On behalf of the
Republic of Kazakhstan, I would first like to congratulate
Mr. Sam Kutesa on his election to the presidency of
the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. We
offer him our best wishes and full support. We also
extend our special gratitude to Mr. John Ashe for his
able leadership of the Assembly and his commitment
to finding solutions to pressing international problems.
The world today is undergoing a major upheaval.
The global instability we face is a crisis of the global
economy, of international law and, in a broader sense,
of a lack of vision for our world’s future. To our deep
regret, it seems that not all States yet recognize their
full responsibility for the fate of their neighbourhoods
and the world as a whole. Instead of well-thought-
out, viable solutions, we are witnessing a disturbing
escalation of problems, drawing in more countries and
making our shared hopes of peace and stability ever
more distant.
Rivalry among the major Powers over perceived
spheres of influence, markets and control over
the production and transit of energy resources has
increased. Tensions are on the rise, and the dangerous
and unacceptable belief in the right of power in world
politics has strengthened. As a result, we are witnessing
a renewed arms race and the use of military force to
impose and extend influence. Unilateral actions and
double standards are destabilizing the international
situation, exacerbating tensions, inciting ethnic
and religious strife and threatening the security of
other States. In today’s confusing media space, it is
impossible to distinguish lies from truth. This dire state
of global affairs, rising tensions and mistrust between
States is undermining the efforts of the United Nations
and entire international community to bring about a
peaceful solution to any crisis by lawful means. It is
also deeply worrying to see the established architecture
of international law being dangerously eroded.
What is even more perilous is that radical
movements and extremist forces are skilfully
exploiting the resulting uncertainty and instability in
the international system. We are particularly concerned
about the continuing violence in the Middle East and
Africa and the growing threats posed to some Asian
countries. We extend our deepest condolences to the
citizens and Governments whose civilians have been
senselessly killed during the violence.
The situation in Ukraine is of special concern to
Kazakhstan. The impact of the crisis now extends not
just beyond the borders of Ukraine, but beyond the
entire region. Kazakhstan supports peaceful initiatives
aimed at the speedy de-escalation of the conflict,
including the Minsk peace agreements. The ceasefire
must be used to implement the peace plans of President
Poroshenko and President Putin. These give hope for
the eventual stabilization of the situation in Ukraine.
We should also be concerned that the crisis in Ukraine
has led to mutual sanctions being imposed by countries
that together make up 60 per cent of the world’s gross
domestic product. That will certainly have a damaging
effect on global development and economic growth.
Now more than ever, the world needs to come
together to find an alternative model to solving
problems, based on equal partnership, broad dialogue,
mutual respect and tolerance among all stakeholders. We
are confident that the Charter of the United Nations and
the fundamental principles of international law provide
the basis for this model. The role of the United Nations
must remain pivotal and primary, while bringing States
together and providing global leadership based on the
equal participation of all Member States in the process.
The dynamics of our world today and the forecasts
of what the future might hold must prompt world leaders
to look beyond narrow national interests and to exercise
the highest degree of judgement and political will. What
is at stake is nothing less than saving our civilization
from destruction. This is not an exaggeration or
overstatement. It is the harsh and threatening reality.
We are seeing a fundamental change in the structure
of geopolitical, geo-economic and transnational
relations. What is emerging is a polycentric system
of international transactions. Within that framework,
nobody has the right to determine global and regional
processes unilaterally. No country has exceptional
rights or advantages. To help adjust to this emerging
new multipolar world order and promote the widest
possible involvement in identifying the way forward,
in 2012 the President of Kazakhstan proposed the
G-Global initiative. It seeks solutions based on five
principles, namely, a strong preference for evolutionary
rather than revolutionary policy change; the crucial
importance of justice, equality and consensus; the
promotion of global tolerance and trust; the need for
global transparency; and, finally, the encouragement
of constructive multilateralism. Unfortunately, the
decisions taken in the wake of the global financial
crisis by the Group of Twenty and the Group of Eight
have proved to be insufficient because they were not
all-inclusive in their elaboration.
Kazakhstan therefore encourages Member States
to use the G-Global platform for dialogue to help draw
up plans — developed by all and acceptable to all — to
prevent future global crises. We have already embarked
on that process through the Astana Economic Forum,
which resulted in a draft anti-crisis plan offered to the
United Nations. We believe that the plan should be
taken up by the General Assembly and the Economic
and Social Council and given serious consideration.
At the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly
in 1992, President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan initiated
the convening of the Conference on Interaction and
Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Like
the G-Global initiative, CICA emerged from the firm
belief that international progress could come about
only through strong and effective partnerships, built in
the spirit of solidarity among all countries, regardless
of their political and economic development. CICA has
become an effective multinational forum for enhancing
cooperation and promoting peace, security and stability
in Asia. Kazakhstan supports the initiative of China, the
country that chairs CICA currently, for a new security
concept for Asia based on the principle of common,
comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable regional
security. That will enable us to consolidate CICA in the
near future and transform it into the Organization for
Security and Development in Asia.
Two weeks ago, the General Assembly held an
informal meeting to mark the International Day against
Nuclear Tests. We are pleased that all those present
expressed their determination to bring about a world
without nuclear-weapon testing and, ultimately, without
nuclear weapons. That is an issue close to the hearts
of the people of Kazakhstan, who have witnessed and
continue to live with the terrible legacy of nuclear
testing. That is why we proposed 29 August as the day
to raise awareness of this important issue, and why
President Nazarbayev has launched the Abolish Testing:
Our Mission Project, a global education campaign on
the perils of nuclear testing.
The closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test
Site and the renunciation of the world’s fourth-largest
nuclear arsenal — both inherited from the Soviet Union
upon our independence — were defining moments
for our nation, and the starting point for the peaceful
foreign policy we pursue today. Strengthening the
global non-proliferation regime has remained one of
the most important priorities of Kazakhstan’s foreign
policy. The signing in May of the Protocol to the
Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central
Asia — the Semipalatinsk Treaty — by the five
permanent countries on the Security Council marked
a major moment for nuclear security in our region.
We now urge the “nuclear five” countries to ratify the
Protocol as soon as possible. We strongly encourage
all stakeholders to uphold the provisions of Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the
cornerstone of the non-proliferation regime, and to work
towards the early entry into force of the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
We share the objectives of the proposed convention
on the general and complete prohibition of nuclear
weapons. Again, we call on all Member States to adopt
the universal declaration on a nuclear-weapon-free
world. That would serve as the first step towards the
adoption of the convention.
Reaffirming our commitment to the principle
of the equal right of all countries to access nuclear
technology for peaceful purposes, Kazakhstan stands
ready to host the international bank of low-enriched
uranium under the auspices of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We also support an
early political and diplomatic solution with respect
to Iran’s nuclear programme, on the basis of strict
compliance with the provisions of the NPT and IAEA
regulations. Kazakhstan helped break the deadlock
in the negotiations by hosting the first two rounds of
resumed talks in Almaty last year. We welcome the
latest 5+1 talks and strongly hope an agreement can be
reached in November.
We, together with the entire international
community, are alarmed that terrorist groups are
creating quasi-State entities to fight legitimate
Governments and sow enmity and hatred. Religious
extremism and separatism are fuelling a rise in
terrorism, transnational crime and the illegal trafficking
of narcotics. Kazakhstan was a sponsor of resolution
2178 (2014), on foreign terrorist fighters, because we
believe that the fight against international terrorism
demands a long-term comprehensive approach.
We also strongly believe that interreligious and
interethnic harmony are essential prerequisites for
peace and security. Kazakhstan, a diverse nation of 130
ethnic groups and many different faiths, has worked
hard to build a culture of tolerance and respect. We have
sought to promote those values internationally through
the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional
Religions, an event that has taken place every three
years since 2003. The Congress and its participants
have unanimously renounced violence and pledged their
support for continued interreligious dialogue among
leaders of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism,
Hinduism, Taoism and many other faiths. Just last week,
a preparatory meeting of religious representatives for
the fifth Congress, to be held in Astana in 2015, issued
a statement condemning extremism, violence and
terrorism conducted in the name of any religion.
Kazakhstan initiated the suggestion that the period
2013-2022 be proclaimed as the International Decade
for the Rapprochement of Cultures. Greater dialogue
and the exchange of ideas between different cultures
greatly enhance international security.
The situation in Afghanistan in the wake of the
recent elections and the ongoing withdrawal of the
coalition forces is a matter of importance for the wider
security of Central Asia. We congratulate President-
elect Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and the people of
Afghanistan on the completion of the electoral process.
We look forward to close cooperation with Mr. Ghani
and Abdullah Abdullah as they form, and work together
in, the National Unity Government.
Economic development is key to Afghanistan’s
re-emergence as a peaceful and prosperous nation and
good neighbour in Central Asia. Kazakhstan fully
supports Afghanistan’s integration into the region’s
expanding network of trade, energy and transportation
links. We have taken practical steps to assist in the
rehabilitation of our neighbour. The Government of
Kazakhstan has allocated almost $3 million for the
construction of social infrastructure and has provided
more than $17 million in humanitarian food assistance.
We are spending $50 million to train approximately
1,000 Afghan students in Kazakhstan universities. The
first civilian students will soon successfully complete
their education in Kazakhstan and join the peaceful
reconstruction process in their home country.
It is clear that we in Central Asia face a number
of challenges that endanger stability not only in
specific countries but in the entire region. There
is regrettably little sign that those problems will
disappear in the near future. That is why the United
Nations and the international community need to
work more purposefully in Central Asia. Accordingly,
Kazakhstan’s call for the establishment of the United
Nations regional hub in the city of Almaty is highly
relevant. The United Nations plays an invaluable role
in addressing natural and man-made disasters and
assisting countries in their sustainable development
through the coordination of the activities of national,
regional and international actors. We believe that, with
the focus on humanitarian assistance and development,
the regional United Nations hub in Almaty would
complement the work of the United Nations Regional
Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The presence of those two
regional United Nations entities would cover a very
broad range of challenges faced by countries in our
vast region, including Afghanistan. Of course, the
Government of Kazakhstan stands ready to offer its
full support in establishing and developing the hub.
Sustainable development is central to Kazakhstan’s
ambitions for the future. We commend the United
Nations and the Secretary-General for convening
the action-focused Climate Summit a few days ago.
Within our borders, we are working hard to achieve our
national plan to make the transition to a green economy
and have recently adopted voluntary commitments to
reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
A national system for greenhouse gas emissions
trading has already been put into operation. We are
also determined to support sustainable development
globally.
In 2017, Astana will host the international
specialized exhibition Expo 2017 on the theme “Future
Energy”, which will promote best practices in the
field of sustainable energy. We will provide support to
representatives of around 60 developing countries to
take part in Expo 2017.
Kazakhstan, in conjunction with the Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, is launching
a project on the installation of biogas systems in nine
small island developing States of the Pacific, which will
help local communities produce electricity. At the same
time, Kazakhstan and the United Nations Development
Programme are developing a training programme in
the sectors of oil and gas, agriculture and medicine for
countries in Africa, Oceania and Latin America and the
Caribbean.
As the largest landlocked country in the world,
Kazakhstan attaches great importance to the upcoming
second United Nations Conference on Landlocked
Developing Countries, to be held in Vienna in
November. The meeting aims to review and build on
the Almaty Programme of Action in order to produce a
new road map for landlocked developing countries that
takes into account the challenges and threats that have
emerged since the Almaty plan was first developed,
over a decade ago.
In 2015, we will finish construction of the
Kazakhstan section of the Western Europe-Western
China International Transit Corridor, which offers the
shortest route from China to Europe and reduces transit
times by up to 10 days, making it four to five times
shorter than the sea route through the Suez Canal. By
2020, we expect the volume of freight traffic on the
corridor between China, Central Asia, Russia and
Europe to reach 33 million tons annually.
The construction of new rail routes is also bringing
our region together as never before. This December,
we plan to open the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran-
Persian Gulf railroad, which will carry up to 10 million
tons of cargo a year and allow us to increase our wheat
exports five-fold. Another rail route, Uzbekistan-
Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman-Qatar, which was first
agreed in 2011, will also greatly increase international
transit capacity for our region.
As the Assembly knows, Kazakhstan is a candidate
for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for
the period 2017-2018. Its election would be a major
step for our country, which has never before served on
that body. Our extensive engagement in international
affairs, including chairing key regional organizations,
such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,
has given us the experience necessary to discharge that
important responsibility. We believe that the priorities
and challenges of our region should be represented in
the Security Council, and Kazakhstan is ready to play
that role.
We are a peaceful, stable and fast-developing
country, with a reputation for impartiality and for taking
an effective, balanced approach, with a strong focus
on international cooperation, conflict prevention and
mediation. Overall, we are confident that we can fully
contribute to the maintenance of international peace,
security and development, as well as the improvement
of the Council’s working methods.
Only by working together, in a partnership in
which all States Members of the United Nations are
truly equal, regardless of their level of political and
economic development or geographic location, can we
achieve peace and security for all — a peace that is free
from fear and violence and meets the needs of future
generations.
I would like to end by quoting Nelson Mandela,
who said:
“People respond in accordance to how you relate to
them. If we approach them on the basis of violence,
that’s how they’ll react. But if you say we want
peace, we want stability, we can then do a lot of
things that will contribute towards the progress of
our society”.