At the
outset, I would like to join with those expressing their
cordial congratulations to Mr. John Ashe on his election
to serve as President of the General Assembly at its
sixty-eighth session. I am convinced that his extensive
professional experience will contribute to the efficient
and successful work of this session. I would also like
to express our appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Vuk
Jeremi., for his efforts as President at the previous
session.
We fully share the commitment of this session to
contributing to the development of a post-2015 global
development agenda in order to enhance the progress
already achieved towards the full implementation of the
decisions taken at the Rio de Janeiro United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).
The modalities of the High-level Political Forum on
Sustainable Development were approved at the sixty-
seventh session of the General Assembly, and its first
meeting took place some days ago here in New York.
We expect the Forum, which replaces the Commission
on Sustainable Development, to become a universal and
effective platform for regular dialogue and for reviewing
achievements and developing and coordinating the
programme of actions aimed at promoting sustainable
development.
Further progress in achieving sustainable
development depends in many respects on the adequate
and timely financing of the planned programmes
and projects. In that regard, the activities of the
Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable
Development Financing, which is mandated to develop
recommendations on effective strategies for financing
sustainable development, are of key importance.
We support efforts to develop a sustainable
development goal for water resources. We believe that
the following should be taken into consideration in that
regard: ensuring universal access to safe drinking water
and sanitation, introducing the integrated management
of water resources at the national and regional levels,
increasing the efficiency of water use and secondary use
of water, adequately financing and investing in water-
economy facilities and infrastructure, transferring and
introducing advanced technologies, and setting up
mutually acceptable mechanisms for the gathering and
dissemination of information and data.
As stated in the Rio+20 outcome document,
“water is at the core of sustainable development as it
is closely linked to a number of key global challenges”
(resolution 66/288, annex, para. 119). The water-
related resolutions of the General Assembly initiated
by Tajikistan and co-sponsored by other Member States
have made an invaluable contribution to the realization
of the key role of water resources in the achievement
of sustainable development. This year marked the tenth
anniversary of our first global project, the International
Year of Freshwater, in 2003. The General Assembly
took another important decision when it proclaimed
2005-2015 the International Decade for Action, “Water
for Life” (resolution 58/217).
In 2010, Tajikistan initiated the General Assembly
resolution that declared 2013 the International Year of
Water Cooperation (resolution 65/154). When promoting
that resolution in conjunction with other countries, we
operated on the assumption that the events during that
International Year would contribute to strengthening
dialogue and mutual understanding and enhancing
cooperation and partnership on the basis of multilevel
and comprehensive approaches towards solving water
problems. Most important of all, we expected that
the International Year of Water Cooperation would
become a major platform for consolidating efforts and
improving our treatment of water resources.
Today, it is still too early to draw conclusions
regarding the outcome of the Year. However, I would like
to note that the International Year of Water Cooperation
has provided a truly unique opportunity to promote
the dialogue on the search for and establishment of
a just, mutually advantageous and effective water
cooperation system. It is specifically that idea that
was the focus of the statements and reports of the
participants at the High-level International Conference
on Water Cooperation, organized by the Government
of Tajikistan in cooperation with the United Nations on
20 and 21 August in Dushanbe. I would like to take this
opportunity to extend our appreciation to the President
of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and all
our partners — Member States and international and
regional organizations — for their active participation
in the work of that successful Conference.
Based on the outcomes of the Conference, the
Dushanbe Declaration of the High-level International
Conference on Water Cooperation and the Dushanbe
framework for action on water cooperation were issued
and circulated among Member States as documents of
the General Assembly. In his statement at the opening
ceremony of the Dushanbe Conference, the President
of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Emomali Rahmon,
proposed the development of a post-2015 vision for
global water, which could serve as the road map for
the implementation of the water-related sustainable
development goals. We would like to call upon all
delegations to support that initiative.
It is common knowledge that water resources are
central to the achievement of the development goals set
forth in the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2).
Our efforts at poverty eradication directly depend on
the rational management of water resources. The efforts
undertaken have not yet produced the large-scale effects
that we all expected at the dawn of the Millennium.
However, the progress is obvious. According to The
Millennium Development Goals Report 2013, over the
past two decades, more than 2.1 billion people have
received access to improved drinking water supplies and
1.9 billion people improved their sanitation conditions.
Despite those statistics, 768 million people are still
using water from unsafe sources and about 2.5 billion
people do not have access to basic sanitation. Moreover,
the level of progress differs, not only in regions and
countries, but also in rural and urban areas within the
same country.
The special General Assembly event that took place
recently in New York provided another opportunity
for a sound assessment of progress and identification
of ways to accelerate implementation of the MDGs
and do so with maximum success. That is particularly
important under current circumstances, when the
financial, economic, food and energy crises and climate
change undermine the current still unsustainable and
uneven progress in the implementation of MDGs.
Experience shows that it is impossible to achieve
development goals without ensuring reliable and
universal access to energy. The United Nations Decade
of Sustainable Energy for All (2014-2024) provides a
unique opportunity for the practical implementation of
that aim. We believe that, along with ensuring reliable
and sustainable access to energy, it is essential to
encourage and promote in every way possible increased
use of renewable energy, the transfer of advanced
technologies and a more efficient energy supply and
energy saving. Tajikistan, which is experiencing
economic and population growth, lacks large oil and
gas deposits but has huge hydropower potential. It is
making every effort to develop all aspects of power
generation, on which the population’s well-being
critically depends.
Our Government is undertaking additional efforts
to make full use of its own potential when it comes
to addressing socioeconomic issues. On 2 March,
Tajikistan successfully completed the negotiation
process and joined the World Trade Organization as the
one hundred and fifty-ninth member of that multilateral
system for regulating world trade. We are interested in
advancing the trade interests of developing countries,
including those of landlocked countries.
In that context, on 16 and 17 September in Dushanbe,
the tenth annual meeting of the Intergovernmental
Commission for the Transport Corridor
Europe-Caucasus-Asia was held. That meeting
was followed on 18 September by the High-level
International Conference on Development of Road
Transport and Transit Potential in Central Asia for the
period up to 2023. Those events made an additional
contribution to the process of preparing for the 10-year
comprehensive review of the implementation of the
Almaty Programme of Action.
Effective regional cooperation can provide
considerable support to the establishment of a new global
partnership for achieving sustainable development.
In our region, the development of multidimensional
cooperation depends in many respects on strengthening
peace and stability in Afghanistan. We support the
efforts of the Government of Afghanistan and the
international community to address the challenges
of the transition period, reconciliation and post-
conflict rehabilitation in Afghanistan. We believe that
socioeconomic development is the key to achieving
lasting peace in that country. International aid to
Afghanistan should be, above all, aimed at promoting
a full economic recovery, further strengthening the
social sphere and generating new jobs.
The borders with Afghanistan’s neighbouring
countries should be considered the front line in
combating drug-trafficking and, in that regard, efforts
with respect to their logistical strengthening and the
prompt creation of a modern and effective Afghan
border police presence should be stepped up. There
is an urgent need for Afghanistan to be fully included
in the multidimensional regional cooperation process.
Involving the neighbouring countries in the development
of Afghanistan and giving due consideration to the
regional context in the post-conflict rehabilitation
of the country will guarantee success in the ongoing
efforts undertaken by the world community.
It is clear that illicit drug trafficking has become
one of the major sources of financing of international
terrorism. The urgency and magnitude of the problems
associated with drugs and illicit drug trafficking are
clear indications of the global danger threatening
international stability and security as a whole. The
international community must unify its efforts to reduce
the supply of and demand for drugs and its efforts
aimed at integrating national and regional efforts into
the international drug-control strategy.
During the period of its membership in the United
Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, 2014 to 2017,
Tajikistan will strengthen and expand its interaction
with other Member States and international and
regional organizations in practical implementation of
the international conventions on drugs and the Political
Declaration and Plan of Action on International
Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced
Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem.
Combating terrorism is a long-term and complicated
joint task that will require strengthening by applying
the entire spectrum of political, economic and
financial measures. We deem it important to expedite
the coordination and adoption of a comprehensive
anti-terrorism convention. Regional and subregional
organizations capable of providing support to the
global system for combating international terrorism
must play an important role in combating terrorism and
extremism.
In recent years, Tajikistan has intensified its
interaction with United Nations law enforcement
mechanisms, including the special procedures of the
Human Rights Council. The country’s main priorities
in this field are the strengthening of international
mechanisms for the protection of human rights, the
bona fide implementation of the commitments assumed
and the promotion of multilateral cooperation in the
field of human rights protection. We view the Human
Rights Council as an important forum for constructive
dialogue and cooperation in the field of human rights.
Guided by the desire to make a contribution
to an open and fair dialogue in the field of human
rights, Tajikistan has for the first time decided to put
forward its candidature for the Human Rights Council
for the period 2015 to 2017. We hope that Tajikistan’s
candidature for that period will receive support at the
election to be held during the sixty-ninth session of the
General Assembly, in the fall of 2014.
In conclusion, I would like to note that the entire
range of long-term goals requires a clear and sound
review of the actions under way towards a transition
towards sustainable development. We are convinced
that the United Nations, as the unique, universal
mechanism for multilateral cooperation, must remain
the centre of coordination of our collective efforts to
ensure peace, security, development and human rights.
Meanwhile, the role of the United Nations itself must
be strengthened through comprehensive reform and by
enhancing its ability to rapidly and adequately respond
to problems, effectively meet the numerous global
challenges and counter threats.