Kazakhstan, 2011

I

would like, on behalf of the Republic of Kazakhstan

and on my own behalf, to congratulate Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon on his re-election to his high and

responsible office. I should also like to congratulate the

Ambassador of Qatar, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser,

on his election to the presidency of the General

Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. The Republic of

Kazakhstan also congratulates the newest Member of

the community of nations, the Republic of South

Sudan, on gaining its independence.

This year, our country celebrates the twentieth

anniversary of its independence. During this entire

time, Kazakhstan has faithfully complied with the

letter and spirit of the United Nations Charter. First, we

closed the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, the largest in

the world, thereby becoming one of the world’s first

new non-nuclear States. This represents an enormous

contribution on the part of my country to global peace

and stability.

Secondly, we succeeded in convening the

Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building

Measures in Asia (CICA), which I proposed 19 years

ago in this forum. Today it includes participants from

29 countries, representing nearly half the world’s

population. Last year, Kazakhstan became the first

country from the Commonwealth of Independent States

to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation

in Europe (OSCE), injecting new energy into every

area of its work. We also succeeded in holding an

OSCE summit in our capital, Astana, the first in

11 years. The adoption of the Astana Declaration has

helped to strengthen the OSCE and its efforts to create

a cooperative and indivisible security community

across the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian regions.

Kazakhstan has also called for the establishment of a

single platform for cooperative Eurasian security by

combining the capabilities of the OSCE and CICA over

the long term.

This year, Kazakhstan assumed an important

duty, the chairmanship of the Organization of Islamic

Cooperation (OIC). We have focused our chairmanship’s

efforts on strengthening international and regional

security; continuing dialogue between the Islamic

world and the West; combating Islamophobia; and

enhancing programmes promoting the non-proliferation

of weapons of mass destruction. The most recent test

for the OIC was the humanitarian crisis in Somalia. In

that regard, we succeeded in raising $350 million for

programmes designed to deliver food, medical supplies

and economic restoration to Somalia.

Thirdly, 140 ethnic groups and 40 religious

denominations live in our society in peace and

harmony. Astana regularly hosts congresses of leaders

of world and traditional religions. We have offered to

hold such forums under the auspices of the United

Nations, and they have stabilized the region. That

represents our contribution to the global dialogue on

confidence-building in the world.

Fourthly, our country has demonstrated a

commitment to the Millennium Development Goals.

Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, we have

been able to move to the forefront in terms of the pace

of reform and economic growth. In the past two

decades, we have posted a 14-fold increase in per

capita gross domestic product, from about $700 to

about $10,000.

Fifthly, Kazakhstan has called for the adoption of

a global energy and environment strategy and has put

forward an ambitious “green bridge” environmental

initiative. We plan to bring these ideas to the United

Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be

held in Rio de Janeiro next year.

The world is entering one of the most critical

periods in its history. Humanity has harnessed powerful

sources of energy but is powerless against the forces of

nature. Enclaves of poverty and destitution are

emerging, even in the wealthiest and better-off

countries. It is becoming harder and harder to contain

outbreaks involving ethnic and religious intolerance,

even in societies with well-established traditions of

tolerance.

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In today’s inclusive information age, there are no

reliable means of protection against electronic

extremism. Ten years ago, the whole world came

together in the face of the terrible tragedy of 9/11. Yet

no conclusive lessons have been learned from it, and

the resurgence of international terrorism is evident in

various parts of the world. These are the main

challenges of the new century.

In that context, I would like to draw the attention

of participants in this political discussion to the

following.

First, we have to address issues related to global

nuclear safety and security. We call for the start of the

drafting of a universal declaration on a nuclear-

weapon-free world. We have high hopes for the

Nuclear Security Summit, scheduled to be held in

Seoul in 2012. It is necessary to expand the legal

framework for, and increase international control by

the United Nations and the International Atomic

Energy Agency, compliance by all countries with their

obligations in the area of non-proliferation.

We welcome the Treaty between the United States

of America and the Russian Federation on Measures

for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic

Offensive Arms. We consider it important that all

States that make up the Nuclear Club join that process.

Today the world faces a paradoxical situation:

some are allowed to possess and upgrade nuclear

weapons, while others are strictly forbidden to be

engaged even in research and development. This is

unjust, disproportionate and unfair. The relevant

provisions of international law must thus be reviewed.

The idea is to strengthen the responsibility of all

States, especially nuclear-weapon States, to reduce

nuclear weapons and gradually destroy their stockpiles.

Today there are no clear legal assurances to

non-nuclear States by nuclear-weapon Powers. In this

important dimension, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation

of Nuclear Weapons does not work. At this stage,

nuclear weapons are not a deterrent but a catalyst of an

arms race.

In the twenty-first century, general curbs on the

arms race can be effectively provided only by a

collegial body with broad powers such as the Security

Council. I also propose that we issue a collective

appeal on the part of the international community to de

facto nuclear-weapon States to renounce their

ambitions and to accede to comprehensive treaties.

Secondly, the increasing globalization of

economic processes requires a paradigm shift in the

economic component of the work of the United

Nations. The raison d’être of global mechanisms for

currency, trade and economic regulation should be the

forecasting of global crises and the elimination of their

causes.

It is generally agreed today that the current global

crisis was caused by deficiencies in the global financial

system. However, to date no significant steps to

address its flaws have been taken. Procrastination in

tackling this issue will result in new and violent

manifestations of the crisis and a surge of regional and

global instability.

It is important to establish an effective global

economic governance mechanism, with clear powers

and lines of accountability involving all institutions

and actors, an effective global reserve currency and

tight control over speculative capital. In this context, a

pact on global regulation would seem quite relevant.

The prevention of global hunger and the growing

scarcity of water are other important issues.

Thirdly, information space is a sphere that is as

important to the future of humanity as mineral

resources, air, the aquatic world and outer space. Yet

today not a single international convention or

multilateral treaty governs information processes. Is

that not the reason why, in practical terms, most hacker

attacks on banks, businesses, Government institutions,

the military and even nuclear facilities have been able

to be carried out with impunity?

I consider it important to establish an

international legal framework for global information

space. The resolution on nine elements of a global

culture of cybersecurity (resolution 57/239), adopted

by the General Assembly in 2002, could serve as a

basis for such efforts.

Fourthly, the new world order is taking shape

against the backdrop of increasing conflicts. It is quite

significant that today the world’s total military

spending is growing twice as fast as it did during the

cold war — by 6 per cent a year, reaching $1.5 trillion.

In this regard, my initiative to establish a United

Nations peacekeeping fund, which I put forward for the

first time 19 years ago, has become even more

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relevant. This would involve each State Member of the

United Nations allotting 1 per cent of its military

budget for that purpose. I urge the international

community to consider this idea once again and take

the required action.

Sixty-six years ago, the United Nations was

founded as an organization based on the principle of

the sovereign equality of all its Members. However,

one cannot but notice how today the principle of

national sovereignty and territorial integrity is being

eroded. That could undermine trust between nations.

Today it is essential to upgrade the norms of

international law concerning the national sovereignty

of States and, taking into account new realities, clearly

define the bounds beyond which the involvement of the

international community in the settlement of internal

conflicts is warranted.

Global peace will be enhanced only if the United

Nations works more closely with regional security

arrangements. With respect to the Eurasian region,

these are the Conference on Interaction and

Confidence-building Measures in Asia, the Shanghai

Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security

Treaty Organization. It is important to ensure that the

composition and the work of the Security Council

adequately reflect the structure of the modern world. At

the same time, the veto mechanism will guarantee that

the decisions that are adopted are balanced and

effective.

Kazakhstan has announced its candidacy for a

non-permanent seat in the Security Council for 2017-

2018. We count on the support of the international

community in this respect.

The complex question of Palestine has been

actively discussed these days. Kazakhstan supports the

creation of a Palestinian State. A difficult issue,

however, has been placed on the scales of history;

President Obama spoke about this. For the long-

suffering Palestinian people, like the Israeli people, the

negotiating process has been ongoing for more than

50 years. Without independence and their own State,

the Palestinians will not be able to achieve sustainable

peace in the Middle East.

Each new era in the history of humanity gives

rise to formidable challenges. Today, the most

important task is to successfully navigate the complex

global transformations of the twenty-first century.

Trust and unity among all nations will be a pillar of an

equitable new world order.