For more than a year now, Kyrgyzstan has
been experiencing a new stage in its historical
development. Today, our leaders are doing their utmost
to further strengthen our country’s democratic and
market reforms. The unswerving policy we have
adopted in order to build a democratic society based on
laws and a well-developed national economy will lay a
solid foundation for a stable political situation. We
have committed ourselves to ensuring all the
conditions necessary for the sustainable development
of Kyrgyzstan’s economy and the enhancement of our
people’s well-being.
At the 2005 World Summit, the President of the
Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Kurmanbek Bakiev, reaffirmed
our full commitment to the universal goals and targets
set out in the Millennium Declaration. All the
necessary legislative measures have been adopted in
our country to protect social well-being and to support
the most vulnerable sectors of the population. That will
help significantly to reduce our poverty level.
In 2005 alone, despite the existing difficulties,
social expenditures constituted more than 43 per cent
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of the Republic’s budget. As a result, as stated in the
report of the Secretary-General on the integration of
countries with economies in transition into the world
economy, Kyrgyzstan has reduced the scale of poverty
in the country.
I would also like to point out that the situation
today in the Kyrgyz Republic is characterized by
openness in the economy, macro-economic stability, a
liberal currency and visa regime, and the free
movement of capital and labour. We also enjoy the
advantages of membership in the World Trade
Organization.
As I have already pointed out, my country has
repeatedly and actively shown its commitment to its
international obligations in the area of the protection of
fundamental rights and freedoms. Today, the Kyrgyz
Republic adheres to all the basic universal international
instruments with a human dimension and continues to
carry out those provisions responsibly. Further
democratization of the society and the encouragement
of human rights remain the priorities for our domestic
policy. This is why our Head of State has initiated
reform in law enforcement and judicial bodies, as well
as constitutional reform in order to improve the
balance of power. I would like to point out, in
particular, that a very active role is being played by
political parties and civil society in this process,
thereby ensuring the genuine involvement of broad
masses of the population in the adoption of important
State decisions.
A month ago, the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights decided to
establish a Regional Office in Bishkek, the capital of
the Kyrgyz Republic. We regard this move as
indicating a strong recognition of our efforts towards
strengthening democratic principles and encouraging
human rights and freedom of speech in the country.
The Kyrgyz Republic has ratified the United
Nations Convention against Corruption and has
devised a State strategy to combat this scourge. It has
established a national agency to combat corruption and
a financial intelligence service. I am certain that in our
country, where effective governance is being practiced
and where human rights are being observed, there will
be a better chance of avoiding conflict and overcoming
obstacles to development. It is no secret that, at this
difficult time in human development, with its
increasing global, regional and civilizational problems,
we all feel the presence of moral and psychological
malaise in many parts of the world.
In order to attain harmony on our planet, all of us
need to humanize our societies and give pride of place
to moral and spiritual values. As our forebears have
said, when people unite in spirit, they can move
mountains. Today, we are all witnessing global change.
There are new issues, new tasks that require innovative
approaches to solve them. In this regard, the Kyrgyz
Republic proposes the formulation of yet another
Millennium Goal — goal 9 — which should focus on
dynamic development of the local community. Success
could be guaranteed through improving the system of
governance, democratization of local self-governance,
the elimination of corruption and the involvement in
governance of representatives of various social and
ethnic groups. We base this on the principle that a
strong local community means a stable State. A stable
State means a stable region. And a stable region means
a secure world.
It is well known that security and development
are indivisible. We cannot ensure development, if we
do not ensure security. We will not achieve global
security unless we support development and eliminate
poverty. As the Millennium Project report has pointed
out, there are many factors underlying extreme poverty,
first and foremost being that of an unfavourable
geographical situation.
In this connection, I would like to devote special
attention to mountainous areas, which are our planet’s
basic source of drinking water. We are grateful for the
support of the United Nations Member States in
adopting General Assembly resolution 60/198 on
sustainable mountain development at the Assembly’s
sixtieth session. I am certain that this will enable
mountain countries to take serious steps towards
solving social, economic and environmental problems.
Pursuant to the decisions of the Bishkek
Mountain Platform, which was adopted in 2002 at the
Bishkek Global Mountain Summit, we propose that a
second mountain summit be convened in 2007, with a
view to taking stock of the international community’s
activities relating to sustainable mountain development
over the past five years. This initiative has already
received support from the United Nations Development
Programme Administrator, Kemal Dervish, and the
Director-General of UNESCO, Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura,
who proposed that we call the second summit “Bishkek
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Plus Five”. I would like to take this opportunity to
invite all States to take part in this important
international forum. We hope the international
community will support our initiative.
Commitment to a policy of disarmament and
preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction
is one of the major fundamental principles of the
foreign policy of the peace-loving Kyrgyz Republic.
Proof of this policy was the signing on 8 September
2006 in Kazakhstan of an agreement on a nuclear-
weapon-free zone in Central Asia. We regard this as a
joint contribution of the States of the region to global
security and to freeing humankind from the threat of
lethal weapons. At present, non-nuclear zones are
becoming an important element in multilateral
mechanisms to counter nuclear terrorism. The issue is
more timely than ever, bearing in mind the existing
threat of the use of weapons of mass destruction by
terrorist organizations.
In this connection, from this lofty rostrum of the
Assembly Hall, I would like to appeal to United
Nations Member States to support the draft resolution
on a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia, which
will be put forward at the current session of the
Assembly’s First Committee. One of the distinguishing
features of our nuclear-free zone is its environmental
aspect. States in the region have suffered more than
most from the negative impact of nuclear programmes
and testing. Human radiation, radiation of our territory
and the dangers posed by uranium tailings are proof of
this.
Existing regional environmental problems are
being worsened by global warming, drought and soil
degradation. This year the Kyrgyz Republic chairs the
International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. The
problem of the Aral Sea has today taken on the scope
of a global environmental disaster that, to various
extents, has influenced natural processes throughout
the world. In this connection, we call upon the
international community to consolidate efforts for the
implementation of programmes and projects to save the
Aral Sea.
I would like to express our gratitude to the
Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on the
work of the Organization (document A/61/1). With his
usual leadership skills, he has clearly set forth in the
report the activities of the Organization during 2005.
We fully share his view that globalization has become
one of the predominant factors of the last decade. We
must see to it that the United Nations strengthens its
positive aspects. With the active participation of our
Organization, globalization must become an instrument
to ensure sustainable development and reduce the gap
between rich and poor, overcome discrimination in
economic relations and enhance the well-being of our
peoples.
Unfortunately, along with globalization there has
been an increase in the spread of such threats and
challenges as international crime, the illicit trade in
drugs and weapons, epidemic disease and
environmental degradation. The Government of
Kyrgyzstan has been taking decisive steps to combat
these negative phenomena. They are especially felt in
our region, bearing in mind the difficult situation in
Afghanistan.
I am convinced that effectively countering these
threats is possible only on the basis of a worldwide
expansion of regional and international cooperation,
involving organizations that have the necessary
capacities and that are successfully operating to that
end at the present time. In this respect, the Kyrgyz
Republic is taking an active part in the work of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective
Security Treaty Organization. Today, as President of
SCO, Kyrgyzstan will do its utmost to strengthen it
further as a reliable guarantor of security and stability
in the region.
Speaking last year from this high rostrum,
President Kurmanbek Bakiev of the Kyrgyz Republic
stated that the sixtieth session of the General Assembly
must be remembered as one of reform. Today, we can
assert that the 60th anniversary session was indeed one
of reform. We established the Peacebuilding
Commission and the Human Rights Council and
created the Central Emergency Response Fund. We
reformed the Secretariat and adopted a Global Counter-
Terrorism Strategy.
And yet, a number of key tasks remain to be
carried out. The Kyrgyz Republic agrees that there is a
need to step up the activities of the General Assembly
and to strengthen the role of the Economic and Social
Council in attaining critical development goals.
United Nations reform will not be complete
without Security Council reform. We advocate
enhanced efforts to seek solutions in the interests of all
members of the international community. Kyrgyzstan
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joins in the appeal of Member States to expand
permanent and non-permanent membership of the
Council, which would reflect the realities of our times
and promote the effectiveness of our work.
We believe that if the United Nations activities
are to be consistent and effective, we must keep up
with the times and adapt to events as they take place in
the course of human development. The United Nations
must be oriented towards achieving concrete results
and meeting the pressing needs of the peoples of our
planet.