STATEMENT
of the Permanent Representative of the Republic of
Tajikistan to the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Rashid Alimov
at the 55th session of the General
Assembly of the United Nations
MILLENNIUM ASSEMBLY
Mr. Chairman,
The more that time passes from the
Millennium Assembly the more profoundly we will appreciate its historic
outcome.
Tajikistan welcomes the re-commitment
by the world leaders the United Nations role as the key mechanism for the
collective regulation of international relations.
We are convinced that there is no alternative to the United Nations.
Nobody is capable of dealing single-handedly with new mufti-faceted challenges, risks and threats to international security and stability. Only concerted collective actions of the entire international community will make it possible to withstand severe financial and economic crises, regional conflicts, international terrorism, organized crime and narcotics aggression.
The positive results achieved by my country in the implementation of the peace process is another proof to the determining role of the UN in coordinating the interaction of states during the resolution of the armed conflict.
Today, after seven years of confrontation, peace prevails in Tajikistan. After the first multiparty plural elections in the country's history, held in February 2000, the Tajik society lives in a new environment and is laying down a solid foundation for a sustainable democratic development of the country.
Substantial support of the international community, that under the auspices of the United Nations effectively promoted the advancement of the peace process, proved to be of great value for the establishment of peace and stability in Tajikistan. The Tajik people will always remember the UN with gratitude and will always associate this Organization with the return of peace, democracy and conditions for sustainable development to our ancient land.
I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to express our great appreciation to the Security Council, the Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan, his special envoys and representatives, and to the leaders of the UN teams and missions in Tajikistan for their enormous contribution to the cause of the successful completion of the peace process in my country.
Our special appreciation goes to all those states, and there are about 30 of them, that sent their citizens to Tajikistan as part of the UN mission of observers. The Tajik people will forever keep in their memories the names of those who lost their lives so that peace would return to our country.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Children's Fund and UNDP, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and International Financial Corporation. They have rendered and continue to render every possible support to the people and Government of Tajikistan in their efforts to overcome the effects of the civil conflict and rehabilitate the country's economy.
At all stages of the peace process
the Russian Federation made a decisive contribution to its progressive
development. The Russian peace keepers and frontier guards who lost their lives
serving security and stability in Tajikistan and Russia will never be forgotten
by our peoples.
The states-guarantors for the
implementation of the peace agreement - Russia, the Islamic Republic of Iran,
the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Kazakhstan,
Turkmenistan, Pakistan and the Islamic State of Afghanistan rendered
considerable support to the UN in achieving the successful settlement of the
conflict. The joint efforts of the UN, its special agencies, Breton-Woods
Institutions, neighboring states, the USA and European Union, OSCE and OIC, of
all those who sincerely desired to see peaceful and stable Tajikistan,
contributed to the successful implementation of the General Agreement on
Establishing Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan, signed in Moscow on 27-th
of June, 1997.
We are fully aware that a huge job
of post conflict peace building awaits us. We hope that the UN office in
Dushanbe will continue to operate effectively, rendering rehabilitation
assistance, first of all, in the social and economic spheres.
There is much to be done. But what
has already been accomplished at this stage is of great significance for the
Tajik society, its peaceful development and for the entire Central and Southern
Asia region.
There is no doubt that experience
gained is of paramount importance for the UN, since it constitutes one of the
positive examples of the successful activities of our Organization in the field
of peace maintenance and conflicts resolution. We hope that support of and
assistance to Tajikistan that are needed to reinforce the gains of the peaceful
process will be intensified. We do count on adoption during the current session
by the General Assembly, traditionally by consensus, of its Resolution on
Humanitarian Assistance to Tajikistan.
Humanitarian assistance is of
particular importance this year, because in the spring and summer the whole
territory of Tajikistan was affected by a drought on a scale that was
unprecedented in the 20-the century. The loss of grain crop on irrigated land
proved to be from 30% to 50%. According to the World Food Program, about three
million people, every second citizen of Tajikistan, is inadequately fed.
We greatly appreciate the appeal made
by the Secretary General to render food assistance to the population of Tajikistan
most affected by the drought, and we are deeply appreciative of all those
states that immediately responded to this appeal.
Apparently, in the new century
activities of the UN in the humanitarian sphere, and it has demonstrated its capabilities, will continue to play an important role. We believe that it is necessary
to intensify the cooperation of the states in this area in order to
increase international capacity to respond to natural and technological
disasters. In our view, this is one of the realistic directions for the
development of the Organization, one which will allow all and everyone to take
advantage of the opportunities provided by globalization. This is a fairly
achievable task, once the efforts and capacities of the UN and other
international economic and financial organizations are united. That would
provide a demonstration of that global solidarity to which the Secretary
General calls us.
Achieving sustainable development
ensuring consideration of the equitable interests of both the present and
future generations on a global scale is one of the most serious challenges of
the new century. Today we are not far from the line beyond which the processes
of destruction of the natural mechanisms, regulating the environment and global
changes are irreversible. Our common objective is to meet the ever increasing
needs of human development in the economic and social spheres with, not simply
preservation of, but a gradual restoration of natural ecosystems to conditions
that will guarantee environmental sustainability.
Much has been accomplished in this
area over the last decade. "Agenda XXI" adopted at the Rio-de-Janeiro
conference has become a fundamental document defining the main area of
activities of the international community on this issue. However the dimensions
of the objectives the humanity is facing require extra efforts. Alongside with
the long-term problems such as the climate changes, preservation of
biodiversity, desertification, new ones are emerging and demand consideration
and concerted actions.
One of them is freshwater, a
resource which is being depleted. Depletion of ground waters has become a
serious problem. According to some forecasts, by 2050 the population of the
planet will not have an adequate water supply. The problem of freshwater is
mufti-faceted, and is not confined only to economic issues. It requires a
thorough consideration and appropriate, coordinated actions. The initiative to
proclaim the year 2003 as the International year of Freshwater, put forward by
Tajikistan a year ago, is specifically aimed to serve this purpose. We express
our hope that the relevant resolution will be adopted by the 55-th session, by
consensus. We would well be advised to remember our relationship to the two
atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen that, bound in nature, support our life.
Mr.
Chairman,
While the XXI century may present
new trials for humanity, the one, which has passed already, has challenged the
international community with an urgent necessity to jointly combat
international terrorism, the drug trade and organized crime. The situation in
many regions of the planet demands that the UN even more actively mobilize
international efforts to counteract these horrible phenomena.
The situation in Afghanistan especially
endangers regional and international security. As a result of the inter-Afghan
crisis the country has been transformed into a stronghold of international
terrorism, and it has become the world leader in drug production. The other
day the situation in Afghanistan was the subject of a thorough discussion
at a ministerial level meeting of the Group 6+2. Tajikistan is firmly convinced
that there can be no military solution to the Afghan crisis; any victory by
any party to the conflict will be temporary and will not lead to the establishment
of peace and stability in that country
Only the UN, in cooperation with the
OIC, is capable of untying the tight knot of the Afghan crisis. Tajikistan
fully approves of the activities of the Special mission of the Secretary
General in Afghanistan and its chief Mr. F. Vendrel. We express our hope that
additional resolute measures to be undertaken by the Security Council and the
entire international community will eventually allow the fire of war that has
been raging in this country for twenty years to be extinguished.
Otherwise, as we have already seen,
the terrorist and narcotic threats to regional and global security emanating
from Afghanistan will continue to grow.
Our duty is to help the Afghan
people to return to a dignified and peaceful life, and to erect a reliable
barrier to prevent the heroin aggression and the cultivation of international
terrorism encouraged by the Taliban. They constitute a threat not only to the
countries bordering Afghanistan but also to those located far beyond the
region. We are convinced that it will become possible to find a formula for
peace and a way out of the Afghan deadlock only through our joint efforts and
leadership by the United Nations.
In order to continue playing a key
role in world affairs the UN must continuously renew itself. Much has already
been done to this end thanks to important initiatives and effective actions of
the Secretary General. However, a number of issues that could actually
influence the efficiency of the UN in the XXI century, are still to be dealt
with. Expanding the Security Council's membership is one of them. Tajikistan is
in favor of increasing the efficiency, balance and representation of the
Security Council by incorporating both highly industrialized countries like
Japan and Germany, and influential developing states. We hope that this issue
will be resolved with a wide spread support.
Distinguished
delegates,
Each session of the General Assembly
provides us with a unique opportunity to develop a unified approach and
coordinate actions on the global level for the sake of a truly democratic,
secure and sustainable development of humanity. The unprecedented in the
history of mankind forum of the world leaders has given a powerful political
impetus to our Organization with which we will enter the XXI century. The
Millennium Assembly should preserve it and use it rationally for the sake of
strengthening the community of nations, for the sake of our common future.
Thank you
for attention.