I
would like, on behalf of the Republic of Kazakhstan
and on my own behalf, to congratulate Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon on his re-election to his high and
responsible office. I should also like to congratulate the
Ambassador of Qatar, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser,
on his election to the presidency of the General
Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. The Republic of
Kazakhstan also congratulates the newest Member of
the community of nations, the Republic of South
Sudan, on gaining its independence.
This year, our country celebrates the twentieth
anniversary of its independence. During this entire
time, Kazakhstan has faithfully complied with the
letter and spirit of the United Nations Charter. First, we
closed the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, the largest in
the world, thereby becoming one of the world’s first
new non-nuclear States. This represents an enormous
contribution on the part of my country to global peace
and stability.
Secondly, we succeeded in convening the
Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building
Measures in Asia (CICA), which I proposed 19 years
ago in this forum. Today it includes participants from
29 countries, representing nearly half the world’s
population. Last year, Kazakhstan became the first
country from the Commonwealth of Independent States
to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE), injecting new energy into every
area of its work. We also succeeded in holding an
OSCE summit in our capital, Astana, the first in
11 years. The adoption of the Astana Declaration has
helped to strengthen the OSCE and its efforts to create
a cooperative and indivisible security community
across the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian regions.
Kazakhstan has also called for the establishment of a
single platform for cooperative Eurasian security by
combining the capabilities of the OSCE and CICA over
the long term.
This year, Kazakhstan assumed an important
duty, the chairmanship of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC). We have focused our chairmanship’s
efforts on strengthening international and regional
security; continuing dialogue between the Islamic
world and the West; combating Islamophobia; and
enhancing programmes promoting the non-proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction. The most recent test
for the OIC was the humanitarian crisis in Somalia. In
that regard, we succeeded in raising $350 million for
programmes designed to deliver food, medical supplies
and economic restoration to Somalia.
Thirdly, 140 ethnic groups and 40 religious
denominations live in our society in peace and
harmony. Astana regularly hosts congresses of leaders
of world and traditional religions. We have offered to
hold such forums under the auspices of the United
Nations, and they have stabilized the region. That
represents our contribution to the global dialogue on
confidence-building in the world.
Fourthly, our country has demonstrated a
commitment to the Millennium Development Goals.
Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, we have
been able to move to the forefront in terms of the pace
of reform and economic growth. In the past two
decades, we have posted a 14-fold increase in per
capita gross domestic product, from about $700 to
about $10,000.
Fifthly, Kazakhstan has called for the adoption of
a global energy and environment strategy and has put
forward an ambitious “green bridge” environmental
initiative. We plan to bring these ideas to the United
Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be
held in Rio de Janeiro next year.
The world is entering one of the most critical
periods in its history. Humanity has harnessed powerful
sources of energy but is powerless against the forces of
nature. Enclaves of poverty and destitution are
emerging, even in the wealthiest and better-off
countries. It is becoming harder and harder to contain
outbreaks involving ethnic and religious intolerance,
even in societies with well-established traditions of
tolerance.
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In today’s inclusive information age, there are no
reliable means of protection against electronic
extremism. Ten years ago, the whole world came
together in the face of the terrible tragedy of 9/11. Yet
no conclusive lessons have been learned from it, and
the resurgence of international terrorism is evident in
various parts of the world. These are the main
challenges of the new century.
In that context, I would like to draw the attention
of participants in this political discussion to the
following.
First, we have to address issues related to global
nuclear safety and security. We call for the start of the
drafting of a universal declaration on a nuclear-
weapon-free world. We have high hopes for the
Nuclear Security Summit, scheduled to be held in
Seoul in 2012. It is necessary to expand the legal
framework for, and increase international control by
the United Nations and the International Atomic
Energy Agency, compliance by all countries with their
obligations in the area of non-proliferation.
We welcome the Treaty between the United States
of America and the Russian Federation on Measures
for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic
Offensive Arms. We consider it important that all
States that make up the Nuclear Club join that process.
Today the world faces a paradoxical situation:
some are allowed to possess and upgrade nuclear
weapons, while others are strictly forbidden to be
engaged even in research and development. This is
unjust, disproportionate and unfair. The relevant
provisions of international law must thus be reviewed.
The idea is to strengthen the responsibility of all
States, especially nuclear-weapon States, to reduce
nuclear weapons and gradually destroy their stockpiles.
Today there are no clear legal assurances to
non-nuclear States by nuclear-weapon Powers. In this
important dimension, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons does not work. At this stage,
nuclear weapons are not a deterrent but a catalyst of an
arms race.
In the twenty-first century, general curbs on the
arms race can be effectively provided only by a
collegial body with broad powers such as the Security
Council. I also propose that we issue a collective
appeal on the part of the international community to de
facto nuclear-weapon States to renounce their
ambitions and to accede to comprehensive treaties.
Secondly, the increasing globalization of
economic processes requires a paradigm shift in the
economic component of the work of the United
Nations. The raison d’être of global mechanisms for
currency, trade and economic regulation should be the
forecasting of global crises and the elimination of their
causes.
It is generally agreed today that the current global
crisis was caused by deficiencies in the global financial
system. However, to date no significant steps to
address its flaws have been taken. Procrastination in
tackling this issue will result in new and violent
manifestations of the crisis and a surge of regional and
global instability.
It is important to establish an effective global
economic governance mechanism, with clear powers
and lines of accountability involving all institutions
and actors, an effective global reserve currency and
tight control over speculative capital. In this context, a
pact on global regulation would seem quite relevant.
The prevention of global hunger and the growing
scarcity of water are other important issues.
Thirdly, information space is a sphere that is as
important to the future of humanity as mineral
resources, air, the aquatic world and outer space. Yet
today not a single international convention or
multilateral treaty governs information processes. Is
that not the reason why, in practical terms, most hacker
attacks on banks, businesses, Government institutions,
the military and even nuclear facilities have been able
to be carried out with impunity?
I consider it important to establish an
international legal framework for global information
space. The resolution on nine elements of a global
culture of cybersecurity (resolution 57/239), adopted
by the General Assembly in 2002, could serve as a
basis for such efforts.
Fourthly, the new world order is taking shape
against the backdrop of increasing conflicts. It is quite
significant that today the world’s total military
spending is growing twice as fast as it did during the
cold war — by 6 per cent a year, reaching $1.5 trillion.
In this regard, my initiative to establish a United
Nations peacekeeping fund, which I put forward for the
first time 19 years ago, has become even more
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relevant. This would involve each State Member of the
United Nations allotting 1 per cent of its military
budget for that purpose. I urge the international
community to consider this idea once again and take
the required action.
Sixty-six years ago, the United Nations was
founded as an organization based on the principle of
the sovereign equality of all its Members. However,
one cannot but notice how today the principle of
national sovereignty and territorial integrity is being
eroded. That could undermine trust between nations.
Today it is essential to upgrade the norms of
international law concerning the national sovereignty
of States and, taking into account new realities, clearly
define the bounds beyond which the involvement of the
international community in the settlement of internal
conflicts is warranted.
Global peace will be enhanced only if the United
Nations works more closely with regional security
arrangements. With respect to the Eurasian region,
these are the Conference on Interaction and
Confidence-building Measures in Asia, the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security
Treaty Organization. It is important to ensure that the
composition and the work of the Security Council
adequately reflect the structure of the modern world. At
the same time, the veto mechanism will guarantee that
the decisions that are adopted are balanced and
effective.
Kazakhstan has announced its candidacy for a
non-permanent seat in the Security Council for 2017-
2018. We count on the support of the international
community in this respect.
The complex question of Palestine has been
actively discussed these days. Kazakhstan supports the
creation of a Palestinian State. A difficult issue,
however, has been placed on the scales of history;
President Obama spoke about this. For the long-
suffering Palestinian people, like the Israeli people, the
negotiating process has been ongoing for more than
50 years. Without independence and their own State,
the Palestinians will not be able to achieve sustainable
peace in the Middle East.
Each new era in the history of humanity gives
rise to formidable challenges. Today, the most
important task is to successfully navigate the complex
global transformations of the twenty-first century.
Trust and unity among all nations will be a pillar of an
equitable new world order.