, as well as everybody saying it deserves to be not only supported but reformed,” Tokayev said. “We should be very frank that nobody believes it might be the case very soon, at least.”
He noted that discussions on reform have been ongoing for years without delivering substantial outcomes, pointing in particular to the role of the Security Council.
“We must be very sincere to say that it is the Security Council that serves as an impediment to reforming the UN,” he said.
Tokayev also expressed concern over the declining relevance of multilateral institutions and the growing tendency for major negotiations to take place outside UN frameworks. He warned that this trend risks further marginalizing the organization.
“Major negotiations happen beyond the platforms of the United Nations and other major international organizations. We never see a higher representative of the United Nations mediating those conflicts. It’s a huge problem. It’s about marginalizing the United Nations. I’m very much concerned,” he said.
Tokayev, who previously held senior roles at the UN including UN Deputy Secretary-General, cautioned that this shift represents a serious challenge to global governance.
Middle powers and global responsibility
The President also highlighted the role of middle and smaller powers, arguing that they often demonstrate greater responsibility in international affairs.
“Regional powers or medium-sized powers or even small powers behave much more responsibly on the international arena,” he said.
He also pointed to the potential role of Kazakhstan and Türkiye in addressing global crises, praising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and referring to him as “his brother.” Tokayev also welcomed Erdoğan’s planned visit to Kazakhstan in May.
“Kazakhstan and Türkiye could play a very positive role, I would say, a huge role in tackling most acute issues that unfortunately do emerge from time to time in our part of the world,” he said.
Middle East Tensions
Addressing developments in the Middle East, particularly the situation surrounding Iran, Tokayev called for diplomatic caution and restraint.
“Everybody is talking about Iran. Of course, it’s a very complex issue. It’s not so easy even to make any comments,” he said. “At the same time, we [Kazakhstan] have expressed our solidarity with the Persian Gulf and called all states to exercise strategic restraint and to stop military actions in that part of the world.”
He stressed that nuclear issues should remain central to diplomatic negotiations.
Crisis of leadership
North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova echoed concerns over global governance, warning of what she described as a “crisis of leadership.”
She called for evidence-based policymaking and criticized the dominance of power politics over international law.
“How do I see the world? It’s based on might, not right,” she said. “There’s a terrible crisis of democracy. Security threats and military uncertainty are very present. Unpredictable world, then also decline of multilateralism.”
She also highlighted rising global military spending, citing figures of $2.73 trillion in 2024, and described the trend as deeply concerning.
Siljanovska-Davkova further called for reforms to the UN Security Council, stronger authority for the General Assembly, and greater gender representation in global leadership, including the election of a woman as UN Secretary-General.
Significant & highly positive role
Tokayev stated that Astana and Ankara are capable of playing a “significant” and “highly positive” role in addressing some of the world’s most pressing global challenges.
Tokayev emphasized that global leaders need to adopt a more responsible and pragmatic stance when responding to escalating geopolitical tensions, noting that numerous regional conflicts have increasingly expanded into global crises.
He underlined that Türkiye, Kazakhstan, and other countries present at the forum must demonstrate their commitment to international peace and security, stressing Kazakhstan’s determination to contribute to efforts aimed at containing and preventing the spread of conflicts worldwide.
Referring to Iran, Tokayev urged governments to concentrate on the underlying causes of instability, including nuclear non-proliferation concerns, and to avoid diverting attention to secondary or politicized issues that could hinder resolution efforts.
He added that key trade routes, such as the Strait of Hormuz, had previously functioned as open channels for free trade, and therefore the focus should remain on addressing the core of the problem rather than its symptoms.
Tokayev also highlighted the rising importance of “middle powers,” arguing that they often demonstrate greater responsibility than major global actors and can play a constructive role in resolving international challenges.
