Section 6
United Nations and its specialized agencies
6.1. General Assembly
The General Assembly (GA) occupies a central position as the chief deliberative organ of the United Nations. It is comprised of all Members of the United Nations, each having one vote. It is authorized to discuss full spectrum of issues covered by the Charter. The UNGA meets on September each year.
The 76th Session of the UN General Assembly opened on the theme “Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalize the United Nations”. Discussions in this 76th Session were focused on collective challenges the world must tackle, including political and security crises and global issues such as the fight against climate change, biodiversity protection, health, the defense of human rights, international humanitarian law, gender equality and access to free, pluralistic and reliable information. The Session took place in a hybrid format due to the COVID-19 pandemic with in-person meetings and videoconferences.
Statements from Central Asian countries at the general debate of the UNGA 76th Session
Address by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
“In many ways, the pandemic has exposed our vulnerability…”
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev focused on the triple threat humankind faces today: COVID-19 recovery; the climate crisis; and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Pandemic and inequality. The President of Kazakhstan reminded that in the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic had exploded from 32 million to 225 million confirmed cases and the economic and social repercussions remained very difficult. Unemployment has risen sharply and hundreds of millions of people are losing their livelihoods. More than 130 million people are now living in extreme poverty. Decades of development progress are being lost.
Climate change. […] “Carbon dioxide levels are at record highs. Wildfires, cyclones, floods and droughts have become the new normal, devastating populations and causing much preventable human suffering. As a large landlocked country, Kazakhstan’s climate is warming faster than the global average and threatening our population and economy. The median annual temperature has increased 2°C in the last 75 years with serious droughts now striking twice every five years. In response, Kazakhstan intends to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. We are launching a national 2050 low carbon development strategy next month to reduce GDP energy intensity by 50% from 2008 levels. Since almost 70% of Kazakhstan's electricity generation depends on coal, the energy transition presents significant challenges. Access to green financing and green technologies will be critical to this transition, and we look to the upcoming COP26 conference in Glasgow for clear commitment on these issues. Without ambitious green financing, ambitious climate action is empty. We also give great importance to the COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming in October 2021.” […]
Aid to Afghanistan. Turning to Afghanistan, the President of Kazakhstan endorsed the UN Security Council’s call for the establishment, through negotiations, of a new Government that is inclusive. “A consensus-based system must be put in place where groups of different values, or ethnic, religious and gender background can coexist in the same country. In general, Kazakhstan envisions Afghanistan as a truly independent, sovereign nation living at peace with itself and its neighbors.”
SDGs. […] “Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs has suffered a considerable setback. Least Developed countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States – some 91 countries in total – are disproportionately affected by the pandemic given their limited means to respond to shocks and vulnerability to a debt crisis. As the Global Chair of the LLDCs, Kazakhstan appeals to all UN agencies to work together to deliver on the 2024 Roadmap for Accelerated Implementation of the Vienna Program of Action. The 2030 Agenda will remain unattainable until all countries have the financial capacity to invest in a sustainable and inclusive future. In this regard, we specifically call on all development partners to jointly address international liquidity and debt vulnerabilities.” […]
Address by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic
“We pay particular attention to protecting the areas of our mountain forests that … also play a very important role of preserving water resources”
Given the situation in Afghanistan, the question of the security of Central Asia was once again on the forefront, stated the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov. In his video-address to participants of the 76th Session, he proposed holding in 2022 a Central Asia-UN Summit and establishing a Center to combat international organized crime in Bishkek.
Afghanistan. “We cannot fail to mention our concern regarding recent events in Afghanistan. We are in a position to provide five hundred young Afghans with an opportunity to study in our universities and also to provide humanitarian assistance to those in needs, first of all, these would be ethnic Kirghiz living in little and big Pamir area of Afghanistan,” said the President. He stated that Kyrgyzstan is ready to temporary relocate the UN agencies from Afghanistan in Bishkek.
Pandemic and external debt. Speaking on fighting against COVID-19, Sadyr Zhaparov thanked China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Switzerland for provision of vaccines to his country. “The coronavirus pandemic was also a reason for the fact that achieving SDGs in Kyrgyzstan was not possible on time and fully. We have had to re-channel financed earmarked for the SDGs to combat the pandemic and to service external debt,” noted the President. He urged creditors to support the initiatives on debt relief to back very important sustainable development projects in Kyrgyzstan. The President reminded that Kyrgyzstan celebrated on the 31st of August 30 years of country independence and next year the 2nd of March would mark a 30th anniversary of Kyrgyzstan joining the United Nations Organization as a fully-fledged member. Given this historical event, Kyrgyzstan has put forward its candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council for 2023-2025 and its candidacy as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council for 2027-2028. “We urge all UN member states to support us in the elections,” said the Head of State. By stating that Kyrgyzstan stays on the way of democracy and strong civil society, Mr. Zhaparov noted that general elections were awaited to the national parliament on the 28th of November and called for sending international observers to the elections.
Preservation of mountain ecosystems. […] “Over the past three decades Kyrgyzstan has been active advocate of the interests of mountain states that are landlocked in order to tackle the challenges of the sustainable development and climate change. On our initiative, 2002 was declared The International Year of Mountains and that year in Bishkek there was a first Global Mountains Summit, and in 2018 there was the 4th World Mountains Summit. During the Session of UN General Assembly, as a member of the Group of the friends of mountain countries, we are hoping that 2022 will be declared the International Year of Mountains, this would to confirm the five-year plan for sustainable development in mountain regions up to 2027 and then to create a Global Summit “Bishkek+25.” […]
Fight against climate change. […] “In the past few years, the people and nature in our country have significantly felt the negative impact of climate change. The position and views of our country will be put forward clearly in the forthcoming COP 26 in Glasgow. And I would take an opportunity of this important rostrum to make a few remarks nonetheless. For mountainous Kyrgyzstan one of the priority urgent areas is climate change adaptation. We pay particular attention to the protecting the areas of our mountain forests. Along with playing a natural function of absorbing carbon, they also play a very important role of preserving water resources. In this context, we are in favor of developing and adopting under aegis of the UN a special target program on mountainous forests to protect, reclaim and afforest mountain slopes. As I previously mentioned, age-old glaciers, rivers and mountain biodiversity are under threat in Kyrgyzstan. This year in UNESCO we are initiating a resolution to protect mountain glaciers and, at the same time, to continue working with international partners to implement provisions of the resolution “Nature knows no borders” put forward by Kyrgyzstan and recently approved by the UNGA. Some significant achievements have already been made. For example, thanks to the work with different countries and international organizations, we have managed to protect such a precious animal as snow leopard. Furthermore, by 2050, Kyrgyzstan will try to achieve carbon neutrality. Kyrgyzstan’s economy is becoming “greener” and we are going to turn to carbon-free energy sources, and I think this involve, first of all, hydroelectricity. In order to ensure energy security, Kyrgyzstan intends to gradually implement a number of projects to build hydroelectric stations that are ecologically clean sources of energy. Access to modern, environmentally friendly and inexpensive energy resources in developing countries is extremely important in terms of achieving global development goals of the 2030 Agenda. We believe that implementation of hydroenergy projects in Kyrgyzstan will meet the needs of Central Asian countries for hydroelectricity and this will create good conditions for sustainable development of our region. I would invite investors for mutually beneficial cooperation in the hydroenergy sector, including on base of public-private partnership principle in the spirit of the Paris Agreement. In concluding this particular topic, Kyrgyzstan trusts that the support and assistance of the world community, the UN and international financing institutions will be paid to solving the problems of ecosystems of mountainous countries especially those that are landlocked. In this regard we trust that the issue of setting up a special global fund within the UN to support the mountainous countries in achieving the several development goals and adapting to climate change will be tackled.” […]
Address by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan
“As a result of climate change and unprecedented warming, more than 1,000 of 13,000 glaciers in Tajikistan's mountains have completely melted”
In his video address to participants of the 76th Session of the UNGA the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon urged that an inclusive Government of Afghanistan be formed and include ethnic Tajiks. He paid particular attention to the issue of climate change, underlining that more than thousand of 13,000 glaciers in the mountains of Tajikistan had already melt.
“The already volatile situation in the current world is further complicated by geopolitical and geo-economic competition and the growing level of threats and challenges, as well as the unprecedented spread of infectious diseases,” said the President.
Afghanistan. Speaking on Afghanistan, he underlined that recent developments in Afghanistan posed a serious threat to regional security and stability in the country, which shares almost 1,400 km of border with Afghanistan. “The rise to power of the Taliban, which is listed as a terrorist group by the United Nations Security Council, has further deteriorated the region's already complex geopolitical process”, added Mr. Rahmon. The President expressed regret at the Taliban's failure to deliver on its earlier promises to form an inclusive government. An extensive dialogue with the involvement of all segments of the Afghan society, including ethnic Tajiks, could only lead to the lasting peace and stability in that country. “In this regard, along with other ethnic groups of this country, the Tajiks of Afghanistan, who comprise more than 46% of the population of this country, have the right to take their deserved pie in the public affairs,” stressed the Head of Tajikistan. He condemned all forms of lawlessness, murder, looting and oppression against the people of Afghanistan and told about the humanitarian crisis in Panjshir Province by stating that the current situation was a humanitarian catastrophe there. By stating that Tajikistan will not interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, the President proposed to set the structure of the government in that country through a referendum, taking into account positions of all citizens in the country. “During more than 40 years of war and instability, which the Afghan people are not to blame for, Afghanistan has become the ground for geopolitical games; and the world is well aware of the consequences of the horrible events of September 2001,” said E. Rahmon. The President of Tajikistan expressed his concerns over the pandemic and its negative effects on economy and welcomed the UN Comprehensive Response to COVID-19 launched by the Secretary General.
Climate change. […] “Climate change challenges are also a serious obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in various countries, including Tajikistan. Tajikistan with 93 percent of its territory covered by mountains is concerned, along with other countries in the region, about changes in the hydrological cycle leading to severe floods and droughts and causing a negative impact on water, energy and food security. Unfortunately, our country loses hundreds of millions of dollars annually as a result of water-borne disasters, and in many cases, natural disasters cause human losses and destruct the vital infrastructure. We are today on the eve of the 26th session of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. We believe that this meeting will significantly contribute to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and accelerating the efforts of the international community in the fight against climate change. One of the serious consequences of this process is the melting of glaciers. As a result of climate change and unprecedented warming, more than 1,000 of 13,000 glaciers in Tajikistan's mountains have completely melted. According to available statistics, the Fedchenko Glacier alone has shrunk to 11 square kilometers in recent decades in Tajikistan and lost 2 cubic kilometers of ice. This all is happening despite the fact that up to 60% of Central Asia's water resources originate from Tajikistan's glaciers. Our country ranks 135th in the world in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and generates 96% of its electricity at hydropower plants. As the leader of such a country, I have made concrete proposals at international conferences on several occasions to find solutions to the problems associated with climate change. In this regard, as a member of the founding group of the World Water and Climate Coalition, I proposed at its first high-level meeting to declare 2025 as the International Year for Preservation of Glaciers. It is my firm belief that this initiative will help to attract more attention of the world community to the water and climate challenges and the melting of glaciers. Establishing the International Fund for Glacier Preservation under the auspices of the United Nations is another step that could provide a basis for comprehensive research and effective solutions to this global problem. Tajikistan contributes to the process of promoting water and climate issues in the Global Development Agenda and submits relevant UN resolutions on these issues. The International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028" initiated by Tajikistan and declared by the United Nations, is under implementation currently. The international community is looking forward to the United Nations Conference on the Comprehensive Mid-Term Review of this Decade, to be held in New York City in 2023. Because in almost 50 years, this will be the second Special Conference of the United Nations on Water, which will once again prove the key role of water in the global development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. We are proud that Tajikistan, together with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is elected as a co-chair of this important international forum. In this regard, we have already begun preparations with our partners, including the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, and are taking steps to organize a comprehensive and high-level conference. We would like to encourage all stakeholders to cooperate extensively in this process. Let me recall that in 2022, our country will host the International High-Level Conference on the Review of the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development". We believe that this forum will play an important role in the preparations for the 2023 Water Conference. Taking this opportunity, I reaffirm my country's readiness to advance water and climate issues at all levels, especially in cooperation with the United Nations”.
Address by the President of Turkmenistan
“We will continue to pay and draw the world community’s unflagging attention to issues on mitigating the consequences of an ecological catastrophe of the Aral Sea”
Recent years, the world has not become safer, and the global community needs to take measures to ensure more active international cooperation and enhance mutual trust. This was what the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov spoke about at the 76th Session of the UNGA.
Peace and neutrality. “The past period was marked by serious problems in terms of ensuring global peace and security, exacerbating local and regional conflicts. Under such circumstances, Turkmenistan, as a responsible member of the world community will continue to consistently assist in resolving international issues by only peaceful, political, and diplomatic means based on principles and norms of the UN Charter.” The President of Turkmenistan informed on the plans to summon an International conference “The policy of peace and trust as the foundation of international security, stability, and development” in December this year in Ashgabat, proposed to draft a General Assembly Resolution “Strengthening regional and international cooperation aimed at ensuring peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region”, and reiterated his proposal to create the zone of peace, trust, and cooperation in “Central Asia - Caspian region.”
Fight against the pandemic. Speaking about combatting COVID-19, the President of Turkmenistan underlined that the world community efforts in that direction were still insufficient and the pandemic had exposed serious systemic failures in the international response to such challenges. “… the World Health Organization is a major platform for multilateral dialogue to develop consolidated and mutually agreed responses to common challenges in the field of global healthcare,” stressed G. Berdimuhamedov in his statement. The President proposed to consider issues on instituting the following international and regional instruments during the 76th session: the World Health Organization Special Program for studying the genome of coronavirus; Multilateral mechanism of WHO to fight against pneumonia; Methodological center of WHO to treat and prevent acute infections; the Central Asian regional center for epidemiology, virology and bacteriology.
Situation in Afghanistan. Concerning the situation in Afghanistan, the President stressed that Turkmenistan was deeply interested in the political stability and security in Afghanistan, the well-being and unity of Afghan people. “At the same time, we are firm adherents of resolving contradictions by peaceful, political and diplomatic means. Turkmenistan, for its part, will provide comprehensive economic and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as before.”
Sustainable Development Goals. […] “During this session, Turkmenistan looks forward to continuing broad dialogue on achieving Sustainable Development Goals. In our view, effective collaboration and practical compatibility of the global, regional, and national instruments for SDG implementation have become a major priority today. We stand for the active promotion of adequate financing of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this regard, we think it necessary to organize another international conference on development financing very soon. We will continue to pay and draw the world community’s unflagging attention to issues on mitigating the consequences of an ecological catastrophe of the Aral Sea. Turkmenistan plans to achieve the goal of establishing a UN Special Program for the Aral Sea basin with its partners from the region during the upcoming session.” […]
Address by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
“We are determined to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement”
COVID-19, Afghanistan, and ecology were among the main topics addressed by the President of Uzbekistan during the general debate of the 76th UNGA Session. In his video-address, Shavkat Mirziyoyev shared the plans to make Uzbekistan one of the countries with the above-middle income by 2030.
Pandemic. The President of Uzbekistan qualified the COVID-19 as “a global disaster” and expressed his gratitude to foreign partners, who have provided the assistance in the framework of the COVAX global platform for equitable access to vaccines. Shavkat Mirziyoyev informed that Uzbekistan had developed the Code of Voluntary Commitments of States during Pandemic and distributed as an official document of the UN General Assembly.
New Uzbekistan Strategy. The President told on the developed New Uzbekistan Strategy, which was to “strengthen the role of civil society institutions, protect human rights, reduce poverty, provide each citizen with a guaranteed source of income and achieve sustainable environmental development.” Uzbekistan is to become one of the countries with above-middle income in terms of the per capita income by 2030.
Afghanistan. “Our main objective is to make Central Asia a place of prosperity and sustainable development, trust and friendship,” stated President Mirziyoyev, underlining that Afghanistan is an integral part of Central Asia. He informed that the Uzbek-Afghan border had been recently opened and the supply of basic-needs and oil products, as well as electricity had been resumed to this country. “During these challenging times, Afghanistan may not be isolated and left to face a range of its problems alone.”
Counter-terrorism and fight against drugs. Speaking on conflicts and terrorism, the Head of Uzbekistan reminded on the international conference to be held in November in Tashkent to present the results of the ten-year joint plan of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia. During the conference, Uzbekistan intends to sign a Regional Program for Central Asia for 2022-2025 with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and develop a joint action plan against drugs with the participation of this UN Office, covering the countries of Central and South Asia.
Ecology and clean energy. […] “Uzbekistan pays a special attention to combatting the climate change, protecting the environment and biodiversity. This is our noble human duty not only for today, but also before the future generations. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to all Member States for the adoption of a Special Resolution of the UN General Assembly declaring the Aral Sea Region a zone of environmental innovation and technology. We are determined to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. We are taking concrete steps to move towards the renewable energy sources. In particular, it is envisaged to double the energy efficiency of our economy by 2030, increase the share of renewable energy by 25% and develop environmentally clean transport. By 2025, it is scheduled to commission new solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 2,900 megawatts. In 2022, we intend to hold a High-Level International Forum in cooperation with the United Nations on «green energy» in the Aral Sea Region in the city of Nukus.
We support the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Program in the near future. In addition, in the future we stand ready to host one of the meetings of the parties to the Biodiversity Convention in our country. Along with this, we propose to hold the Sixth High-Level Assembly under the auspices of the United Nations in 2023 in Uzbekistan for in-depth discussions of the priorities of global environmental policy. The participants of the Assembly will have an opportunity to learn about the difficult situation in the Aral Sea Region, which is the center of an ecological disaster caused by the drying up of the Aral Sea, and draw necessary conclusions. In addition, we intend to put forward an initiative in the Assembly to develop a Global Environment Charter aimed to lay the foundations of a new environmental policy of the United Nations.” […]
Selected Resolutions on water, environment and development adopted by the 76th Session of the UNGA:
Protection of the atmosphere (A/RES/76/112); International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development, 2022 (A/RES/76/129); The human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation (A/RES/76/153); Agricultural technology for sustainable development (A/RES/76/200); Disaster risk reduction (A/RES/76/204); Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind (A/RES/76/205); Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (A/RES/76/206); Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its contribution to sustainable development (A/RES/76/207); Report of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme (A/RES/76/208); Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all (A/RES/76/210); Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development (A/RES/76/213).