Turkmenistan has been elected as a member of two other UN structures that make up the Organization's Economic and Social Council: The Commission for social development for 2021-2025 and the Commission on science and technology for development for 2021-2024, the state news Agency Turkmenistan reports.
In 2018, Turkmenistan was elected as a member of the UN Economic and Social Council for 2019-2021. Last year, the country joined the Executive Board of the world food program (for the period 2020-2022), the Commission on population and development (2020-2024) and the Commission on narcotic drugs (2020-2023).
The United Nations economic and Social Council is the Central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and making recommendations to States in this regard. Its special commissions function in various areas of the Council's activities. Turkmenistan has already been elected as a member of the Commission on science and technology for development for the period from 2014 to 2016, and was a member of the Commission for social development for the period 2014-2017.
With the new election to their ranks, our country intends to make more active use of the potential of this unique platform for developing innovative thinking and reaching consensus on topical humanitarian issues.
Focusing on the integration of economic and social goals, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov implements a consistent policy linking these aspects. These are the development of an equal and inclusive society, support for small and medium-sized businesses as the main driver of the economy, incentives for innovation, research and technological development, digitalization of the leading sectors of the national economy, education, and many other issues.
The next election to the ECOSOC Commission gives an additional impetus to the traditional Turkmenistan-UN cooperation, the strategic nature of which was emphasized in the telephone conversation between the head of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on April 22, as well as during his visit to Ashgabat three years ago.
During the negotiations, such priority areas of interaction as sustainable transport, energy security, the fight against terrorism, disarmament issues, the achievement of sustainable development Goals, etc. were highlighted.
Turkmenistan cooperates with the UN in the field of security, sustainable development, energy, transport, environmental issues, and the development and establishment of democratic institutions. Representatives of a number of specialized organizations and agencies of the United Nations – the United Nations Development Program, the International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the world health organization, the population Fund and others-work in our country on a permanent basis.
Major joint programs and projects are being implemented to help solve important economic and social problems. In this context, the Turkmen leader notes that our country is ready to continue the closest cooperation with the United Nations.
By its Resolution declaring June 3 as world Bicycle day, the UN welcomed and supported the tremendous work that is being done in Turkmenistan in the social sphere, including the development of sports and physical culture, the formation of an ecological culture of society, and cooperation in this area.
As President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasizes, our country will continue to honor its responsible mission in the Community of Nations, fully contributing to the activation of constructive international cooperation, directing its peacekeeping and creative potential to achieve the goals of sustainable development proclaimed by the UN.
