Uzbekistan, 1993

May I express my gratitude for the honour of representing

for the first time, as Head of State, the independent country

of Uzbekistan at the United Nations General Assembly.

We see the United Nations as a unique institution for

the discussion and solution of the most urgent issues facing

all States and regions and the world community at large.

The United Nations is a great symbol of the good will of

nations to live in peace and accord has become a clear sign

of mankind’s spiritual progress. At a time of radical historic

transformation and growing interdependency in the modern

world, the global role and significance of the United Nations

is growing correspondingly as a political instrument for the

world in the consideration and solution of common human

problems.

Independent Uzbekistan, recognized by all States, has

now become a full-fledged member of the United Nations.

Embassies of many countries and offices of various

international agencies have been opened in the Republic. I

am pleased to acknowledge the fruitful activities of the

United Nations Office in Uzbekistan, the opening of which

was undertaken on the personal initiative of the Secretary-

General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

I should like to take this opportunity, on behalf of my

people and the Government of Uzbekistan, to express sincere

gratitude to the United Nations and all its Member States for

their recognition and support of my country’s independence.

Uzbekistan, with its population of 22 million,

constitutes both the geographical and political basis of

Central Asia. One of the most ancient world civilizations

emerged in the region, and this land was crossed by the

Great Silk Road. The history of my people goes back deep

into the past, being more than 3,000 years old. Once-

prosperous empires and kingdoms in the territory of ancient

Turan, Transoxania and Turkistan had a marked impact on

the development of world culture.

The cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva

have been known far and wide since time immemorial and

have had trade links stretching from China to Spain and

from Europe to the Indian Ocean. These cities were noted

for magnificent architectural structures and attracted

outstanding thinkers, scholars and artists from all parts of the

world. The great Tamerlane turned Samarkand into a capital

city of his empire and was famous as a patron of scholars,

philosophers, architects, poets and musicians. Spiritual,

intellectual and aesthetic values have had a profound effect

in shaping the way of life and traditional culture of our

people. We are proud of our history and revere the memory

of our great ancestors, the thinkers of the East: Al-Bukhari,

Al-Termezi, Ahmad Yassavi, Bahaudin Naqshbandi,

Al-Kworazmi, Beruni, Avicenna, Nawai, Ulugh Beg and

many others who made an invaluable contribution to world

civilization.

Having declared its independence, Uzbekistan has now

entered an era of spiritual and intellectual renaissance and

radical transformation in the economic, political and social

spheres. We have embarked on the building of a

democratic, lawful and secular society with an open-market

economy and a strong system of social welfare. There is

consent among the people of Uzbekistan on the need,

directions and forms of developing political institutions, and

there is now perceptible progress towards democratic

transformation. The new Fundamental Law of the Republic

of Uzbekistan, adopted last December, has been highly

received by independent international experts and meets the

essential criteria of a democratic constitution while ensuring

all human rights and basic freedoms of citizens. Free and

contested general elections have been held for Head of State

and the Parliament. There is a clear separation of powers in

the country, and the multi-party system is gaining strength.

Our people have regained their freedom following more

than 100 years of oppression and now have an opportunity

to decide their own destiny, develop their culture and bring

about their spiritual renaissance. The Republic, inhabited by

people of more than 100 nations and nationalities, provides

all ethnic groups with broad and equal opportunities for the

development of their national cultures, traditions and

languages. We are proud that, despite the difficulties of

transition, Uzbekistan has been able to preserve political

stability, peace and ethnic accord.

The Republic of Uzbekistan is a country of great

potential, unique natural resources and a promising future.

About half of its population is below the age of 18. It is

third in the world in cotton production, eighth in gold

extraction, tenth in the production of copper and is among

the leading nations in deposits of rare metals and strategic

raw materials. Uzbekistan possesses huge energy resources

and has much more to offer the world market. It has long

traditions of craftsmanship, trade, commerce and farming

and is a great country for tourism. The Republic has a

powerful scientific, intellectual and spiritual potential.

Research carried out by our scientists in the fields of

mathematics, physics and biology has won renown far

beyond the region. But our principal wealth is an open,

hard-working, hospitable and proud people noted for its

sense of honour and dignity.

Free Uzbekistan has chosen its own path to reforming

society and has elaborated its own model for transition to a

democratic society and a free market economy. At the same

time, we are quite aware that the Republic - which earlier

served as a raw-materials appendage of the former Soviet

Union, exporting cheap raw materials and importing

low-quality finished products - with a hypertrophied

economy and devastated environment, can hardly be

expected to overcome in a short span of time the situation it

has inherited. Given the high birth rate, acute problems of

employment and considerable material difficulties, economic

and spiritual development can be expected to outstrip

political transformation. We must work out a solid legal

foundation, educate people in living in a law-abiding society,

encourage tolerance of diverse views and opinions and,

above all, change the mentality of the people, whose outlook

was shaped by the command-administrative and

totalitarian-distributive system we lived under for the last

74 years.

Any other approach, or a thoughtless acceleration of

events, may lead to conflicts and civil confrontation in many

countries of the former socialist camp. As we have seen,

such approaches have led to civil confrontation, inter-ethnic

clashes and the further proliferation of problems, rather than

to their solution, and may discredit the very idea of a free -

market economy and democratic reform. This can be seen

quite clearly from the examples of those countries that are

now going through a very difficult time in their history. It

has become evident today that there are no universal models

of social and economic development that are equally

acceptable to all countries. There seems to remain no

marked difference between the orthodox concepts of

capitalism and socialism. The need has emerged to shape

new and free thinking without ideological indoctrination,

which would reveal the entire diversity of the forms and

ways for each country’s transition to an entirely new

condition.

Taking into consideration the concrete situation,

mentality and traditions of the Uzbek people, we have

proclaimed five basic principles of our reform. First, we

have proclaimed the priority of the economy over politics

and the de-ideologization of both domestic and external

Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 3

economic relations. Secondly, we consider that the State

needs to play the role of main reformer and initiator of

democratic transformation in our Republic during the

transition period. Thirdly, we proclaim the preservation of

law and order and the supremacy of law. Fourthly, we

believe it is of exceptional importance to have a strong

social policy protecting the interests of all citizens, especially

the neediest and those requiring Government support.

Finally, we believe the transition to free-market relations will

have to be carried out gradually, on an evolutionary basis.

A popular saying in our country goes, "Never destroy the old

house before you have built a new one."

Social stability and State security are vital factors in

democratic reform. Hardly any other problem can be solved

without them. Uzbekistan has steadfastly and consistently

supported security and stability in all regions, especially in

our own, Central Asia. The specific characteristics of our

region and its geopolitical situation are such that negative

developments may trigger world-wide instability. Suffice it

to say that about 60 million people associated with various -

and I stress, various - ethnic and religious groups live in

Central Asia. Both nuclear and conventional arms of

tremendous destructive force have been accumulated in this

region, and any violence may result in disasters of

unforeseeable magnitude.

In this connection, one cannot avoid discussing the

situation in Tajikistan and on the Tajik-Afghan border. One

could argue about the political interests of the parties

involved; however, there is no doubt that the bloody conflict

in Tajikistan has arisen as a result of the unlawful efforts of

one of the sides to seize power through the force of arms

and intimidation and maintain it on the basis of continued

material and ideological interference from the outside. Thus,

numerous political forces and different parts of the

population have become involved in this armed conflict. It

has been internationalized also because financial and

logistical support of anti-government fighting units with

military equipment, as well as training centres, were located

beyond the borders of Tajikistan.

The Government of Uzbekistan is concerned at the

continued conflict in Tajikistan and on the Tajik-Afghan

border, primarily because for centuries the peoples of Central

Asia have been linked by close economic, spiritual and

cultural relations. At the present time, there are in essence

no real borders in the classical sense among the countries of

the region. That is why any outbreak of conflict for purely

geographical reasons may affect the whole region.

We are also concerned at the uncontrolled accumulation

of modern arms in huge quantities. Where do they come

from, and who is arming the extremists and terrorists? What

is the world community doing, and what should it do to

prevent the flow of arms into zones of fratricidal conflict?

These burning issues, which affect millions of people and

entire nations, are awaiting a solution.

The problem of Tajik refugees has become extremely

serious as their conflict escalates. Tens of thousands of

peaceful people have been compelled to leave their homes.

Uzbekistan is sending food products, medicine and other

vital necessities to Tajikistan and is encouraging the return

of the refugees, and through the United Nations office

supports the United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees for the rendering of humanitarian assistance.

Uzbekistan resolutely condemns extremism, terrorism,

religious fanaticism and fundamentalism in any form. It is

in favour of the peaceful resolution of conflicts by political

means, of holding negotiations between opposing parties, and

of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign States,

and it is prepared to render further humanitarian assistance

to the Tajik people, primarily to refugees returning from

Afghanistan. In the early stages of the conflict in Tajikistan,

Uzbekistan twice drew the attention of the Secretary-General

of the United Nations, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to the

urgent need for thorough consideration of the situation and

its settlement within the framework of the United Nations.

We are grateful to the United Nations and to the

Secretary-General for their prompt response to the concern

we expressed and for their efforts to settle the conflict. We

believe that the international community will properly

appreciate this contribution to peace. A United Nations

mission headed by Mr. Kittani, the Secretary-General’s

Special Envoy, has been working fruitfully in the region.

Data collected by the mission have, in our view, provided

an opportunity to draw objective conclusions as to the nature

and the driving forces of the conflict at a meeting of the

United Nations Security Council.

Nevertheless, there is hardly any basis today on which

to talk about sufficient attention being paid to the situation

on the Tajik-Afghan border in the light of the current

situation in Tajikistan as well as in Afghanistan. We have

not understood the scale and potential of this conflict and its

globally devastating consequences. I should like to take this

opportunity to appeal to participants in this session of the

General Assembly to express their constructive views on

ways of solving this problem.

4 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

Uzbekistan would welcome the convening of a standing

United Nations seminar on security, stability and cooperation

in Central Asia. Tashkent, a city with peacemaking

traditions, steeped in the spirit of international cooperation

and ethnic accord, is prepared to be the venue for this

seminar. In accordance with Article 52 of the United

Nations Charter, the parties involved could discuss, within

the framework of the United Nations seminar, the

possibilities of setting up an effective system of regional

security in Central Asia.

Such a system could contemplate measures for the

preservation and restoration of peace in case of conflicts and

wars, including collective sanctions of a diplomatic,

financial, economic and other nature against those who

today would venture to violate peace and existing borders,

and produce recommendations for the United Nations on the

establishment of stability and lasting peace in this region.

Uzbekistan supports the idea of a new role for the

United Nations as a global institution in safeguarding

security on Earth, which was advanced by the Secretary-

General of the United Nations, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali,

in his "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277), which he outlined

in the Security Council on 31 January 1992. We invite the

Secretary-General to pay a visit to the Central Asian region,

including the Republic of Uzbekistan. I am sure that the

authority of the United Nations and the Secretary-General

will make it possible to prevent the negative development of

events in the region.

In "An Agenda for Peace", Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali

attaches great importance to preventive diplomacy in today’s

world, which coincides fully with our own view. From this

lofty international rostrum, I wish to call upon the United

Nations to strengthen further its peacemaking work,

specifically in zones of emerging conflicts.

It must unfortunately be admitted that, in many cases,

authoritative international agencies react to conflict situations

not when - speaking figuratively - they smell smoke, but

only afterwards, when the fire has already flared up and is

almost impossible to put out. To prevent the escalation of

conflicts, the international community should abandon the

role of passive observer it so often plays and instead adopt

the stance of an active peacemaker.

It would be expedient in this regard to establish a

special group under the United Nations Security Council to

analyse and forecast emerging international conflicts for the

purpose of rapidly preparing recommendations for the

Security Council, other United Nations agencies and the

world community so that the necessary measures can be

taken.

Current realities in the world today show that the

security of one nation cannot be guaranteed at the expense

of another State and that regional security can be viewed

solely in concert with global security. On this basis,

Uzbekistan is in favour of the total abolition of nuclear

weapons. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons will have to become a more efficient treaty,

unrestricted by any time limits. Our Republic will actively

participate in preliminary negotiations for the preparation of

a conference on the prolongation of this Treaty. Uzbekistan

is a staunch supporter of proclaiming Central Asia a

nuclear-free zone.

We are firmly determined also to hold negotiations on

signing the chemical weapons Convention. Uzbekistan

considers that we need international control over the

proliferation of chemical and bacteriological weapons in

Central Asia.

I should like to draw particular attention, among other

top-priority problems, to the question of stepping up our

common efforts against narcobusiness. We would like to see

a large-scale cooperation in the struggle against this scourge,

this white death. It is a secret to no one that a large

percentage of the narcotics consumed throughout the world

are produced in and transported through Central Asia.

Concentration of narcobusiness in a single region alone

provides sufficient ground for the world community to focus

its efforts on the elimination of this horrible business.

Uzbekistan is ready to cooperate in this area with all

interested countries and organizations. We would welcome

the establishment, under the aegis of the United Nations, of

a regional commission on Central Asia for the coordination

of joint efforts in the fight against narcobusiness.

We also favour greater United Nations involvement in

controlling the environment and preventing global ecological

disasters, and we are ready to facilitate the implementation

of that noble mission by all available means.

Like so many regions of the planet, Central Asia faces

an ecological disaster on an unprecedented scale. First and

foremost, there is the tragedy of the Aral Sea. In recent

years it has lost two thirds of its volume, its water table has

shrunk by half and its shoreline has retreated 80 kilometers,

the content of mineral salts has increased fourfold, 2 million

hectares of arable land have become desert, and sandstorms

range at distances greater than 300 kilometers from it. All

this adversely affects the sanitary and health situation in the

Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 5

region. In its ecological and socio-economic consequences,

the problem of the Aral Sea, according to United Nations

experts, is one of the major calamities of the twentieth

century.

The death of the Aral Sea may have unpredictable

affects the whole world. We appeal to the world community

to render assistance in saving the Aral Sea and the adjoining

zone. In light of the global nature of this disaster,

Uzbekistan would appreciate the establishment of a United

Nations special commission on the Aral Sea which, in

coordination with the region’s Governments, and through

United Nations channels, would attract international

resources and opportunities for the solution of this ecological

tragedy. As a first step, this commission could hold an

international conference under United Nations aegis in

Nukus, bordering on the Aral Sea.

Uzbekistan became independent at the end of the cold

war. This new epoch requires a new and sober assessment

of all problems facing the United Nations and the world

community. We are concerned by the growing suspicion

between the advanced countries of the North and the

developing countries of the South. We regret that the former

ideological intolerance between East and West is now being

replaced by ethnic and religious intolerance. We are also

concerned about the growing trend towards fundamentalism,

extremism and terrorism.

In our view, under the circumstances, the United

Nations should be the world’s principal tool for the

prevention of new hotbeds of confrontation which could

jeopardize human progress. We believe that urgent and

effective measures are now necessary so that a key organ of

the United Nations - the Security Council - can adequately

reflect the socio-economic, ethno-cultural, religious and

spiritual diversity of today’s world; its currently conservative

structure should be reconsidered.

The world’s nations are on the threshold of a new

millennium. They want to face a bright, promising future

and leave behind the cataclysms of past global ideological

confrontation. There is growing conviction that there is no

alternative to peace, cooperation and universal security.

What will the future of mankind be like? What kind of

new era is opening? Will it succeed in overcoming the

heavy legacy of the past? Will it achieve openness and

sincerity in inter-State relations, eliminating mutual

suspicion, distrust and diktat, particularly the latter? The

future of the community of nations depends on the answers

to these questions. Uzbekistan is determined to progress

steadily towards the achievement of its national objectives,

in harmony with the common interests of the world

community and the deep democratic processes that

characterize the current level of its development. The Uzbek

people are aware that hard times still lie ahead but they are

assured of a great future in the single family of mankind.