A few weeks later, the regular 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly will begin its work in New York. According to the tradition that has been established for a number of years, on the eve of this important event of international life, Turkmenistan promulgates Priority positions that our country will hold and defend during the upcoming political season. Such openness, readiness to jointly solve urgent problems of modern world development, which have become a distinctive feature of Turkmen diplomacy, is highly valued in international circles, testifies to the ever growing authority of our neutral state as a responsible member of the Community of Nations.
The key direction of Turkmenistan's activities during the 72nd session of the General Assembly will be the relentless and consistent advocacy of universal peace, security and stability. In this work, our country will rely on a broad and multi-format cooperation with the United Nations Organization, which has been and remains the strategic vector of Turkmenistan's international activities.
Active cooperation with partners in countering terrorism will continue. In particular, welcoming the establishment of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office and stands ready to cooperate with it with a view to further implementing the Ashgabat Declaration adopted at the outcome of the High-level Central Asia-United Nations Dialogue on the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-terrorism strategy in Central Asia which was held on 13 June, 2017 in Turkmenistan with the UN Secretary General as its Chairman.
Turkmenistan assigns the important role to the preventive diplomacy in the prevention of conflict situations, the elimination of the causes of their generators, the creation of an atmosphere of trust between the countries, the formation of positive conditions for the effective interaction of states in the political-diplomatic, economic, social, environmental and other spheres. In this context, the importance of the activities of the United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia is considerably increasing in the implementation of the above tasks in the Central Asian region, and our country offers in the framework of the 72th session of the General Assembly to consider the possibility of elaborating and adopting a resolution in support of the mechanisms of preventive diplomacy in the solution of urgent problems, that are aimed at ensuring security and peace.
Also, taking into account the realities of the modern world, the development of which is accompanied by breakthrough achievements in the information and technological sphere, Turkmenistan considers it expedient to approach the matter of ensuring global cyber security in a meaningful way and to invite the world community to intensify work on this issue during the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.
The priority vector of Turkmenistan's activities in the international arena will be the further strengthening of partnership in the interest of sustainable development (SDG). Starting from October 2015, in conjunction with the UN, the complex and effective work in this direction, having created the National mechanism for the implementation of the SDG, Turkmenistan considers it appropriate in the framework of the 72nd Session to use the possibilities of the forthcoming in 2018 High-Level Political Forum "Conversion on the way to the sustainable and resilient society ".
Noting the importance of sport as an important factor in ensuring sustainable development, our country reaffirms its firm commitment to strengthening international sports cooperation aimed at implementing the principles of development and peace, empowering people, addressing health, education, social integration and other issues.
To this end, and based on the Final Declaration of the International Sports Congress "Asian Games 2017: International Sport Cooperation for Peace and Development", published as an official document of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan reiterates its proposal to host the 7th International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport under the auspices of UNESCO.
As is known, following the principled provisions of the UN General Assembly Resolution of September 25, 2015, "Transforming Our World: An Agenda for Sustainable Development to 2030" and recognizing the increasing contribution of sport to the empowerment of individuals and communities, Turkmenistan has advocated the participation of an Olympic team of refugees in the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games that will be held in Ashgabat from 17 to 27 September 2017.
In this context, our country proposes that the 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council to be held in September 2017 at Geneva should adopt a document on encouraging the valuable contribution of the Olympic refugee team to the strengthening of peace and security.
A special place in the activities of Turkmen diplomacy during the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly will be given to the development of cooperation in the transport sector. Our country will continue to actively promote the implementation of the decisions taken by the international community aimed at creating new and enhancing the functioning of existing international transport and transit corridors.
As is known, in November 2016, the first UN Global Conference on Sustainable Transport was held in Ashgabat, which resulted in the adoption of the Ashgabat Declaration, which defines the main parameters of international cooperation in this area, based on the principles of ensuring the stability and reliability of the international transport and transit infrastructure. Referring to the Ashgabat Declaration and with a view to effectively accomplishing the tasks of the Agenda until 2030, Turkmenistan proposes to consider at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly the possibility of elaboration of the General Assembly resolution "Development of ties between all types of transport for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals". Also, our country proposes to consider the possibility of proclaiming the Year of Sustainable Transport in the near future.
As in previous years, one of the main directions of Turkmenistan's foreign policy strategy is cooperation in the energy sector, ensuring sustainable and equitable access to energy resources.
Turkmenistan will strictly and unswervingly implement the provisions of the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly aimed at ensuring a reliable and stable energy supply, and, to this end, reaffirms its readiness to develop close cooperation with all interested states and international organizations.
In 2017, Turkmenistan performs the functions of the state-chairman of the International Energy Charter Conference. In accordance with the concept of its chairmanship, our country during the current year is implementing a number of comprehensive measures designed to intensify the process of developing a new international legal mechanism in the field of sustainable energy. In this context, Turkmenistan confirms its support for the work of the international expert group on the preparation of multilateral documents in the field of energy security and the creation of a stable international energy system.
At the same time, Turkmenistan will actively participate in the process of creating the organizational, legal, economic and other technical conditions necessary for the diversification of energy sources and energy supply routes.
One of the priorities of the international community in the field of sustainable energy is the strengthening of interaction between countries and international structures in energy efficiency and energy conservation. In this regard, within the framework of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, our country considers it expedient to consider the beginning of a process to summarize the conclusions and recommendations of international meetings and conferences on energy issues held under the auspices of the United Nations with a view to their future concentrated presentation in a multilateral United Nations document on sustainable energy.
Traditionally recognized feature of the foreign policy of Turkmenistan is active and proactive promotion of international cooperation in the field of ecology. Our country will actively participate in the forthcoming session of the General Assembly in international efforts to address the most important issues of environmental protection, water resources management, prevention and mitigation of natural and man-caused disasters.
Taking into account Turkmenistan's chairmanship in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), our country proposes to hold in Turkmenistan in 2018 a Summit of the Heads of Founding States of IFAS with the participation of specialized international structures such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. Also, Turkmenistan proposes to consider the issue of establishing an international expert group, which, in cooperation with the UN, could start preparing a special Aral Environmental Program.
Being a firm supporter of building up international efforts in resolving the most acute humanitarian problems, Turkmenistan reaffirms its readiness for active cooperation with the UN and its specialized structures in implementing practical actions to implement the fundamental UN human rights conventions, as well as compliance with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
Within the framework of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, our country will concentrate its efforts on interaction with the specialized structures of the United Nations on the implementation of national and regional programs and action plans for the protection of human rights and freedoms, adopted on the basis of international legal instruments of the United Nations.
A special place in this activity will be allocated to partnership with United Nations agencies for the implementation of the National Plan of Action for Human Rights in Turkmenistan for 2016-2020.
Turkmenistan's priority positions are another convincing evidence of the responsibility, openness and determination of our country, together with the international community, to do everything necessary to strengthen peace, stability and equitable security on the planet, affirm the humanistic principles and ideals of the United Nations, and pursue the goals of sustainable development. By the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan approached, having in its arsenal practical tools and ideological foundations for the forthcoming work, its own creative and proactive agenda, clear guidelines and clear goals and objectives formulated by the Head of State.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
