Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassymzhomart Tokaev during the general debate at the sixtieth session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, 18 September 2005

Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We can safely claim that the United Nations Summit that has just been concluded, will have far-reaching implications for our Organization. Its outcome has laid the ground for the most radical reforms in the entire history of the United Nation. Effective response by the family of nations to global challenges and threats is the ultimate goal of these reforms. Kazakhstan expresses confidence that the United Nations - as a universal organization that has no alternative – is in a position to achieve that goal.

Mr. President,

As a matter of principle, Kazakhstan supports closer interdependence between the three main pillars of the contemporary world – development, freedom and peace. Yet the issues of development should continue to be in the focus of attention of the world community. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can be achieved only through active engagement of the entire international community on the basis of partnership and cooperation.

Kazakhstan is committed to its undertakings with regard to timely and effective attainment of the MDGs. Recently published United Nations Millennium Development Goals Report in Kazakhstan reveals that, as a result of successful reforms, my country is close to reaching important targets in that area.

Today, Kazakhstan is confidently leading other post-Soviet states in all macroeconomic indicators. The government of Kazakhstan is implementing a large-scale programme to ensure further development in the social field. Human development is in the focus of all these efforts.

Kazakhstan is reaching a new level in the area of sustainable development. The national government is paying priority attention to poverty, women employment, financial aid from the state to poor families, the development of small and medium-sized businesses and large-scale educational, health and environmental programmes.

We commend the United Nations and its specialized agencies for their efforts to assist our country in addressing the effects of environmental disasters in the area of the Aral Sea and in the Semipalatinsk region. The problems facing these regions are global in their scope as the environmental situation there has negative effects on habitat and livelihood of people all over the world. We urge the international community to be involved actively; in particular we ask it to support a draft resolution of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly on the problems of the Semipalatinsk region, sponsored by Kazakhstan.

International trade is an important factor of development. Accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a priority task for Kazakhstan. We consider further liberalization of trade and WTO membership as a key element of the general development strategy of the country.

In 2003, Kazakhstan hosted the International Ministerial Conference on Transit Transport Cooperation. Attaching great importance to that forum, we believe that the special needs of landlocked developing countries should be fully taken into account in accordance with the decisions and recommendations emanating from the Almaty Programme of Action.

The integration of Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states into the world economy is of exceptional importance, both for the social and economic development of our region and for the world economy in general.  Our country is committed to comprehensive cooperation with the states of Central Asia. This is our consistent policy, unswayed by political exigencies.

Mr. President,

Since the early years of its independence, Kazakhstan has been pursuing a principled policy of demilitarization and nuclear disarmament. We call for the universalization of international instruments in that area. This year, we marked the 10th anniversary of the removal from the territory of Kazakhstan of all nuclear devices left over from the former Soviet Union. Kazakhstan has set a commendable example by voluntarily eliminating its nuclear arsenal, the fourth largest in the world, and shutting down the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing ground, the site of nearly 500 nuclear explosions.

The global security system is serious crisis today. The 2005 NPT Review Conference has failed to set up a balanced and comprehensive mechanism that would facilitate the strengthening of the international non-proliferation regime and complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Even more disturbing is the lack of clear recommendations on non-proliferation and disarmament in the outcome document of the Summit.

We believe that it is necessary to put in place a mechanism of international sanctions against states that violate both the NPT Treaty and the non-proliferation regime in general. Otherwise, we will not be able to prevent the continued spread of nuclear weapons around the world.

Our country calls for the establishment and enhancement of controls over nuclear, chemical and biological materials and their production technologies in order to prevent terrorists from getting hold of deadly weapons. Kazakhstan recognizes the special role of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The country’s entire nuclear activity is being carried out in accordance with its standards and under its control. It is time to establish similar effective bodies within the framework of the international conventions on chemical and biological weapons.

The international community should not relax efforts to combat illegal trafficking in conventional arms. According to the United Nations, some 500 million small arms and light weapons are in circulation all over the world. We share the view of the Secretary-General, who compared small arms with weapons of mass destruction since year after year they kill hundreds of thousands of people all over the world, thus fostering the culture of violence and terror and trampling human rights.

Mr. President,
 
Kazakhstan categorically condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and considers it to be the most dangerous threat in today’s world.

We are convinced that economic and social underdevelopment, poverty and misery breed international terrorism. That is why speedy economic advancement of poor countries is a priority task. Yet the ideology of terrorism is a factor of no lesser importance. It is extremely dangerous that young people are increasingly being sucked into the ideological orbit of international terrorism.

Fighting terrorism is a mission of paramount importance. For that reason, close attention should be paid to the efforts to prevent recruitment for terrorist operations.

In this context, the international community must take urgent and practical steps to curb continuous drug trafficking across Central Asia. We can not but be seriously concerned by the situation in Afghanistan. Kazakhstan appreciates cooperation with the UN Office on drugs and crime.
Enhanced regional cooperation in the struggle against international terrorism is also important. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization sets a positive example in this regard.

Kazakhstan believes that international cooperation in fighting terrorism should be pursued in strict compliance with norms of international law. We support further universalization and enhancement of anti-terrorist treaty mechanisms. The signing by Kazakhstan of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism is a practical reaffirmation of that position. We are looking forward to an early completion of a comprehensive convention against international terrorism.

At the same time, joint practical actions to curb that evil represent a key element of counter-terrorism activities by the international community.

Mr. President,

International peacekeeping operations, conducted under the umbrella of the United Nations, remain an effective tool to prevent and settle crises and to ensure global and regional stability.

The lack of an effective and comprehensive mechanism to address the root causes of destructive conflicts is a serious problem of peacekeeping. Preventive action and post-conflict peacebuilding constitute important elements of a comprehensive response by the United Nations to emerging crisis situations.

For Kazakhstan, a proposed Peacebuilding Commission is a step in the right direction. As its main mission, it should strive to avert the recurrence of situations when the lack of a peacebuilding strategy results in the escalation of internal conflicts and, ultimately, in states further losing their capacity to perform, in an effective and responsible way, their sovereign functions.

Our country is actively working on issues related to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA). We treat it as an important and useful forum for the exchange of views on security issues in the Asian region. It is encouraging to see that the CICA process is gaining momentum and has already become an important factor of today’s international relations.

Mr. President,

Kazakhstan believes that the rule of law should play a leading role in international affairs today. Ignoring this principle is one of the main threats to peace and security.

Continuing its consistent efforts to accede to international treaties concluded within the framework of the United Nations and to implement their provisions Kazakhstan intends to ensure strict compliance with the rule of law both at the national and international level.

We closely link our country’s development to building a democratic society based on respect for rights and freedoms of every individual. Kazakhstan supports the strengthening of democratic institutions and human rights mechanisms of the United Nations designed to promote rights and freedoms of citizens and ensure compliance with the principles of non-interference and sovereign equality of states.

Mr. President,

Kazakhstan supports efforts to carry out a comprehensive reform of the United Nations encompassing all its principle organs.

We strongly believe that priority attention should be paid to the General Assembly as the main deliberative, decision-making and representative body of our Organization.

Such a sensitive issue as the reform of the Security Council should be resolved on the basis of a broad international agreement. We are convinced that the enlargement of the Security Council in accordance with the principle of equitable geographical representation and taking into account the contribution of states concerned toward the development of world economy and global security serves the interests of many states and will facilitate a comprehensive reform of the United Nation. 

The United Nations needs to improve collaboration with regional organizations that make an important contribution to the collective security system. Kazakhstan has repeatedly proposed to create a standing body, under the Secretary-General, which would assume coordination of cooperation between regional arrangements. In this context, we welcome the establishment of a Standing Committee on Regional Organizations.

 We in Kazakhstan are convinced that in the 21st century consolidation of peace and security is increasingly dependent on the development of a dialogue and interaction between peoples of different faiths, cultures and civilizations. An inter-faith dialogue is an integral part of the efforts to promote the culture of peace and a dialogue between civilizations and to advance common values reflected in the Millennium Declaration.

 In this context, Kazakhstan is grateful to the international community for its support of our country’s actions to promote an inter-faith dialogue. The United Nations has recognized Kazakhstan’s positive role in this area by adopting a relevant General Assembly resolution.

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Mr. President,

As demonstrated by the past 60 years, the United Nations was, still is and - I am sure – will continue to be a link between our countries and peoples. The United Nations will not allow our planet to slide into chaos and unrest. It is within our power to strengthen this link. Kazakhstan expresses confidence that the agreements reflected in the outcome document of the historic Summit will serve the cause of bringing the nations together in the face of existing challenges and threats, ensure security, welfare and dignity of our peoples and strengthen the Organization itself for the sake of its noble goals.

I thank you, Mr. President.

Date of issue: 2005-09-19