Tajikistan, 2013

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.