HIS EXCELLENCY MR. EMOMALI RAHMONOV

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN

UNITED NATIONS WORLD SUMMIT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Geneva, 27 June 2000

Distinguished Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Secretary General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, allow me to express my gratitude to the Swiss Government for providing excellent conditions for conducting our Forum, which will facilitate our fruitful work.

There is no doubt that the event of such a magnitude would provide us a unique opportunity to rethink the most important problems related to social development in a globalizing world, determine and coordinate our efforts and actions for solving the acute problems of sustainable social development in the beginning of the new millenium.

This Forum will undoubtedly become an important event for understanding the problems that face the international community in the field of comprehensive and harmonized human development, poverty eradication, protection of environment, status of women, education and public health. It will make necessary impact on determining the ways for solution of these problems.

It is also important that this Session is held in a new international environment of globalization.

The ongoing integration processes in the world undoubtedly promote globalization and strengthening economic inter-dependence among the states. At the same time, this process constitutes a threat to the developing countries and economies in transition. It is related to the fact that their companies are not able to equally participate in a competitive market. Their economies are getting increasingly resource-oriented and their debts are growing.

An accelerated pace of privatization could cause serious destabilization of social sphere at the initial stages.

Therefore, in our view, these processes should be accompanied with reasonable and targeted social policy both at the national and international levels.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Currently, we have achieved our primary goal and that is national reconciliation and the establishment of peace in Tajikistan.

A number of important political events aimed at building a democratic society, providing political stability and achieving social unity of the society have been carried out.

In Tajikistan, as well as in other countries of Eastern Europe, the Baltic and the CIS the process of implementation of the goals set up by the Copenhagen Summit for Social Development requires a relatively long period of time.

This is primarily caused by the transition from a centrally planned economy to the market economy in the country.

I would like to stress with satisfaction that beginning from June, 1998, the Government has been successfully implementing a Midterm Economic Program for 1998-2001 supported by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other influential international financial institutions.

This Program is basically aimed at the improvement of people's wellbeing and solution of other urgent problems such as poverty eradication, decreasing unemployment, provision of new jobs, social protection of vulnerable groups of the population, as well as mobilization of additional external resources for social development including changing the structure of budget spending towards increasing the share of expenditures for social sphere.

As a result of measures undertaken by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, we have succeeded in achieving macroeconomic stabilization.

For instance, since 1997 there has been the growth of GDP totaling about 5 % in average during the last years.

There is a trend for growth of industrial production in almost all sectors of the economy.

Nevertheless, combating poverty remains one of the most important tasks of our Government.1

Difficulties of transition to a market economy, consequences of the armed conflict, economic crisis, migration and many other factors have contributed to the growth of poverty in our country.

According to the assessment of poverty level carried out by the World Bank, 80 % of the population remain poor in terms of income they have.

Within the framework of the decisions taken at the Copenhagen Summit we worked out a preliminary Document on the Strategy for Poverty Eradication in the Republic of Tajikistan to 2003.

We fully realize that the problem of poverty is widespread and it could be jointly solved through attracting investments to the development of human resources, investing resources into raising economic productivity of vulnerable groups of the population, increasing spending from the state budget for primary social needs, providing social safety net for the population and decreasing gender inequality.

In accordance with, the international norms, we adopted a number of laws aimed at providing social safety net for pensioners and vulnerable groups of the population in order to protect them from negative social consequences of the transition period.

I would like to particularly mention the role of women within the framework of the national policy in the area of sustainable human development.

Women make up 51% off a six million population of the country.

The problem of eliminating gender inequality, which is one the most important conditions for sustainable human development, has acquired a particular urgency in our country.

The recent civil war in Tajikistan and severe consequences of the social and economic crisis have been preventing an active participation of women in the social development, their access to social services, as well as contributed to the growth of unemployment in Tajikistan, particularly among women.

Currently, we implement the . "National Plan of Action for the Republic of Tajikistan on the Improvement of Status of Women for 19982005", Program on "Women's Participation in the Implementation of the State Program on Reforming Public Education" and Decree of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan "On Raising the Status of Women in the Society",, which are aimed at increasing women's role and using their potential in our, society.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The achievement of sustainable economic growth requires primary attention to providing the growth of employment rate and consideration of human factor as central component in the development process.

Difficulties of the transition period, consequences of the civil and dire economic situation and constrained state budget have also contributed to a huge unemployed labor potential in the country which is concentrated among the Youth and those people who seek employment for the first time, as well as among women in certain regions.

Nevertheless, the Government has undertaken a number of serious measures for providing jobs to the population and preventing unemployment, particularly in rural areas.

For example, 75 000 hectares of land were distributed among farmers. There is also a State Program for supporting private business in the country.

We attach a great importance to the development of education as a primary mechanism for solving economic, political and social problems in the country.

A number of adopted laws and the Midterm Economic Program for 1998 - 2001 contain provisions-on humanization, democratization and fundamental role of education and reforming educational system according to the international standards.

Distinguished Mr. Chairman,

Obviously, Tajikistan's problems including social ones should be first of all solved by Tajik people themselves.

Nevertheless; in a situation of economic and political transformation in the country and a post-conflict rehabilitation; we count on assistance and support of the international community.

Our social and economic situation has deteriorated because of unprecedented natural disasters which have affected Tajikistan in recent years.

This year, continuous drought destroyed a significant part of cereals and particularly wheat crops in the country.

We hope that our appeal to the wheat-producing countries and international organizations for humanitarian assistance for overcoming the consequences of this drought will find its response.

We also would like to hope that a Resolution on extending international assistance for realization of the projects on the post-conflict rehabilitation of Tajikistan, which was approved at the 54th Session of the UN General Assembly, will be implemented unlike those Declarations on providing international aid that were adopted at the international economic forums on Tajikistan held in recent years in Tokyo, Vienna and Paris. .

Ladies and gentlemen,

The strategy of recovery of the national economy focuses first of all at the rehabilitation of the country, reintegration of returnees and excombatants to a civil society, and most importantly, at sustainable social , development.

A number of projects on the post-conflict rehabilitation of the infrastructure, providing new jobs for demobilized soldiers and their families, reintegration of refugees, poverty alleviation and supporting various social sectors have been worked out in cooperation with the international organizations such as the ILO and UNHCR.

In order to realize the important tasks and projects that I have mentioned, we optimistically count on the assistance and support of the donor-countries and international organizations.

I am convinced that we would be able to take effective measures and elaborate coordinated approaches towards the major objectives defined at the Copenhagen Summit such as poverty eradication, increasing employment opportunities and social integration, as well as determining the ways of expanding international cooperation, which would promote sustainable human development in the XXI century.

Thank you very much.