Page 41 - DIVA_1_2021

International

specifically, its Geneva-based agencies, on
the life of people in your country since its
independence?
Turkmenistan joined the United Nations on
2 March 1992 as a new independent State.
Since then, the United Nations has been
supporting Turkmenistan to achieve its
national priorities, which are aligned with
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). achieve sustainable development through cross-border cooperation,
The United Nations Resident Coordinator especially at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic?
in Turkmenistan leads the United Nations The SPECA aims to enhance sub-regional cooperation and
Country Team (UNCT) and ensures that the facilitate integration into the global economy. Recently, the SPECA
United Nations agencies support the national participating countries – Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan,
development priorities in five strategic areas: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – gathered
quality data and progress monitoring; quality virtually under the chairmanship of Kyrgyzstan to attend the
and inclusive social services; environmental 2020 SPECA Economic Forum “Regional Cooperation to Support
sustainability and energy efficiency; Socioeconomic Recovery in the Wake of COVID-19”. The event took
employment, economic diversification, place on-line 18-19 November 2020, co-organized by the ESCAP
and trade; governance and rule of law. The and the ECE. Partners from various international organizations,
various United Nations agencies active in including the United Nations and its bodies, the Organization for
Turkmenistan coordinate their work through Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Shanghai
a joint work plan. Cooperation Organization (SCO) and representatives of large
financial institutions took part in the Forum.
On 24 October 2020, the United Nations
marked its seventy-fifth anniversary under the In November 2019, Turkmenistan successfully hosted the SPECA
global theme “The future we want, the United Days as the SPECA Chair country in that year, which served as
Nations we need: reaffirming our collective a clear illustration of my country’s active participation in tackling
commitment to multilateralism – confronting key regional and global issues and establishing new forms of
COVID-19 through effective multilateral international cooperation in line with the present conditions and
action”. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, global trends.
Turkmenistan joined in the celebrations of this
important anniversary of the United Nations, Today, my country is actively involved in a number of programs,
which coincided with Turkmenistan’s twenty- launched in different spheres by the international community to
fifth anniversary of its permanent neutrality. successfully implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

The United Nations agencies working in and Ensuring reliable transport connections and building effective
with Turkmenistan have come together for transit corridors, including in the SPECA region, are one of the
joint efforts to respond to the global pandemic, prospective areas of common interest and cooperation for the
mitigate its consequences, and build back SPECA participating countries.
better for the people of Turkmenistan.
As noted above, the SPECA participating countries are interested
Turkmenistan actively participates in the work in maintaining and developing trade and economic relations in the
of the ECE and in the United Nations Special region, and with their main trade partners in the post-pandemic
Programme for the Economies of Central Asia period. Special emphasis is placed on the need to simplify cross-
(SPECA). It chaired the programme in 2019. border trade and to adopt effective measures aimed at ensuring
The ECE will be coordinating the support for convenient and safe transit traffic and, consequently, sustainable
the SPECA in 2021, working with the United value chains.
Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Building the digital economy plays an important role in
Nations Resident Coordinators in SPECA implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
countries. How do you see the role of the and the SDGs which should remain the focus of social and
SPECA programme in providing a platform to economic recovery efforts in the post-pandemic period. •

w w w. d i va i n t e r n at i o n a l . c h