Kyrgyzstan, 2011

At the

outset, allow me to congratulate Secretary-General Ban

Ki-moon on his well-deserved reappointment and to

wish him continued success in his high and responsible

mission. It also gives me great pleasure to congratulate

Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his election as

President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth

session.

We welcome the newest member of our family,

South Sudan, which just joined the United Nations as

our 193rd Member State.

The world today is undergoing great

transformations. The year-long global financial crisis

gives little sign of being resolved in the near future.

Even the most developed economies of the world are

experiencing the most serious trials of their histories.

At the same time, we are fascinated by the success of

countries that only yesterday were struggling against

poverty and stagnation. Humankind is experiencing

changes of the most extreme kind. We believe that at

this historic moment the United Nations must stay

ahead of the new realities and lead humankind to

positive new beginnings.

The people of Kyrgyzstan have been watching the

historic developments in North Africa and the Middle

East with feelings of solidarity and sincere empathy.

One spring, a year before the Arab Spring, we

overthrew tyranny in our own land. Our country in the

heart of Central Asia has now moved from a harsh

presidential form of Government to a parliamentary

Government.

Last year, despite serious obstacles, Kyrgyzstan

succeeded in holding what were recognized by

international observers to be unprecedented, free and

fair parliamentary elections and a constitutional

referendum. Kyrgyzstan is now ruled by a coalition

Government that, together with an active and

influential parliamentary opposition, is learning to find

solutions to problems in the interests of the whole of

society, and not just cater to the ever-increasing

demands of kleptocrats, as it did before. Mechanisms

are now in place to ensure transparency in Government

decision-making.

11-50865 20

The authorities’ new openness and accountability

to the people have already begun to bear fruit. The

economy is growing. Over the past year alone,

investments in education and health care have

increased significantly. A fundamental reform of the

judiciary has begun. This year, on 30 October the

people of Kyrgyzstan will take part in the final phase

of the transitional period — the election of a new

president of the Republic. In Kyrgyzstan, we want to

establish a tradition of peaceful, civilized transfer of

power, in accordance with the Constitution and in the

interests of the people.

Before the world community, I wish from this

rostrum to address my own people. Our striving for

democracy and unwavering push to build an open

society are at the centre of the world’s attention. The

whole world is watching us. We must be worthy of and

cherish the freedom that we have won at such a high

price. We have no right to divide ourselves along

ethnic, regional or religious lines. Pan-national unity,

the rule of law, good governance, civic participation

and a free press are the achievements that will help us

to build a prosperous and strong country.

(spoke in Kyrgyz; English text provided by the

delegation)

My beloved Kyrgyz nation! Cherish your

independence, preserve your unity and strengthen your

democracy!

(spoke in Russian)

I take this opportunity to invite Member States

and international organizations to send their observers

to Kyrgyzstan for the upcoming presidential election.

On the basis of our 20 years’ experience of

independence, we know that the path from victory over

authoritarian regimes to building a functioning

democracy is not a straight or easy one. In recent

decades, the wealth of the people of Kyrgyzstan, like

that of the people of many other countries, has been

plundered by corrupt and criminal rulers. Billions of

dollars have been spirited out of the country. Dictators

should be held accountable for committing crimes

against their own people and should not be welcomed

or provided refuge abroad.

The time has come for our Organization to

develop clear standards and procedures to ensure

justice and the return of embezzled funds to their

rightful owners. This is not about settling personal

accounts or politically motivated harassment; it is

above all about delivering justice and ending impunity.

We are convinced that restoring peace and

strengthening the rule of law in Afghanistan will

depend less on coercive measures than on the pace and

methods we use to resolve social and economic

problems. We believe that the decision to withdraw

international troops from Afghanistan must be taken

only once the situation there has been tangibly

stabilized and once the Afghan National Army and

Police have sufficient capacity to assume responsibility

for the security of their country and its borders.

We continue to cooperate with the international

community and the United Nations system in

overcoming the consequences of the last year’s clashes

in the city of Osh. In this regard, I am sincerely

grateful to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the

secretariat of the Peacebuilding Fund for supporting

our efforts to build sustainable peace.

Turning to the main theme of the sixty-sixth

session of the General Assembly, “The role of

mediation in the settlement of disputes by peaceful

means”, I wish to refer specifically to the role of

women in times of crisis and to their courage and

sincerity, which were praised by President Roussef

from this rostrum. When peace is broken and men take

up arms, it is women who often take responsibility for

ending violence and restoring peaceful life in their

communities. The leadership of mothers, wives and

sisters can force politicians to resolve their

disagreements on the basis of compromise and mutual

understanding. Worldwide, women are a force for

peace.

That is precisely the case in my country, where

women are helping to restoring peace and enhancing

democracy. One-third of the seats in Parliament are

held by women. The President of the Supreme Court,

the Attorney General, the President of the National

Bank, ministers, governors, countless activists and

local leaders are also women. I firmly believe that,

under the strong leadership of Michelle Bachelet, the

new, important body that is UN-Women will become a

champion of women’s rights around the world.

Kyrgyzstan is concerned by the shrinking

attention of the world community to global climate

change. In every corner of the world, including our

region, this issue has become a part of every country’s

security.

21 11-50865

We have waited too long to welcome Palestine as

a full Member of the United Nations. As early as 1995,

Kyrgyzstan recognized Palestine along its 1967

borders, and we join the Secretary-General in his call

for Israel and Palestine to return to the negotiating

table. Palestine and Israel should become good

neighbours on the basis of the two-State solution. The

citizens of both countries must finally enjoy their right

to live in their lands in peace and security. We, the

nations of the world, hope for the earliest possible

resolution of this long-running conflict.

My country has submitted its candidacy for a

non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the

period 2012-2013. The Kyrgyz Republic, as a member

of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries and

the group of small countries with economies in

transition, and as a young democracy with a multi-

confessional population, supports the need for the

wider representation of all categories of countries on

the Security Council. In this regard, I request Member

States to support Kyrgyzstan’s candidacy to a

non-permanent seat on the Security Council.

The agendas of our meetings and daily headlines

are dominated by natural disasters, financial crises and

political upheavals. The absence of justice,

discrimination and severe violations of human rights

remain a part of our lives. At the same time, however,

we are witnessing with bewilderment inspiring

historical changes, amazing technological progress, the

eradication of previously incurable diseases and, over

the course of just one generation, the lifting of

hundreds of millions of people out of destitution and

disenfranchisement.

In this time of change, we must do our utmost to

ensure that that the young people of our planet are as

knowledgeable, as optimistic and as courageous as

possible in efforts to achieve prosperity, peace and

security around the world. Young people are not just

the future of humankind; they are also its present. Let

us all open every door and create every opportunity for

the growth and development of the younger generation.

Tomorrow is born today!