STATEMENT by
Kassymzhomart Tokaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
Kazakhstan at the Interactive round-table I session for the High-Level
Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations, New
York, September 14, 2005
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This High-Level Plenary Meeting offers a unique opportunity to
reaffirm our commitments and significantly advance the Millennium
Development Goals and other development objectives. Achievement of the
MDGs should become a central element of the efforts by the
international community to put an end to poverty, conflicts,
instability and terrorism. Economic and social development as well as
international cooperation must become a key element of preventive
approach to collective security.
Kazakhstan actively contributes to the implementation of the MDGs.
National Development priorities embodied in the National Strategy Plan
up to 2010, long-term vision of Kazakhstan up to 2030 and field
development programmes. Extensive economic and social reforms have
already brought tangible results. Our economy enjoys sustainable growth
by 8-9 percent. We pursue innovation programmes to avoid reliance on
mineral resources. Kazakhstan is widely recognized as a market economy,
which itself is a great result for a post-Soviet country.
As indicated by the President of Kazakhstan in his last state of the
nation Address, I quote: “Our agenda today is a new milestone in the
economic and political development of the country, its further
modernization and democratization. Kazakhstan should join the rank of
efficiently developing economies while ensuring a high standards of
living for our population”, end of quote.
The 2005 Report of Kazakhstan on MDGs, prepared by my Government and
UN Country Team, which is available in this room, indicates that our
country has already achieved a number of goals including on universal
education and eradication of poverty, as well as on gender promotion.
Our principle policy is to build a solid economy basis for
comprehensive political reforms to promote civil society institutions.
Mr.Chairman,
The International economic environment for developing countries
remains propitious as the international trade continues to grow
robustly, the costs of external financing are at historical lows and
capital inflows are increasing. Nevertheless, for the poorest countries
with limited access to the international trade, external market
conditions alone do not provide sufficient impetus for them to achieve
the MDGs.
Therefore the donor countries have to make, maintain or accelerate
their commitment to reach MDGs and other long-standing targets.
Developed partners should make concrete efforts towards compliance with
their commitment of providing 0.7 percent of Gross National Product as
official development assistance to the developing countries.
We also call to expedite the implementation of international
development commitments of recent years such as Johannesburg
Declaration, Almaty Programme of Action, Monterrey and Sao Paolo
Consensus’. We hope that the development - oriented programme of
multilateral trade negotiations agreed at Doha is completed in an
equitable and timely fashion. Briefly speaking, aid is very important,
but creation of fair trade conditions is much more essential.
Mr. Chairman,
Taking into account the fact that sustainable development is an
important component of the development process, my Government developed
a Concept on Environmental Security for ten years of ahead and National
Plan of Action on Environment Protection. Main priority of these
documents is to apply principles of sustainable development into
economy, legislation and governance.
However in spite of all our efforts situation in Aral sea and Former
Nuclear Test-site in Semipalatinsk continues to be extremely serious.
We call on the international community, particularly international
agencies to continue providing assistance to these regions contaminated
by nuclear tests or as a result of natural disasters.
Mr. Chairman,
In conclusion I would like to indicate the MDGs can be met,
especially through expanded activities at the national and
international levels on the basis of balanced responsibility provided
that there will be the political will of all countries concerned.
Thank you for attention.
Date of issue: 2005-09-15
