The countries of Central Asia delivered a joint statement at the UN Security Council during an open debate Peacebuilding and sustaining peace "Investment in people to enhance resilience against complex challenges"

On January 26 of this year, an Open Debate on Peacebuilding and Peacekeeping was held in the UN Security Council Hall on the theme "Investing in human potential to increase resilience to complex challenges."

The debate, initiated by Japan (UN Security Council Chair in January 2023), was attended by more than 70 member countries, as well as heads of UN agencies.

Turkmenistan spoke during the open debate on behalf of the countries of Central Asia.

During their speeches, the heads of delegations paid special attention to the following aspects of cooperation in the field of peacebuilding, financing of multilateral activities to strengthen peace and security:

The need to build up preventive activities and, as a result, strengthen UN special political missions with a mandate to carry out preventive diplomacy;
Ways to implement the first resolution of the UN General Assembly on financing for peacebuilding, which was adopted on September 8, 2022. In this regard, the need for systematic work of the entire UN system was emphasized for the effective use of the available volume of financial resources allocated for the implementation of the peacebuilding agenda;
Increasing efforts to implement the UN Security Council resolutions "Women, Peace and Security" and "Youth, Peace and Security". In this context, it was noted the need to strengthen cooperation to involve women and youth in preventive peacekeeping activities, to establish their systemic dialogue with national governments;
Support for activities at the regional and global level for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is inextricably linked with the preservation and strengthening of political stability in turbulent regions of the world. In this regard, it was noted that it would be expedient to consider the issue of financing peacebuilding activities in conjunction with increased investment in the socio-economic development of individual countries and regions;
The need to increase the level of coordination of joint activities between the UN Security Council and the UN Peacebuilding Commission. It was noted that such work is currently underway and is yielding tangible results in the form of developing joint recommendations, reports and resolutions on related topics.
In addition, the participants in the debate noted the effectiveness of holding such events within the framework of the Security Council, involving all UN member states and relevant international structures in the exchange of views.

Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the UN A. Atayeva, speaking on behalf of the countries of Central Asia (the text of the speech is attached), drew the attention of the members of the UN Security Council and all participants of the event to the initiatives of the states of the region aimed at strengthening peace and security both in the regional and global levels.

In particular, the special significance of the creation in Central Asia on the initiative of Turkmenistan and on the basis of the resolution of the UN General Assembly of the Zone of Peace, Trust and Cooperation was emphasized.

It was also noted that five countries of the region established a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia 17 years ago, which was an important step in strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Attention was also drawn to the resolutions of the UN General Assembly declaring 2021 the International Year of Peace and Trust and 2023 the International Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace.

In her speech, A. Atayeva emphasized the active work of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), which was established 15 years ago in Turkmenistan, as well as the creation in the region with the assistance of the Regional Center for the Dialogue of Women in Central Asia and the Academy of Preventive Diplomacy to youth.