Tajikistan, 2024

Honorable President,

Excellency Secretary General,

Distinguished delegates,

I at the onset extend warm words of congratulation to His Excellency Mr.

Philémon Yang on his election as the President of the 79th Session of the

United Nations General Assembly.

My heartfelt thanks also go out to His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis in

recognition of his fruitful engagement as the Presdient of the 78th

Session of the UN GA.

Distinguished delegates,

Today the world is facing up to susceptible and intricate situations.

The controversial geopolitical processes, rapid weaponization, escalation

of the “cold war’, armed conflicts, aftermath of climate change and other

global jeopardies and threats will undoubtedly give rise to the long-term

negative consequences.

In this context, it is critical more than ever that we consolidate joint

efforts of the international community to protect security, maintain

stability and ensure sustainable development.

Obviously, we can ensure lasting peace, harmonious life of mankind and

prosperity of countries primarily on the basis of mutual understanding

and constructive cooperation.

We ought to be united to achieve these objectives, bring all wars and

conflicts to an end, as well as implement our peaceful goals.

It is high time now to take bold and effective steps forward to strengthen

the key role of the United Nations in resolving conflicts and restoring

peace and stability across the planet.

I in this regard would like to propose to adopt a special UN General

Assembly Resolution declaring “The Decade of Promotion of Peace for

Future Generations”.

As I have stated time and again, Tajikistan always advocates the solution

of all conflicts only through political and diplomatic means.

At the same time, I would like to emphasize that the Republic of

Tajikistan continues an uninterrupted, unwavering support of an

implementation of the 2030 Agenda to achieve sustainable development

goals.

It is worth noting, that the principal message of this Agenda is also

reflected in Tajikistan National Development Strategy 2030, and

continued efforts are being taken to achieve its set goals.

Nevertheless, the existence of a wide range of difficulties hinder the

timely financing of sustainable development.

Challenges include security turmoil, economic and financial crises,

unprecedented warming due to climate change and loss of biodiversity, as

well as an outbreak of contagious diseases.

In a political declaration recently adopted by the General Assembly,

Member States have admitted that “the achievement of the Sustainable

Development Goals is in threat”.

According to the UN Secretary General's report, the international

community will be capable to achieve only 17% of the Sustainable

Development Goals by 2030.

We are witnessing the setbacks in results achieved within the Sustainable

Development Goals in many developing countries.

In view of this, we need to intensify our efforts to implement the 2030

Agenda in a timely manner and pay particular attention to the financing

for sustainable development.

We do also believe that the Fourth International Conference on Financing

for Development (FfD4), scheduled to be held in Spain in July 2025 as per

the UN General Assembly Resolution, will play a crucial role in exploring

new approaches to remove barriers to financing for development.

Necessarily, the activities of the international financial and economic

system should meet the needs of developing countries so that it can

facilitate the timely counterresponse of member states to modern threats

and challenges.

In that context, in order to implement the goals and programmes

outlined, we believe it is important to continue financing countries in

need by international financial institutions, especially through the

International Development Association.

Digital technologies and artificial intelligence pave the suitable ways for

achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Tajikistan is taking effective and necessary measures for the gradual

transition to digitalization system by adopting the national strategy and

relevant conceptual legal acts.

In this respect, I propose to the General Assembly to adopt at its

upcoming session a Special Resolution on the RAole of Artificial

Intelligence in Creating New Opportunities for Socio-Economic

Development and Acceleration of the SDG achievement in Central Asia.

Tajikistan recognizes the importance of the “Summit of the Future” held in

the framework of the current session of the UN General Assembly.

The intergovernmental document - “The Pact for the Future” adopted

during the Summit, plays a key role in ensuring peace, security and

sustainable development, and we welcome the willingness of the

international community to implement this Pact.

This Pact was adopted at a time when millions of civilians are exposed to

security risks and dangers in different regions around the world.

We reckon that the international community must take joint and effective

actions to withstand the threats of terrorism and extremism, radicalism,

cybercrime, trafficking in narcotics and weapons smuggling, and other

manifestations of transnational crime.

Furthermore, the rise of Islamophobia, as well as the trend of practicing

“double standard” policy in international relations in recent years has

become a matter of concern.

Our country, constantly carries out joint actions in cooperation with the

United Nations and its specialized agencies, as well as other international

partners to counter security threats and challenges.

Consequently, Tajikistan and the State of Kuwait in cooperation with the

United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), will hold the next

High-level Conference in the framework of the “Dushanbe Process on

Counter-Terrorism” in Kuwait this November.

We believe, that this platform will mainly focus on the subjects related to

the persistence of inclusive security and stability, and contribute to the

continuation of an extended and trustful dialogue, as well as the

exchange of helpful experience and ideas.

Ladies and gentlemen,

On security matters, I would like to emphasize that the Palestinian crisis

remains a matter of deep concern to our country.

Today's tragic situation in that region once again proves that there is no

military solution to the Palestinian case.

Tajikistan believes, that an ultimate and tangible solution to this conflict

is possible only through the implementation of the United Nations

resolutions on recognition of an Independent State of Palestine based on

1967 borders.

We hope, that conflicting parties will take actions for a ceasefire deal and

arrange the peace negotiations, and the international community will

take effective steps to restore the lasting stability in Palestine.

Moreover, we uphold the establishment of enduring peace and stability,

as well as economic and social development in neighbouring Afghanistan.

To this end, Tajikistan is always ready to accord its assistance in the

revival and development of wide range of sectors of peaceful life in

Afghanistan.

Subsequently, I repeatedly call on the international community to spare

no effort to help the long-suffering people of Afghanistan, including

regions affected by natural disasters, to prevent a humanitarian crisis in

this country.

Honorable delegates,

It has been more than a year since the UN Water Conference 2023.

According to the reports of relevant United Nations agencies, progress in

water supply and sanitation, despite some improvements, does not meet

our expectations.

As a result, Tajikistan, as a champion country, actively cooperates with all

stakeholders to implement the commitments stemming from the “Water

Action Agenda” of the United Nations Water Conference - 2023.

Successful accomplishment of these and other water-related

commitments and goals will depend on effective multi-stakeholder

partnerships that ensure integrated and systematic, coherent approaches.

In this regard, it is important for us to take advantage of the Dushanbe

Water Process platform to monitor the outcomes of the United Nations

Water Conference - 2023.

We believe, that the Dushanbe Water Process will play a pivotal role as a

platform for a broad inclusive dialogue of stakeholders for

comprehensive preparation for the United Nations Water Conference in

Dushanbe in 2028.

Your Excellencies,

Distinguished participants,

In the backdrop of climate change impacts, the international community

needs to work on collective approaches and initiatives in the proper use

of natural resources and the relentless activities of various fields of

human life.

In recent years, the natural disasters along with a series of droughts

cause enormous damage to the agriculture, environment and economies

of developing countries in general.

Being 93% of its territory covered by mountains, Tajikistan is also

vulnerable to climate change due to the frequent occurrence of natural

disasters.

Natural disasters annually bring damage to the national economy of

Tajikistan worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and unfortunately, in

many cases they cause death toll.

Climate change is causing the accelerated melting of glaciers and the

reduction of the water volume of rivers in different parts of the world,

including Central Asia.

This process has a negative impact on real sectors of the national

economy, such as energy, industry and agriculture.

To date, more than 1,000 out of 14,000 of Tajikistan's glaciers, which are

the main source of drinking water in the region, have completely melted,

and the pace of their melting is dramatically increasing.

This is despite the fact that precipitation and glaciers of Tajikistan make

up to 60% of the source of water resources in Central Asia.

Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly’s declaration of 2025 as the

“International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation” at the initiative of Tajikistan

provides a suitable basis for developing cooperation among stakeholders.

Pursuant to this UNGA Resolution, March 21 was declared as the “World

Glaciers’ Day”, and an International Trust Fund to promote the Glaciers

Preservation was established under the auspices of the UN Secretary-

General.

Congruently, the first High-Level International Conference on the Glaciers

will be hosted in Dushanbe, Tajikistan next year.

Taking this opportunity, we call on partner countries and organizations to

actively participate and contribute to the arrangement of this Conference.

We believe, that this important international conference which is

scheduled to be held in cooperation with UNESCO and the World

Meteorological Organization, will play an effective role in assessing the

global glacier problems and exploring specific approaches for their

solutions.

Alongside with this, we invite all partners to financially contribute to the

“International Glaciers’ Trust Fund”.

It is worth highlighting, that to further advance the glaciers’ preservation

agenda, Tajikistan, together with France, has put forward another

initiative to declare 2025-2034 the Decade of Action for Cryospheric

Sciences.

Our country has adopted the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate

Change 2030 based on its international obligations, including provisions

of aris Agreement.

Evidently, one of the ways to successfully mitigate the problems related

to climate change is the development of “green economy’, which in turn

calls for development of “green energy’.

Considering the importance of this reality, our country has approved and

currently implementing the Green Economy Development Strategy for

2023-2037.

We currently produce 98% of our electricity from the country’s

hydropower resources, and we are ranked the sixth in the world in terms

of the share of “green energy” produced from renewable sources.

The goal of the implementation of our plans in this direction is to turn

Tajikistan into a “green country" by 2037.

Today, finding solutions to the daily issues of adaptation to climate

change and reducing the severity of its negative consequences is

considered one of the top priorities for the international community.

We hope that developed countries, the United Nations and its specialized

agencies, influential international financial institutions and other

international and regional multilateral entitities will further continue to

pay serious attention to these pressing issues.

We are convinced, that the international community succeeds to achieve

its common goals and objectives through the development of trustful

dialogue, mutual understanding and constructive cooperation.

I thank you for your attention.