Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, addresses the general debate of the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the UN (New York, 19 - 23 and 26 September 2023).

Here is the text of the speech of the head of state:

«Mr. Secretary General,
Mr. President,
Distinguished heads of delegations, Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate the High Representative of Trinidad and Tobago, distinguished Mr. Dennis Francis, on his election as President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

I wish you success and fruitful work in this important position. You can count on the support of Kyrgyzstan during your Presidency.

I express my gratitude to the President of the previous 77th session of the UN General Assembly, the representative of friendly Hungary, Dear Mr. Csaba Körösi for his active work and support for international initiatives of Kyrgyzstan.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today the world is at a turning point. We are all witnessing and seeing with our own eyes the negative changes in the world order, increasing geostrategic competition between major powers and their blocs.

Geopolitical tensions are leading to the fact that the world is moving towards fragmentation into regional and subregional financial and economic blocs and systems.

It is also obvious that the governments of various countries will be compelled (or forced) to make their economic, technological and geopolitical choices.

Among the shocks on a global scale that have not yet completely become a thing of the past, I would like to note the spread of coronavirus infection, which cost humanity millions of lives and economic losses exceeding $12 trillion.

We are experiencing the highest inflation rates and highest food prices the world has not seen in the last 60 years.

The risks of geo-economic fragmentation, according to the International Monetary Fund, could lead to a drop in global gross domestic product by 7%.

The decline in trust between different countries and groups of countries is alarming.

However, I am convinced that current global challenges and risks - from the climate crisis and the threat to food security to growing inequality - should, on the contrary, unite all the members of the international community.

It is vitally necessary to build a multilateral system that does not allow further fragmentation of the geopolitical landscape in the world.

Were international conditions easier 78 years ago, when the United Nations was just beginning its work after the bloodiest and most destructive war in human history, than it is today?

Were the contradictions between countries, especially political and ideological, less acute then than in our time?

What prevents member states from hearing one another and trying to overcome the differences and establish a dialogue?

Over the past years, despite the “Iron Curtain” and military- bloc thinking, the UN has been and remains the most legitimate and commonly recognized platform of diplomacy, uniting developed and developing, large and small countries.

Kyrgyzstan strongly supports the UN as the only universal intergovernmental international organization mandated by all Member States to find solutions to the challenges and threats that constantly arise before humanity.

I count on our Organization, under the leadership of Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres and with the effective support of Member States, to find mechanisms and ways to more effectively perform all its functions and assist Member States in solving pressing global issues and overcoming challenges.

This is especially crucial in supporting sustainable development through the implementation of the 2030 Agenda .

I call on all Member States to provide unconditional political support to the Organization and its Secretary-General at this challenging time.

I thank the UN Secretary-General for presenting the policy brief “ A New Agenda for Peace ” with his vision for the future of multilateral security cooperation. We agree with the main thesis that “ the driving force behind the new multilateralism must be diplomacy”.

We are ready for active involvement during the koint discussions on the “Pact for the Future during the Summit for the Future in 2024.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Speaking about Central Asia, I would like to note the following.

We, representatives of the Central Asian nations that are related and are proud of their millennia-old history and culture. We have a lot in common in traditions and customs. Much brings us together in terms of similarities in mentality, psychology, attitude and the view of the world.

On one hand the ongoing global processes have a direct impact on stability and security of our Central Asian region and strengthens its role and significance on the other.

Strengthening relations with the countries of the region is a natural top priority for our country.

I note with satisfaction that in recent years regional cooperation in Central Asia has been developing consistently and in all directions.

I see our region as a single geo-economic space in which all forms of economic cooperation and interaction are successfully formed.

I see our region as a geopolitical intermediary through which interaction and cooperation of members of the international community takes place.

I see our region as highly connected and dynamic community that shares and supports similar cultural, historical and traditional values and beliefs.

Kyrgyzstan intends to contribute to strengthening regional cooperation, find new effective formats of cooperation and at the same time actively interact with various global centers of influence in both bilateral and multilateral formats.

On the path to full regional integration, it is necessary to resolve issues related to the legal delineation of state borders.

Exactly a year ago, speaking from this very rostrum, with a pain in my heart I informed about the tragic events which happened in September of last year, the armed clashes on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, which resulted in numerous casualties.

Thanks to the restraint shown by our peace-loving people and the prevailing political will of both sides, we were able to prevent further escalation of the conflict and avert a full-scale bloodshed in the region.

In this regard, I would like to emphasize that Kyrgyzstan did and will advocate resolving controversial issues exclusively through peaceful diplomatic means based on the principles and norms of international law, such as territorial integrity and the non- use of force or the threat of its use.

We have never sought to take what belongs to others, but we will not allow anyone to take a single inch of our homeland. We always strive for dialogue and the search for mutually acceptable solutions based on trust and mutual respect.

Last December, after almost 30 years of negotiations, we signed an Agreement with Uzbekistan on the Legal Delineation of the State Border.

This historic decision, reached thanks to the demonstrated political will of the leaders of the two states, has opened the broadest prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation and peaceful coexistence of the two countries and peoples.

This historic decision, reached thanks to the demonstrated political will of the leaders of the two states, has opened the broadest prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation and peaceful coexistence of the two countries and peoples.

We maintain the same approach in our current negotiations.

We want to live in peace, harmony, and friendship with all our neighbors.

Speaking of security and stability in Central Asia, it is essential to consider them in the context of the situation in Afghanistan.

I consider it extremely important to remind the international community that the people of Afghanistan are experiencing significant difficulties, which are amplified by the lack of a coordinated global stance on the situation in this country.

It would not be an exaggeration on my part to say that Afghanistan is threatened by a humanitarian crisis with its inevitable consequences for the security of not only the surrounding regions, but also for the entire world community.

Kyrgyzstan is interested in a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. We call on the international community to continue providing humanitarian and economic assistance to the Afghan people.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Just yesterday concluded the SDG Summit, which once again reaffirmed the importance of unwavering commitment to sustainable development, identifying challenges in their implementation, and outlining specific commitments by states.

We are halfway to 2030, the deadline for reaching Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Kyrgyzstan, in its pursuit of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), currently ranks 45th out of 166 UN Member States.

We aim to be among the top 30 countries in reaching SDGs by 2030.

The international community must breathe new life into these goals and strengthen solidarity in their attainment.

It's important that we don't get lost in numbers, schedules, diagrams, and other 'economic intricacies,' because the essence and core of the 17 Goals are about people themselves.

The year 2030 is approaching quickly, and we must ask ourselves: Have we addressed the pressing needs and aspirations of a human being? Are we ensuring his safety, prosperity, and well- being? Is he happy? What does his future hold?

Problems such as extreme poverty and climate change can only be solved by finding a global, collective response.

As the distinguished UN Secretary-General rightly noted in his Financing for Sustainable Development Report, without the means to invest in sustainable development and transform energy and food systems, developing countries are falling behind in achieving the SDGs.

The current reality is that developing countries face a dual challenge - the need to invest in development and at the same time adapt to climate change.

In this regard, we call for urgent action to implement the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development. Specifically, for the swift establishment of the Fund aimed at providing compensation to countries for losses and damages related to climate change, alleviating the burden of external debt, and improving the international architecture for debt resolution.

Ladies and gentlemen,

At previous climate change summits and conferences, ambitious statements and promises were made.

It is also clear that the level of annual funding announced in 2015 under the Paris Agreement is no longer sufficient today.

We consider it necessary to revise and significantly increase the level of funding that meets the real needs of countries vulnerable to climate change.

Another problem is that most climate finance is provided to low and middle-income countries in the form of loans. There is also no difference in the procedures for allocating loans for projects worth one million or one billion dollars.

This undermines the very essence and purpose of climate agreements.

I have already addressed our partners with a request to exchange external debt for environmental projects. Unfortunately, we received no reaction from many of the developed countries. Government of Germany was the only country that wrote off 15 million euros of debt.

And taking this opportunity we express our gratitude to Germany.

We call on donors to reconsider their approaches to providing climate finance to countries in need on a grant basis.

We support the Bridgetown Initiative proposed at the last climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, as well as the calls made at the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact in Paris in June this year to mobilize the necessary financing and structural reform of the international financial architecture.

If we don't start doing this now, then injustice in the world will grow. Rich countries will continue getting richer, and poor countries will continue getting poorer.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In light of global climate change, mountainous regions have been particularly vulnerable. In Kyrgyzstan, mountains occupy about 94% of the territory.

Mountain glaciers are an integral part of the Earth’s cryosphere, influencing not only the climate of our planet but also providing a habitat for flora and fauna and supplying water to people.

Climate change in Central Asia has led to intensive melting of glaciers. If earlier it was predicted that by 2050 the area of glaciers in Kyrgyzstan would be reduced by half, and by 2100 they could disappear altogether, now there is reason to believe that this will happen much faster.

This leads to aggravation of problems throughout the region: such as lack of water for drinking and agriculture, land degradation, and a threat to food security.

In accordance with the latest assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the adverse effects of cryospheric changes are particularly acute for the residents of high mountain regions, where ecosystems have reached the limits of adaptation.

In order to effectively preserve mountain ecosystems and glaciers, based on the resolutions previously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on sustainable mountain development, our country, in collaboration with the Global Mountain Partnership and other representatives of the UN system, has developed a Global Action Plan.

We are grateful to all our partners, countries, and international organizations for their joint work.

Kyrgyzstan advocates for the creation of a broad coalition of mountainous countries.

We believe that climate adaptation and the transition to a 'green' economy will be among the main priorities of this future coalition.

As you may know, in 2022, at the initiative of our country and the Italian Republic, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution on 'Sustainable Mountain Development' co-sponsored by 110 Member States.

This document declared the years from 2023–2027 as Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all UN Member States for supporting our initiative.

To further implement the UN resolution, I have signed a decree 'On Declaring the Period from 2023 to 2027 as the Five- Year Period of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions in the Kyrgyz Republic' and a national 'Roadmap' for the implementation of the 'Five-Year Period of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions for 2023-2027' has been developed, which will be adopted shortly.

The 'Roadmap' includes measures at the global, regional, and national levels, including within the framework of existing and prospective projects and measures related to the Sustainable Development Goals.

As the concluding stage of the “Five-Year Action”, we plan to host the Second Global Mountain Summit “Bishkek+25”, in Kyrgyzstan in 2027, 25 years after the First Summit. I would like to invite everyone from this distinguished rostrum to actively participate and make concrete commitments to preserve mountain ecosystems.

We express our gratitude to our partners from the Group of Friends of Mountainous Countries, the Global Mountain Partnership, and the entire UN system for their comprehensive support of Kyrgyzstan's initiatives. We express our readiness to continue fruitful cooperation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

To successfully solving the challenges and threats facing us, we need to build an effective international security system.

A key element of this mechanism is the United Nations Security Council. Today, more than ever, it is crucial to enhance its effectiveness in order to make this body fairer and more representative, and to increase its capacity to achieve consensus in decision-making.

Progress is needed in negotiations on the reform of the UN’s Security Council.

Kyrgyzstan expresses its readiness to make its contribution to the cause of peace and security through effective peacemaking, respect for human rights, and the equal participation of women in peace processes. We also aim to promote and protect the interests of developing, small, least developed, and small island nations.

We have put forward our candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for the 2027-2028 term and count on the support of respected Member States.

It is essential for all of us to adhere to principles such as trust, solidarity, and universality in international relations. Only together can we restore global and regional security architecture.

Mr. President, Dear friends,

Speaking about the challenges and issues of today, I would like to quote the words of our outstanding compatriot, Jusup Balasagyn (who lived through 1020-1075), and gave guidance more than twelve hundred years ago saying, “This is our world, grasp its essence, to unlock the gates of truth'.

Nothing has changed under the Moon. It is necessary to perceive the world as it is, in all its diversity and complexity.

We, the Member States of the UN, must transform our Organization into the center of global efforts to prevent conflicts, reach compromises, and do everything possible to establish peace and harmony. 'The one who walks the path will overcome it', as the proverb of our people says.

Thank you for your attention».