UN-TURKMENISTAN: STRATEGY FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND COMMON DEVELOPMENT

7 Aug

A strategically important area of foreign policy and diplomacy of Turkmenistan is active and consolidated participation in solving key issues of our time, comprehensive and active assistance in building up a positive international dialogue in order to strengthen global peace and stability, develop constructive cooperation at the regional and global levels.

As the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasizes, Turkmenistan will continue the policy of neutrality based on good neighborliness, mutual respect, equality and mutually beneficial cooperation with all states of the world. The basic principles arising from the legal status of the neutrality of our state, namely the strengthening of global peace and security, the expansion of friendly and fraternal relations based on goodwill, and ensuring sustainable development on the planet, will continue to be the priority directions of the foreign policy of the independent Turkmen state.

Turkmenistan, being an active participant in authoritative international, regional and interstate cooperation mechanisms, makes a huge contribution to strengthening the culture of peace and trust, assists in the consistent implementation of a balanced and consolidating international agenda. In this context, large-scale, purposeful and long-term cooperation of Turkmenistan with the United Nations is provided by the strategic course of the country's foreign policy.

The Turkmen state is a supporter of the efforts of the world community to strengthen the coordinating role of the UN in terms of preserving and maintaining the system of modern global actions aimed at ensuring global peace and a balance of interests of all parties. Turkmenistan recognizes the important role of the Organization as a defining pillar in the implementation of the declared Sustainable Development Goals.

The current state and prospects of international politics have repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of consolidated and systemic interaction of all states of the world in solving urgent problems and challenges of our time. The world and regional events of recent years clearly demonstrate that the preservation of peace, the strengthening of security and stability will remain the priorities of the international agenda.

Turkmenistan, being a responsible participant in the world community and steadily following its internationally recognized legal status of a permanently neutral state, strives to achieve the main goal - the creation of a universal system based on the principle of integrity and indivisibility of the concept of security.

In this context, the goals and objectives facing Turkmenistan, its foreign policy and foreign economic guidelines and priorities, as well as a balanced approach to solving various issues organically fit into the processes of world development. The systemic state policy, the commonality and interdependence of the strategic objectives of the internal and foreign policy of the country, the comparison of all relevant aspects of international life with national interests are important indicators that determine the effectiveness of the foreign policy of the Turkmen state, aimed at vigorous activity in the global political and diplomatic space.

The unique international status of Turkmenistan as a neutral state, the advantages of its geographical location and extensive resource potential, the accumulated positive experience of peacekeeping mediation and the commitment to a non-confrontational solution of interstate issues are also those objective factors that make it possible to effectively promote ideas and proposals both globally and regionally.

At the same time, the constructive and businesslike position of Turkmenistan in discussing and solving the priority tasks of the modern world allows our state to maintain and strengthen its high status as a full participant in world processes that contribute to strengthening the atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding, equality and maintaining a balance of interests of all states and peoples.

In this context, according to the existing tradition, on the eve of the opening of the regular 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan developed the priority positions of the state for the coming period. Actively continuing to implement the previously assumed international obligations, the new initiatives of Turkmenistan will be focused on further deepening the constructive dialogue in the basic areas of global development, covering political, diplomatic, and energy, environmental and humanitarian issues.

During the upcoming session, our state will continue to work on the implementation of international initiatives of the President of Turkmenistan on global and regional issues.

This important document contains a number of main directions, among which issues of ensuring peace and security occupy a special place.

In this context, Turkmenistan upholds the principle of the integrity of security, the inalienability and interconnectedness of its various aspects. None of the areas of security can be long-term and full-fledged without ensuring a number of its other aspects.

In its activities during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan will be strictly guided by the principles of neutrality, non-interference, firm commitment to peaceful, political means of resolving conflicts and contradictions.

As is known, over the years, Turkmenistan, within the framework of cooperation with the UN and its specialized agencies and institutions, has put forward a number of important and relevant initiatives. Today, Turkmenistan proposes to start discussing the possibilities of developing a Global Security Strategy based on the principles of the UN Charter and generally recognized norms of international law, taking into account current realities and trends in world development.

The strategy should include such areas as preventive diplomacy as a tool for preventing and neutralizing conflicts; using the potential of neutrality for the peaceful, political and diplomatic settlement of disputes and contradictions; as well as the restoration of a culture of trusting dialogue based on the decisions of the UN General Assembly to proclaim 2021 the International Year of Peace and Trust and 2023 “The Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace”.

In the context of an inclusive, full-scale and systemic dialogue in the "Central Asia - UN" format, Turkmenistan takes the initiative to create, under the auspices of the Organization, a Conference on Security in Central Asia and adjacent zones. The purpose of the Conference is to develop approaches and solutions aimed at bringing together and synchronizing the efforts of the countries of Central Asia and the world community, international organizations, financial and economic institutions in ensuring sustainable, conflict-free development of this region. The Turkmen side expresses readiness to hold its first meeting in Ashgabat in 2024.

Another important area of activity of Turkmenistan in the implementation of the sustainable development goals is the maximum assistance of the UN in solving food problems. Based on this, Turkmenistan proposes to convene under the auspices of the UN, in cooperation with the World Food Program, the World Health Organization, the UN Children's Fund, a major international forum on food security.

In the context of expanding international cooperation against terrorism, Turkmenistan emphasizes the need to develop educational activities in this area, including the introduction of programs aimed at combating terrorism, the development of curricula and materials, strengthening educational work, strengthening intercultural dialogue and tolerance.

Turkmenistan, in this regard, will continue to work with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) on the establishment of the OCT Program Office for Central Asia on the basis of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

From the point of view of maintaining and strengthening stability in Central Asia, one of the topical issues on the international agenda remains the provision of assistance in achieving peace and harmony in Afghanistan, taking into account the existing realities, including the provision of economic and humanitarian assistance to a neighboring country.

In order to further strengthen multilateral cooperation within the framework of the Group of Friends of Neutrality for peace, security and sustainable development, it will be proposed to hold the next high-level meeting of the Group of Friends in Ashgabat in December 2023, followed by the organization of the International Conference on the Group of Friends of Neutrality for peace and security in December 2024 in Ashgabat.

In this context, Turkmenistan proposes to discuss the possibility of establishing the Institute of Neutrality and Security in Ashgabat, which could become an effective platform for conducting scientific work and research on neutrality and related issues.

In the context of strengthening sustainable development at the international and regional levels, Turkmenistan comes up with a specific initiative - to organize, together with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, a separate Ministerial Dialogue on financing the SDGs.

In this regard, Turkmenistan proposes to consider the possibility of adopting a resolution of the UN General Assembly "Stable, sustainable and reliable energy mobility, and its key role in ensuring sustainable development." The draft resolution provides for the possibility of holding the International Forum "Sustainable Energy for All" in Ashgabat in 2025.

Taking into account the interest of Turkmenistan in the issues of energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources, readiness is expressed for cooperation with interested parties in the context of the development and implementation of energy-saving technologies, as well as the development of a system of renewable energy sources.

Within the framework of the 78th session, Turkmenistan considers the activation of international relations in the transport sector as a priority area of its activity. In this context, Turkmenistan will come up with a number of initiatives - a proposal to prepare a draft UN General Assembly resolution “Strengthening links between all modes of transport to achieve sustainable development goals”, to hold high-level meetings of the General Assembly on Development together with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs cooperation in the field of sustainable transport within the framework of the Ashgabat process, timed to coincide with the World Day of Sustainable Transport - November 26, as well as to organize the first high-level meeting of the Group of Friends on Sustainable Transport in December this year.

Another important aspect on which Turkmenistan focuses the attention of the world community within the framework of the 78th session of the General Assembly is ecological problem. The issues of climate change and rational use of water resources are closely related to this problem.

Turkmenistan pays great attention to the issues of ecology and the environment and is a supporter of closer international contacts in this area. Our state, being a party to a number of UN Conventions on environmental safety, implements an active position on environmental issues. In this context, the Turkmen side will continue to pay attention to the environmental agenda, which is the subject of attention from the UN. In this series, the problems of the Aral Sea and the protection of the environment in the Caspian basin.

In its fundamental approaches to environmental issues, Turkmenistan proceeds from the fact that at the institutional level today the main priority is the combination and complementarity of global, regional and national instruments for the implementation of UN multilateral documents in this direction.

As an important step in the adoption of a strategic approach to the environmental problems of Central Asia, Turkmenistan proposes the establishment of a specialized structure - the Regional Center for Climate Change Technologies in Central Asia for substantive and systematic work on climate issues.

Turkmenistan intends to intensify efforts to promote the Global Methane Pledge initiative. Following the path of Turkmenistan's accession to this document and in order to strengthen, within the framework of the National Strategy of Turkmenistan on Climate Change, control over the effectiveness of work to systematically reduce the volume of greenhouse gases and methane emissions that occur in various sectors of the economy, it is proposed to start developing under the auspices of the UN a global strategy for zero growth in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

As a concrete step in this direction, it is proposed to hold an international forum in Turkmenistan with the participation of the relevant UN structures and the International Observatory on Methane Emissions.

Taking into account the fruitful cooperation on the Caspian issues, Turkmenistan makes a proposal to create the "Caspian Ecological Initiative", which is designed to become an international platform for substantive and professional cooperation on a wide range of issues related to the protection of the environment of the Caspian Sea, the preservation of its biological resources, as well as the solution of a number of environmental problems.

In order to maintain peace, security and good neighborliness in Central Asia, as well as to establish a mechanism for the use of transboundary rivers in the region, it is proposed to consider the initiative to establish the UN Regional Council on Water Use in Central Asia, headquartered in Ashgabat.

As the most important priority of the foreign policy of Turkmenistan is cooperation in the field of health and medicine. Our state will continue to consolidate the efforts of the international community in combating the spread of infectious diseases, minimizing their socio-economic consequences, and establishing tools for medical diplomacy.

In this regard, Turkmenistan puts forward a number of initiatives - to hold in December 2023 an international scientific conference on infectious diseases within the framework of the Non-Aligned Movement, and also in April 2024, together with the WHO Regional Office for Europe - the European Ministerial Conference on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), dedicated to 10th anniversary of the Ashgabat Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in the Context of the Provisions of the Health 2020 Policy.

The most important component of the state policy of Turkmenistan is the humanitarian aspect. Turkmenistan proved itself as a state that comprehensively and strictly fulfills its international obligations in the field of humanitarian law.

Reaffirming its commitment to strict observance of the fundamental Conventions and other multilateral international instruments of the UN in the field of human rights and freedoms, Turkmenistan reaffirms its readiness to actively participate in the implementation of practical actions in the humanitarian sphere.

This is of particular importance during this session. As is known, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action. In this regard, Turkmenistan intends to hold a number of events on the occasion of these dates.

Among the priority aspects of humanitarian cooperation, a special place will be given to the protection of the most vulnerable categories of people: refugees, migrants and stateless persons. Turkmenistan has made significant progress in reducing and preventing statelessness. In 2024, our state intends to hold a regional conference dedicated to this topic.

In order to expand the activities of the Central Asian Women's Dialogue, the Turkmen side comes up with initiatives to expand cooperation in this direction. It is proposed to establish a mechanism for regular consultations of the Women's Dialogue on the implementation of the global agenda "Women, Peace and Security" with the relevant UN agencies, as well as to create a platform for the exchange of information and best practices in the context of interregional cooperation, to hold joint events and forums.

In order to promote the development of a multilateral dialogue between the youth of the countries of the region, it is proposed to hold the founding session of the Central Asian Youth Dialogue this year in Turkmenistan.

An important priority direction of the foreign policy strategy of Turkmenistan is the effective cooperation of Turkmenistan with the UN. In this context, within the framework of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan intends to expand project and program activities with specialized UN structures and, in this regard, will take steps to open representative offices of FAO, UNESCO, ILO, UN-Habitat and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

In order to promote intercultural dialogue and implement the resolutions of the UN General Assembly to support multilingualism in international relations, Turkmenistan proposes holding in 2024, together with UNESCO and TURKSOY, the International Week of Turkic Languages, dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of Magtymguly Fragi, as well as considering the possibility of adopting resolution of the UN General Assembly "World Day of Turkic Languages".

Putting forward a number of important initiatives within the framework of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly aimed at maintaining peace and security, as well as achieving sustainable development goals, Turkmenistan expresses its readiness for further broad multilateral dialogue on topical issues of the global agenda and, at the same time, will be guided by high ideals of peace and justice, which form the basis of the work of the United Nations.