Initiatives of Turkmenistan at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly
As it is known, Turkmenistan became the member of the UN on second of March in 1992. On the way to the 32th anniversary of independence, Turkmenistan ensures high rates of development, continues to develop the national economy, and takes a confident step towards new levels of prosperity and well-being. In our country, at the constitutional level, person has been declared as the main value of society. Our country is one of the rapidly developing, prosperous and peace-loving countries of the world. This is clearly evidenced by the rapid implementation of large-scale reforms. Along with significant reforms, large-scale international cooperation is also being successfully developed. Close and effective cooperation with the United Nations is one of its clear indicators.
Turkmenistan is guided by the principles of neutrality, non-intervention, firm commitment to peaceful, political means of resolving conflicts and contradictions. During these days Turkmenistan is preparing a number of international initiatives to be presented at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which began its work on September 12, 2023 in New York. As you know, our country is the author of important peacekeeping initiatives. In this regard, strengthening global peace and security in modern conditions has been identified as one of the most important areas. As it is known, Turkmenistan has put forward a number of important initiatives in this system. These initiatives were enshrined in resolutions of the UN General Assembly. This year, the Turkmen side intends to promote the initiative related to the development of the Global Security Strategy. Along with this, it will be proposed to create a permanent Security Council in Central Asia and hold its first meeting in Ashgabat in 2024.
Turkmenistan has been pursuing peacekeeping and peace building policy for centuries. The foreign policy of Turkmenistan draws attention to many states with its the initiatives as maintaining peace, security and sustainable development, ecology, the environmental protection, climate change, health and well-being as well as the humanitarian spheres.
Turkmenistan proposes to start discussing the possibilities of developing a Global Security Strategy, which 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; -restoration of a culture of trust-based 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.
Under the leadership of our honourable President consistently implementing the foreign policy course, based on the status of permanent neutrality, the principles of peacefulness, good neighborliness, mutual respect and equal constructive partnerships.
The creative principles of the foreign policy of the Motherland have been embodied in Priority positions of Turkmenistan at the 78th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, at which new initiatives of our states aimed at further strengthening and expanding fruitful dialogue on key areas of global development.
In addition, it will be proposed to organize an international conference of the Group of Friends of Neutrality, formed at the initiative of our country on the basis of the UN, as well as to start exploring the possibilities of creating an Institute of Neutrality and Security in December 2024 in Ashgabat in Turkmenistan.
It should be noted that the Group of Friends of Neutrality for Peace, Security and Sustainable Development serves as a platform to develop under the auspices of the Untied Nations a wide multilateral dialogue on the practical application of the principles of neutrality in preventing conflicts,eliminating their causes and consequences, and resolving humanitarian issues.
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is one of the main areas of cooperation with the United Nations. In this regard, Turkmenistan will hold relevant events together with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. In order to achieve sustainable development goals, it will be proposed to adopt a Decree aimed at ensuring global energy security, as well as to develop a draft Decree to strengthen communications between all types of vehicles.
It should be noted that the rich historical experience of the Turkmen people was of great importance in choosing neutrality as the basis of the foreign policy of country. Peace-loving, good neighbourliness, mutual respect, friendship and openness have always formed the basis of the uniqueness of our people. On the occasion of the announcement of November 26 as “World Sustainable Transport Day”, at the initiative of the country, Turkmenistan will put forward a proposal to hold a high-level meeting within the framework of the regular session of the General Assembly on the development of cooperation on sustainable transport within the framework of the Ashgabat process. It should be noted, that important directions initiated by the far-sighted wisdom of our President and implemented today by the active efforts of the President are the development of continuous cooperation with relevant international organizations on the “green economy” project and the implementation of large-scale and continuous work in the country’s sphere in accordance with this project.
The Green Economy is an environmentally friendly path of economic development that aims to improve production efficiency, reduce emissions, enhance biodiversity and ultimately ensure environmental well-being by preserving and increasing natural capital.
In fact, the ecological system is one of the main areas of cooperation between our country and the United Nations and its agencies. In this regard, Turkmenistan will continue to implement its proposal to create a regional center for technologies related to climate change in Central Asia.
As a contribution to efforts within the framework of the global methane commitment, the Turkmen side will propose to develop a global strategy for zero growth in greenhouse gas emissions until 2030 under the auspices of the is ready to host an international forum/regional meeting on this topic. Along with this, Turkmenistan is also making proposals on the establishment of the Caspian Environment Initiative and the UN Regional Water Council in Central Asia, headquartered in Ashgabat.
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and the Program of Actions, Turkmenistan plans to hold relevant events together with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
It should be noted that Turkmenistan successfully works of the project Assistance Implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP) of the Turkmenistan for 2021-2025. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the national system of protection, promotion and realization of human rights in Turkmenistan by harmonizing laws and practices in accordance with the country's international human rights obligations and realization the National Action Plan of Turkmenistan in the area of human rights for 2021-2025.
Within the framework of this project, it is planned to assist the Government of Turkmenistan in the realization of the National Action Plan for Human Rights for 2021-2025 in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Turkmenistan and fulfillment of the obligations of Turkmenistan adopted by the country within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concerning the rule of law and access to justice.
During the implementation of the project, UNDP will closely collaborate and coordinate its work with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). During the Revival of a New Era of Powerful State under the leadership of our honorable President, the country continues to move forward along its chosen creative foreign policy path.
We express our sincere gratitude to our Hero Arkadag, the National Leader of the Turkmen people and Arkadagly Serdar and wish them sound health, longevity as well as great success in all undertakings in the world.
Chemen Bayriyeva,
Senior lecturer of the Institute of International Relations of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.