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Uzbekistan and United Nations
Cooperation of Uzbekistan in the framework of the United Nations Organisation
The Republic of Uzbekistan became a member of the United Nations Organisation on March 2, 1992 at the 46th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. For the last eleven years close contacts are established with all main structures of the Organisation.
Under the aegis of the United Nations the following major events were held in Tashkent: Conference "Central Asia - nuclear weapon free zone", Conference of "6+2" Group, Conference on "Strengthening the security and stability in Central Asia, integrated approach in struggle against drug-trafficking, organised crime, terrorism and othersФ.
Uzbekistan intensively cooperates within the framework of the UN General Assembly agenda, and with the various specialised institutions of the UN system. The Republic has most productive cooperation with the following institutions: the UNDP, UNODC, OPCW, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and others.
In the framework of the United Nations Uzbekistan put forward the major initiatives in the field of ensuring international peace and security:
creation of Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia;
introduction of embargo on deliveries of the weapon to Afghanistan;
creation of Group "6+2" on settlement of situation in Afghanistan;
creation of the International Centre for Struggle against Terrorism
The United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs actively participated in development and financing of the contract draft on Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia, which is planned to be signed this year.
In 2000 Uzbekistan is elected as a member in the structure of the Commission of the United Nations on Prevention of Crime and Criminal Justice for the period of 2001-2003.
A visit of the Secretary General of the United Nations K.Annan to Uzbekistan, 18-20.10.2002
The initiative on creation of Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia
The initiative on creation Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia was put forward by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan I.Karimov from a rostrum of the United Nations at the 48-th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1993.
Performance of the President of Uzbekistan I.Karimov at the 48-th session of the GA of the United Nations.
Tools of the initiative were the Almaty Declaration of the Presidents of the Central Asian (CA) states in 1997, the Tashkent Declaration of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of five Central Asian states (C-5) dated on September 17, 1997 and the Communique of an advisory meeting of five CA states and the countries of the Nuclear Five (P-5) in Bishkek on July 10, 1998.
International Conference "Central Asia - nuclear weapon free zone" was successfully carried out in Tashkent on September 15-17, 1997. It became a "corner stone" of legal registration of the Agreement on Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia.
The Regional Commission of experts on drafting the Agreement on Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia, with an active assistance of the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs and MAGATE experts, has chaired some working meetings in Geneva, Bishkek, Tashkent, Sapporo, Ashkhabad and Samarkand within the last six years.
In order to ensure taking of obligations by the nuclear states within the framework of the Report to the Agreement on Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia, the C-5 countries held consultations with them to discuss the draft of Agreement. After the last Samarkand meeting of the C-5 two advisory meetings were chaired in New York in C-5/P-5 format, which resulted in the nuclear countriesТ presentation of the amendments and offers to the Agreement draft.
The international support to the Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia initiative is getting stronger. Four resolutions have been adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The initiative was included in final documents of three sessions of the Preparatory Committee to the Survey Conference dated 2000 on consideration of action of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapon (TNPNW) and in its Final document, and also in final documents of 2 sessions of the the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapon Subcommittee dated 2005.
Cooperation of Uzbekistan in the framework of the
Organization for the Prohibition
of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and their Destruction (CCW) is the first effective multilateral agreement in the field of disarmament, which provides liquidation under the international control of one kind of the weapon of mass destruction, including objects of its production, and also sets restrictions on trade in chemical substances.
The Republic of Uzbekistan signed the Convention on November 24, 1995 and ratified it on April 26, 1996, becoming the 60th state-participant of the OPCW. On July 23, 1996 the ratification letter was transferred for the depositary of the Convention - the Secretary General of the United Nations. On December 10, 2001 the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Belgium Mr. Alisher Shaykhov was accredited as the Constant Representative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the OPCW.
As soon as the convention came into power on April 27, 1997, the national body - the Commission of the Cabinet of Ministers on realization of Conventions the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical, Bacteriological and Toxic Weapons and their Destruction was created in the Republic. The Agency "Sanoatkontexnazorat" is appointed as the Secretariat of the Commission.
According to the requirements of the Convention the initial announcement of the cumulative national data on chemicals and corresponding objects was submitted to the OPCW Secretariat. The announcements of the activity of the past calendar year are sent to the OPCW annually.
After the introduction of the Convention, since 1998 the OPCW has begun to inspect the objects of the Republic with the purpose of checking the conformity of the activity of Uzbekistan to the CCW requirements.
The representatives of the Republic of Uzbekistan annually take part in work of sessions of the Conference of the OPCW states-participants, regional seminars, training courses. Regional seminar of national bodies of the Central Asian states on practical realization of the Convention is to be held in Tashkent, in September 2003.
New challenges to security raise an urgency of participation of Uzbekistan in that international institution.
Cooperation of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the Temporary Technical Secretariat
of the Preparatory Commission
of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CNTBTO)
The policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of non-proliferation is focused on increase of a role of the non-nuclear states in enhancement of the WMD non-proliferation mode. Entirely supporting the principle of indivisibility of security and taking up the responsibility for strengthening of a universal mode of nuclear non-proliferation, the Republic of Uzbekistan suggested to create a nuclear free zone in Central Asia.
The CNTBT was authorized by the General Assembly of the United Nations on September 10, 1996. Uzbekistan joined it on October 3, 1996 and ratified it on April 25, 1997. By February, 2003 the Contract was signed by 166 states.
The Republic of Uzbekistan considers the CNTBT as the second most effective, after the TNPNW, tool of restraint of nuclear proliferation and, accordingly, supports the prompt introduction of the Treaty.
Within the framework of the CNTBT the Republic of Uzbekistan is interested in close cooperation in order to develop national science in such spheres as nuclear physics and seismology.
On May 10-13, 2002 the Executive Secretary of the CNTBTO V.Hoffmann paid a visit to Uzbekistan. He had meetings in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
According to the clause III of the CNTBT, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan is determined as a national liason body to cooperate with the CNTBTO. Now the issue of defining of the national data center of Uzbekistan is in progress.
Cooperation of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the framework of Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxic Weapons and their Destruction (CBW)
The Republic of Uzbekistan, having recognized the importance of signing of the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare dated back to June 17, 1925 (Geneva), has accepted the obligation on realization of the CBW.
Therefore, the Republic of Uzbekistan on December 22, 1995 joined the Convention, and on January 26, 1996 the CBW came into force in the Republic of Uzbekistan.
For the past period the relevant legislative mechanisms were created in Uzbekistan to allow observing of the obligations under the Convention.
According to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers (Government) of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated December 14, 1998, the national body of the Republic of Uzbekistan on realization of CBW was created in the form of the Commission of the Cabinet of the Republic of Uzbekistan on realization of Conventions on the Prohibition of the Chemical and Biological Weapons.
The national body of the Republic of Uzbekistan annually prepares and sends information on compliance of obligations of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the requirements of the mentioned Convention to the UN Department on Disarmament.
Cooperation of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
In 1946 at the first session of the UN General Assembly the resolution, which began the activity of the Organization on affairs of refugees, was adopted. The structural body - the International Refugee Organization (IRO) was founded.
In 1951 on base of the IRO the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created.
In the UNHCR Charter, which was adopted in the resolution of the General Assembly in December, 1950, the duties of the High Commisioner are stated where the most important is "to support and protect the rights of refugees internationally and search for the long-term resolution of refugee problems", and also it is expressed that the activity of the Organization has humanitarian character and is apolitical.
With the opening of the UN Office in Tashkent on September 24, 1993 within the framework of the organization the UNHCR Office with a branch in Termez began to function in Tashkent. Since April 1, 2003 the Office is renamed into the UNHCR Mission to Uzbekistan. In June, 2003 Abdul Brown Gul (Lebanon) was designated as a Chief of the Mission.
Since 2002 Nicolas Kussidis has been appointed as a UNHCR Regional Coordinator for Central Asia. Now its office is located in Dushanbe.
The beginning of the practical activities of the UNHCR branches in Tashkent and Termez in 1993-1997, including rendering of the humanitarian assistance and organizational support, is connected with a repatriation of the Tajik refugees from Afghanistan home. The UNHCR Office has started to register persons, define their status and deliver "mandatory refugee" certificates to them since 1994.
During May 29-31, 1997 the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata paid a visit to Uzbekistan.
In September, 1997 in close cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan the UNHCR Office in Tashkent has carried out evacuation of the UN employees and international non-government organizations from Mazar-i-Sharif through Termez to Pakistan.
On January 15, 1998 a process of repatriation of the Tajik refugees from Turkmenistan through the territory of Uzbekistan to Tajikistan began.
Within the framework of other spheres of cooperation the UNHCR also renders technical assistance to the development programs in training the staff on human rights issues, language learning, carrying out of seminars on international law, publishing the literature on human rights.
With a direct UNHCR assistance the Studying Centre for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law was created at the Tashkent State Law Institute.
About cooperation of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) - the largest multilateral channel of grants directed on the purpose of sustainable human development. It has been functioning since 1965. First of all it has a goal to transform the United Nations into a tool of support of sustainable development of human resources.
The UNDP is the main organization of the UN system on rendering technical assistance to less developed countries and the countries with transition economies. Today 175 states are recipients of the UNDP assistance. The program finances the diversified economic and technical assistance which is directed only to governments or through them.
The UNDP started to function in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 1993. Since 1999 the preparation and realization of projects is carried out on a UNDP Country Cooperation Program (CCP) basis, providing a three-year period of assistance to the Republic of Uzbekistan. The main task of the Country Cooperation Program is granting of technical and advisory assistance to the Government of Uzbekistan in decision of short- and mid-term priority prospects of social and economic development of the country. The UNDP Representative in Uzbekistan simultaneously carries out functions of the Chief Office, that is responsible for coordination of operational activity of the UN institutions in Uzbekistan.
Up to now more than 50 projects are undertaken in the Republic with the UNDP participation. Now the UNDP Regional Bureau for the countries of Europe and the CIS coordinates the realization of 12 programs and projects, which somehow concern Uzbekistan. A national executor supervises over each project.
Annually the UNDP issues a Report "On human development in Uzbekistan". Since 2001 the UNDP has started to release the General Country Estimation (GCE). The GEC is aimed at gathering of the information and publication of the statistic data including practical proposals and recommendations to the Government in such spheres as economy, poverty reduction, government management, public health services, education, security and environment. In preparation of the GCE the United Nations is looking for the support of the greater information transparency in the designated spheres. The statements and purposes proclaimed at the world conferences of the United Nations in 90Тs years are recognized as the GCE.