At the outset, let me join others in congratulating Mr.
Srgjan Kerim on his election to the presidency of the
General Assembly at its sixty-second session. I assure
him that the delegation of Kyrgyzstan stands ready to
cooperate with him. On behalf of my delegation I wish
him every success in fulfilling his responsibilities.
I wish to pay tribute to Her Excellency Sheikha
Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa for her outstanding
stewardship during the previous session of the General
Assembly.
I would also like to take this opportunity to
congratulate the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr.
Ban Ki-moon, on his election to his high and
responsible post and to wish him every success in his
important work. I am confident that his vast experience
and diplomatic skill will enable him to achieve all the
goals of the United Nations.
It would no doubt be difficult to come to a
common agreement about the date on which the new
millennium began whether it started with the
tragedy of 2001 or harks back to 1991, when the
structure of the world order changed. I believe that the
proponents of either theory would agree that a new
period has emerged: a time when the interdependence
of States has become a vivid reality leading to greater
vulnerability. Problems have become global, whereas
globalization has become localized.
In the face of all these dilemmas, the United
Nations unswervingly maintains its status as an
organization whose core value is to promote the moral
principles of solidarity. The formation of a global civil
society and the recognition of universally accepted
rights and freedoms under the auspices of the United
Nations play a significant role in furthering the process
of consolidation.
This clearly shows that society is capable of
refraining from war and solving its problems by using
its peacekeeping potential. Thoughtfully building the
future is not possible without reviewing and continuing
strategic planning of socio-economic development.
Fifteen years ago, one of the most noteworthy of
United Nations conferences took place at Rio de
Janeiro. There, the concept of sustainable development
was defined as a new tenet for humankind. The main
purpose was to create a new mechanism enabling us to
resolve existing social tensions and to prevent future
ones through cooperation among States and the
formation of a global civil society.
The relationship between the State and the
society develops differently in each country. The
Kyrgyz Republic has come a long way in affirming
democratic values, conducting constitutional reform
and fiscal decentralization. All this has been reflected
in the national development strategy approved by the
President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Kurmanbek
Bakiev. The aim of that document is to achieve
sustainable development by 2010; it is based on the
principles of self-fulfilment and human security, which
are the basic source of positive change in the sphere of
human development.
At the same time, we are well aware that long-
term sustainable development depends on the stability
of human relationships based on an understanding of
how to use existing resources for social and economic
development today and of what we must leave for
future generations.
Seven years ago, the General Assembly adopted
the Millennium Development Goals, thereby defining
our objectives for the future and the conditions needed
to achieve them. Attainment of the eight Goals and
tackling of the 15 challenges will serve as a basis both
for our global initiative and for realizing the potential
of regional development.
Nevertheless, level of development varies from
region to region. This is particularly relevant for
mountainous regions, which require a different strategy
for sustainable development which takes into account
each area’s specific potential in natural resources. In
addition to defining the ecological parameters, it is
necessary to define the economic and geographic
peculiarities of mountainous regions that call for a
special system of management which would give
priority to local self-governance. Despite their
significant resource potential, mountainous territories
need to address as a priority problems related to living
standards and quality of life. In that regard, the Kyrgyz
Republic believes that a second Global Mountain
Summit should be convened, at which we could
formulate a definitive sustainable policy for
mountainous regions, along with relevant norms of
international law.
Even what is seemingly the most insignificant
social inequality can destroy the social integrity of
humankind. Similarly, equal protection of rights and
freedoms and the adoption of universal values of
respect for human life enable us to fulfil the principles
of the Seville Statement Violence, which defines war as
a product of human culture.
The primary source of conflict is, in fact, lack of
social responsibility. The development strategy of
every single country should establish social
responsibility as a basic characteristic for elaborating
approaches to regional and global coordination, thus
improving the environment and reducing energy
shortages. Regional parameters of responsibility will
then create a new type of society, which will be no
longer a society at risk, but rather a society of security.
I have no doubt that all of today’s participants, as
well as all countries that accepted the MDGs as a basis
for their national development, are striving to establish
social peace and social equality, but the establishment
of a socially-oriented world order requires the
strengthening of mechanisms to promote the adoption
of decisions at the highest level. It is necessary that
such mechanisms include both the monitoring of joint
efforts and parameters of progress achieved in the
framework of the most effective implementation of the
MDGs. The initiative of the Kyrgyz President to
proclaim 20 February a world day of social justice
would serve as such a mechanism. We kindly request
the General Assembly to consider adopting a resolution
to that effect at the current session.
The establishment of social justice has been a
dream of humankind for many millennia. There was a
time when some were burned at the stake for
entertaining such dreams or attempting to establish a
community of social justice. At one time, dictatorship
and authoritarianism prospered under the pretext of a
call to social justice. That happened because of a
disparity between the proclaimed elevated goals and
the means of their achievement.
In the third millennium, the world’s nations have
defined development goals in the framework of a
united society. The means to achieve those goals must
correspond to a high level of civic awareness of the
potential of peacekeeping. We already have the
grounds for a constructive dialogue defining the
dynamics of peacekeeping for humankind’s
development. The United Nations has been a
foundation of such dialogue for several decades.
Allow me from this rostrum to confirm the
adherence of the Kyrgyz Republic to the goals and
purposes of the United Nations to maintain peace,
security and a prosperous life for all the nations of the
Earth.