Kazakhstan, 2005

We can safely claim

that the United Nations summit that has just been

concluded will have far-reaching implications for our

Organization. Its outcome has prepared the ground for

the most radical reform in the entire history of the

United Nations. An effective response by the family of

nations to global challenges and threats is the ultimate

goal of these reforms. Kazakhstan expresses its

confidence that the United Nations, as a universal

Organization to which there is no alternative, is in a

position to achieve that goal.

As a matter of principle, Kazakhstan supports

closer interdependence among the three main pillars of

the contemporary world: development, freedom and

peace. Yet the issues of development should continue

to be the focus of attention of the world community.

The Millennium Development Goals can be achieved

only through the active engagement of the entire

international community on the basis of partnership

and cooperation. Kazakhstan is committed to its

undertakings with regard to the timely and effective

attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. The

recently published report on Kazakhstan’s progress in

implementing the Millennium Development Goals

report in Kazakhstan reveals that as a result of

successful reforms my country is close to reaching

important targets in this area.

Today Kazakhstan is confidently leading other

post-Soviet States in all macroeconomic indicators.

The Government of Kazakhstan is implementing a

large-scale programme to ensure further development

in the social field. Human development is the focus of

all these efforts. Kazakhstan is reaching a new level in

the area of sustainable development. The national

Government is paying priority attention to poverty,

women’s issues, employment, financial aid from the

State to poor families, the development of small and

medium-sized businesses, and large-scale educational,

health and environmental programmes.

We commend the United Nations and its

specialized agencies for their efforts to assist our

country in addressing the effects of environmental

disasters in the area of the Aral Sea and in the

Semipalatinsk region. The problems facing those

regions are global in their scope as the environmental

situation there has negative effects on the habitat and

livelihood of people all over the world. We urge the

international community to be involved actively. In

particular we ask it at this session of the General

Assembly to support a draft resolution to be sponsored

by Kazakhstan on the problems of the Semipalatinsk

region.

International trade is an important factor for

development. Accession to the World Trade

Organization (WTO) is a priority for Kazakhstan. We

consider further liberalization of trade and WTO

membership as key elements of our country’s general

development strategy. In 2003 Kazakhstan hosted the

International Ministerial Conference on Transit

Transport Cooperation. We attach great importance to

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that forum and believe that the special needs of

landlocked developing countries should be fully taken

into account in accordance with the decisions and

recommendations emanating from the Almaty

Programme of Action. The integration of Kazakhstan

and other Central Asian States into the world economy

is of exceptional importance both for the social and

economic development of our region and for the world

economy in general. Our country is committed to

comprehensive cooperation with the other States of

Central Asia. That is our consistent policy, unswayed

by political exigencies.

Since the early years of its independence,

Kazakhstan has been pursuing a principled policy of

demilitarization and nuclear disarmament. We call for

the universalization of international instruments in that

area. This year we marked the tenth anniversary of the

removal from the territory of Kazakhstan of all nuclear

devices left over from the former Soviet Union.

Kazakhstan has set a commendable example by

voluntarily eliminating its nuclear arsenal, the fourth

largest in the world, and shutting down the

Semipalatinsk nuclear testing ground, the site of nearly

500 nuclear explosions.

The global security system is in serious crisis

today. The 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to

the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons (NPT) failed to set up a balanced and

comprehensive mechanism that would facilitate the

strengthening of the international non-proliferation

regime and the complete elimination of nuclear

weapons.

Even more disturbing is the lack of clear

recommendations on non-proliferation and disarmament

in the outcome document of the summit (resolution 60/1).

We believe that it is necessary to put in place a

mechanism for international sanctions against States that

violate both the NPT Treaty and the non-proliferation

regime in general. Otherwise we will not be able to

prevent the continuous spread of nuclear weapons around

the world. Our country calls for the establishment and

enhancement of controls over nuclear, chemical and

biological materials and their production technologies in

order to prevent terrorists from getting hold of deadly

weapons.

Kazakhstan recognizes the special role of the

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). All of

our country’s nuclear activities are being carried out in

accordance with its standards and under its control. It

is time to establish similar effective bodies within the

framework of the international Conventions on

chemical and biological weapons.

The international community should not relax

efforts to combat illegal trafficking in conventional

arms. According to the United Nations, some 500

million small arms and light weapons are in circulation

all over the world. We share the view of the Secretary-

General, who has compared small arms to weapons of

mass destruction, because, year after year, they kill

hundreds of thousands of people all over the world,

thus fostering a culture of violence and terror and

trampling on human rights.

Kazakhstan categorically condemns terrorism in

all its forms and manifestations and considers it to be

the most dangerous threat in today’s world. We are

convinced that economic and social underdevelopment,

poverty and misery breed international terrorism. That

is why speedy economic advancement of poor

countries is a priority task.

Yet the ideology of terrorism is a factor of no

lesser importance. It is extremely dangerous that young

people are increasingly being sucked into the

ideological orbit of international terrorism. Fighting

terrorism is a mission of paramount importance. For

that reason, close attention should be paid to the efforts

to prevent recruitment for terrorist operations.

In that context, the international community must

urgently take practical steps to curb the ongoing drug

trafficking across Central Asia. We cannot but be

seriously concerned by the situation in Afghanistan.

Kazakhstan appreciates cooperation with the United

Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Enhanced regional cooperation in the struggle

against international terrorism is also important. The

Shanghai Cooperation Organization sets a positive

example in that regard.

Kazakhstan believes that international

cooperation in fighting terrorism should be pursued in

strict compliance with the norms of international law.

We support further universalization and enhancement

of anti-terrorist treaty mechanisms. The signing by

Kazakhstan of the International Convention for the

Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism is a practical

reaffirmation of that position. We are looking forward

to the early completion of a comprehensive convention

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against international terrorism. At the same time, joint

practical actions to curb that evil represent a key

element of the international community’s counter-

terrorism activities.

International peacekeeping operations conducted

under the umbrella of the United Nations remain an

effective tool to prevent and settle crises and to ensure

global and regional stability. The lack of an effective

and comprehensive mechanism to address the root

causes of destructive conflicts is a serious problem of

peacekeeping. Preventive action and post-conflict

peacebuilding constitute important elements of a

comprehensive response by the United Nations to

emerging crisis situations.

For Kazakhstan, the proposed Peacebuilding

Commission is a step in the right direction. As its main

mission it should strive to avert the recurrence of

situations in which the lack of a peacebuilding strategy

results in the escalation of internal conflicts and

ultimately in States further losing their capacity to

perform their sovereign functions in an effective and

responsible way.

Our country is actively working on issues related

to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-

building Measures in Asia (CICA), which we treat as

an important and useful forum for the exchange of

views on security issues in the Asian region. It is

encouraging to see that the CICA process is gaining

momentum and has already become an important factor

in today’s international relations.

Kazakhstan believes that the rule of law should

play a leading role in international affairs today.

Ignoring this principle is one of the main threats to

peace and security. Continuing its consistent efforts to

accede to international treaties concluded within the

framework of the United Nations and to implement

their provisions, Kazakhstan intends to ensure strict

compliance with the rule of law at both national and

international levels.

We closely link our country’s development to

building a democratic society based on respect for the

rights and freedoms of every individual. Kazakhstan

supports the strengthening of democratic institutions

and the human rights mechanisms of the United

Nations designed to promote the rights and freedoms of

citizens and to ensure compliance with the principles

of non-interference and the sovereign equality of

States.

Kazakhstan supports efforts to carry out a

comprehensive reform of the United Nations

encompassing all its principal organs. We strongly

believe that priority attention should be paid to the

General Assembly as the main deliberative, decision-

making and representative body of the Organization.

The sensitive issue of reform of the Security Council

should be resolved on the basis of broad international

agreement. We are convinced that the enlargement of

the Security Council in accordance with the principle

of equitable geographical representation and taking

into account the contribution of States concerned

towards the development of the world economy and

global security would serve the interests of many

States and would facilitate comprehensive reform of

the United Nations.

The United Nations needs to improve

collaboration with regional organizations that make an

important contribution to the collective security

system. Kazakhstan has repeatedly proposed the

creation of a standing body under the Secretary-

General that would coordinate cooperation between

regional arrangements. In this context we would

welcome the establishment of a standing committee on

regional organizations.

We in Kazakhstan are convinced that in the

twenty-first century the consolidation of peace and

security is increasingly dependent on the development

of dialogue and interaction between peoples of

differing faces, cultures and civilizations. An interfaith

dialogue is an integral part of the effort to promote the

culture of peace and dialogue between civilizations and

to advance the common values reflected in the

Millennium Declaration. In this context, Kazakhstan is

grateful to the international community for its support

of our country’s actions to promote an interfaith

dialogue. The General Assembly has recognized

Kazakhstan’s positive role in this area through the

adoption of a resolution.

As demonstrated over the past 60 years, the

United Nations was, still is, and I am sure will continue

to be a link between our countries and peoples. The

United Nations will not allow our planet to slide into

chaos and unrest. It is within our power to strengthen

this link. Kazakhstan expresses confidence that the

agreements reflected in the outcome document of the

historic summit will serve the cause of bringing nations

together in the face of existing challenges and threats,

ensuring the security, welfare and dignity of our

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peoples, and strengthening the Organization itself for

the sake of its noble goals.