Kyrgyzstan, 2006

For more than a year now, Kyrgyzstan has

been experiencing a new stage in its historical

development. Today, our leaders are doing their utmost

to further strengthen our country’s democratic and

market reforms. The unswerving policy we have

adopted in order to build a democratic society based on

laws and a well-developed national economy will lay a

solid foundation for a stable political situation. We

have committed ourselves to ensuring all the

conditions necessary for the sustainable development

of Kyrgyzstan’s economy and the enhancement of our

people’s well-being.

At the 2005 World Summit, the President of the

Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Kurmanbek Bakiev, reaffirmed

our full commitment to the universal goals and targets

set out in the Millennium Declaration. All the

necessary legislative measures have been adopted in

our country to protect social well-being and to support

the most vulnerable sectors of the population. That will

help significantly to reduce our poverty level.

In 2005 alone, despite the existing difficulties,

social expenditures constituted more than 43 per cent

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of the Republic’s budget. As a result, as stated in the

report of the Secretary-General on the integration of

countries with economies in transition into the world

economy, Kyrgyzstan has reduced the scale of poverty

in the country.

I would also like to point out that the situation

today in the Kyrgyz Republic is characterized by

openness in the economy, macro-economic stability, a

liberal currency and visa regime, and the free

movement of capital and labour. We also enjoy the

advantages of membership in the World Trade

Organization.

As I have already pointed out, my country has

repeatedly and actively shown its commitment to its

international obligations in the area of the protection of

fundamental rights and freedoms. Today, the Kyrgyz

Republic adheres to all the basic universal international

instruments with a human dimension and continues to

carry out those provisions responsibly. Further

democratization of the society and the encouragement

of human rights remain the priorities for our domestic

policy. This is why our Head of State has initiated

reform in law enforcement and judicial bodies, as well

as constitutional reform in order to improve the

balance of power. I would like to point out, in

particular, that a very active role is being played by

political parties and civil society in this process,

thereby ensuring the genuine involvement of broad

masses of the population in the adoption of important

State decisions.

A month ago, the Office of the United Nations

High Commissioner for Human Rights decided to

establish a Regional Office in Bishkek, the capital of

the Kyrgyz Republic. We regard this move as

indicating a strong recognition of our efforts towards

strengthening democratic principles and encouraging

human rights and freedom of speech in the country.

The Kyrgyz Republic has ratified the United

Nations Convention against Corruption and has

devised a State strategy to combat this scourge. It has

established a national agency to combat corruption and

a financial intelligence service. I am certain that in our

country, where effective governance is being practiced

and where human rights are being observed, there will

be a better chance of avoiding conflict and overcoming

obstacles to development. It is no secret that, at this

difficult time in human development, with its

increasing global, regional and civilizational problems,

we all feel the presence of moral and psychological

malaise in many parts of the world.

In order to attain harmony on our planet, all of us

need to humanize our societies and give pride of place

to moral and spiritual values. As our forebears have

said, when people unite in spirit, they can move

mountains. Today, we are all witnessing global change.

There are new issues, new tasks that require innovative

approaches to solve them. In this regard, the Kyrgyz

Republic proposes the formulation of yet another

Millennium Goal — goal 9 — which should focus on

dynamic development of the local community. Success

could be guaranteed through improving the system of

governance, democratization of local self-governance,

the elimination of corruption and the involvement in

governance of representatives of various social and

ethnic groups. We base this on the principle that a

strong local community means a stable State. A stable

State means a stable region. And a stable region means

a secure world.

It is well known that security and development

are indivisible. We cannot ensure development, if we

do not ensure security. We will not achieve global

security unless we support development and eliminate

poverty. As the Millennium Project report has pointed

out, there are many factors underlying extreme poverty,

first and foremost being that of an unfavourable

geographical situation.

In this connection, I would like to devote special

attention to mountainous areas, which are our planet’s

basic source of drinking water. We are grateful for the

support of the United Nations Member States in

adopting General Assembly resolution 60/198 on

sustainable mountain development at the Assembly’s

sixtieth session. I am certain that this will enable

mountain countries to take serious steps towards

solving social, economic and environmental problems.

Pursuant to the decisions of the Bishkek

Mountain Platform, which was adopted in 2002 at the

Bishkek Global Mountain Summit, we propose that a

second mountain summit be convened in 2007, with a

view to taking stock of the international community’s

activities relating to sustainable mountain development

over the past five years. This initiative has already

received support from the United Nations Development

Programme Administrator, Kemal Dervish, and the

Director-General of UNESCO, Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura,

who proposed that we call the second summit “Bishkek

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Plus Five”. I would like to take this opportunity to

invite all States to take part in this important

international forum. We hope the international

community will support our initiative.

Commitment to a policy of disarmament and

preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction

is one of the major fundamental principles of the

foreign policy of the peace-loving Kyrgyz Republic.

Proof of this policy was the signing on 8 September

2006 in Kazakhstan of an agreement on a nuclear-

weapon-free zone in Central Asia. We regard this as a

joint contribution of the States of the region to global

security and to freeing humankind from the threat of

lethal weapons. At present, non-nuclear zones are

becoming an important element in multilateral

mechanisms to counter nuclear terrorism. The issue is

more timely than ever, bearing in mind the existing

threat of the use of weapons of mass destruction by

terrorist organizations.

In this connection, from this lofty rostrum of the

Assembly Hall, I would like to appeal to United

Nations Member States to support the draft resolution

on a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia, which

will be put forward at the current session of the

Assembly’s First Committee. One of the distinguishing

features of our nuclear-free zone is its environmental

aspect. States in the region have suffered more than

most from the negative impact of nuclear programmes

and testing. Human radiation, radiation of our territory

and the dangers posed by uranium tailings are proof of

this.

Existing regional environmental problems are

being worsened by global warming, drought and soil

degradation. This year the Kyrgyz Republic chairs the

International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. The

problem of the Aral Sea has today taken on the scope

of a global environmental disaster that, to various

extents, has influenced natural processes throughout

the world. In this connection, we call upon the

international community to consolidate efforts for the

implementation of programmes and projects to save the

Aral Sea.

I would like to express our gratitude to the

Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on the

work of the Organization (document A/61/1). With his

usual leadership skills, he has clearly set forth in the

report the activities of the Organization during 2005.

We fully share his view that globalization has become

one of the predominant factors of the last decade. We

must see to it that the United Nations strengthens its

positive aspects. With the active participation of our

Organization, globalization must become an instrument

to ensure sustainable development and reduce the gap

between rich and poor, overcome discrimination in

economic relations and enhance the well-being of our

peoples.

Unfortunately, along with globalization there has

been an increase in the spread of such threats and

challenges as international crime, the illicit trade in

drugs and weapons, epidemic disease and

environmental degradation. The Government of

Kyrgyzstan has been taking decisive steps to combat

these negative phenomena. They are especially felt in

our region, bearing in mind the difficult situation in

Afghanistan.

I am convinced that effectively countering these

threats is possible only on the basis of a worldwide

expansion of regional and international cooperation,

involving organizations that have the necessary

capacities and that are successfully operating to that

end at the present time. In this respect, the Kyrgyz

Republic is taking an active part in the work of the

Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective

Security Treaty Organization. Today, as President of

SCO, Kyrgyzstan will do its utmost to strengthen it

further as a reliable guarantor of security and stability

in the region.

Speaking last year from this high rostrum,

President Kurmanbek Bakiev of the Kyrgyz Republic

stated that the sixtieth session of the General Assembly

must be remembered as one of reform. Today, we can

assert that the 60th anniversary session was indeed one

of reform. We established the Peacebuilding

Commission and the Human Rights Council and

created the Central Emergency Response Fund. We

reformed the Secretariat and adopted a Global Counter-

Terrorism Strategy.

And yet, a number of key tasks remain to be

carried out. The Kyrgyz Republic agrees that there is a

need to step up the activities of the General Assembly

and to strengthen the role of the Economic and Social

Council in attaining critical development goals.

United Nations reform will not be complete

without Security Council reform. We advocate

enhanced efforts to seek solutions in the interests of all

members of the international community. Kyrgyzstan

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joins in the appeal of Member States to expand

permanent and non-permanent membership of the

Council, which would reflect the realities of our times

and promote the effectiveness of our work.

We believe that if the United Nations activities

are to be consistent and effective, we must keep up

with the times and adapt to events as they take place in

the course of human development. The United Nations

must be oriented towards achieving concrete results

and meeting the pressing needs of the peoples of our

planet.