As it was informed before, High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is planned to be held in New York this month.
During joint session of the Government and the State Security Council, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov requested relative officials to provide high organizational level of preparation to the participation of our delegation in coming forum, which would gather 193 the UN member countries and more than 50 international organizations.
These days, the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan hosted round table session on Sustainable Development Goals adaptation in our country on national level.
Muhammetgeldy Atayev, the Doctor of Economic Sciences, the Professor, the Chief Editor of scientific and practical magazine “Finances and Economy”; Galina Romanova, the candidate of Economic Sciences, the Head of State Finances and Economic Policy Department; Gulayim Shukurova, the Head of Sustainable Development Policy Department of the Institute of Strategic and Sustainable Development; Batyr Gajarov, the Head of International Department of Joint Management of State Finances and Economic Politics took part in the round table session.
M.Atayev: I would like to remind what the ECOSOC is.This is a competent international structure, which is one of six main UN bodies responsible for the coordination of economic, social and other relative activity of 14 specialized United Nations agencies, 9 functional and 5 regional commissions.
The ECOSOC has more than 70 percent of manpower and financial resources of the entire UN structure. 54 states take part in the work of ECOSOC.Our country has already been the member of the UN Economic and Social Council in 2013 2015.
Recently, on 13 June 2018, the UN General Assembly voted for the membership of our country in the Economic and Social Council in 2019 2021.Therefore, Turkmenistan and the UN confirmed again their course to close partnership in key directions of the world development.
G.Romanova: I would like to add that intensification of such cooperation is natural as Turkmenistan has achieved great success in social, economic and ecological directions and, what is remarkable, in successful adaptation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
It entitles Turkmenistan to share its practices and specific developments with other countries taking into account that the ECOSOC, while occupying central position in the UN activity system on promotion of all three directions of sustainable development, is represented by the platform coordinating the efforts on the achievement of goals and objectives agreed on international level.
G.Shukurova: Under its membership, Turkmenistan provides maximum support to establishment of international cooperation, integration of different states and regions of the planet to the processes of sustainable development and improvement of the wellbeing of the population in recent decades.
As it has been mentioned, our country was the member of the ECOSOC in very responsible period when the preparation to the UN Summit in 2015 where new Global Agenda of Sustainable Development has been adopted.
B.Agajarov: I would like to mention that coming High-Level Political Forum under the ECOSOC aegis has the role of comprehensive magazine in the UN system on monitoring of the fulfilment of the Agenda of the SDG until 2030.
This year, such topical subjects of global significance as those repeatedly pointed out by National leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov speaking at various forums will be reviewed at the forum.These are the provision of the population with water resources, rational water management, access to reliable, stable and modern sources of energy as well as the environment issues including the combating of desertification, protection of biodiversity and other.
M.Atayev: There is a question: What participation in the ECOSOC gives to Turkmenistan?First of all, it is worth saying that membership in this competent structure allows the country using its huge organizational resources for activation of the work of various UN departments in Central Asia and Caspian basin regions.
In this context, that huge activity, which is carried out in the country for realization of international and national projects aimed at the improvement of life level and social benefits for the population of the country, is very important component.
Summing up what was said above, it can be stated that election of turkmensitan to the ECOSOC gives big opportunities for initiation and realization of new ideas as well as for the introduction of national practice in the achievement of sustainable development to the world community on one hand.
From another side, it gives serious responsibility to the state during development and making decisions of this international organization.
G.Romanova: Undoubtedly, positive experience acquired by Turkmenistan deserves special attitude.Our country has been taken and keeps taking the most active part in the work of several UN structures, functional and regional ECOSOC committees.
At present, Turkmenistan carries out its activity in such competent international organizations as the UN Executive Council on Gender Equality and Expansion of Rights and Opportunities of Women in 2016 2018, the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development in 2017 2020, the UN Development and Population Committee in 2016 2020, the Committee for Social Development in 2017 2020.
G.Shukurova: Turkmenistan economic institutes regularly report the outcomes of social and economic reforms and achieved progress, which visually demonstrate stable economic growth and steadily improving level of the population’s wealth.
Framework Programme of Partnership for Development between Turkmenistan and the United Nations for 2016 2020, which was adopted in 2016, is an important basis of the cooperation with the UN.
The Programme meets comprehensively the main objectives of National Programme of social and economic development of the country for 2011 2030 as well as the Sustainable Development Goals for 2016 -2030 adopted in 2015 durign the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.
Building the cooperation with the United Nations and its leading agencies and specialized institutions on the principles of strategic partnership, neutral Turkmenistan is the member of 9 UN structures, under which it performs relative work.
B.Agajarov: I would like to repeat that another election of Turkmenistan to the ECOSOC membership was dictated by certain success achieved in realization of social and economic policy of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
Owing to scientifically based measures of the state regulation of the economy and expansion of the entrepreneurship, strategic course of large-scale reforms, the rate of economic growth of the country have reached 106.5 percent for 2017 and for the last five months of this year, this indicators is kept on the level of 106. 2 percent.
These impressive figures speak of the stable dynamics of reforms in Turkmen economy.
M.Atayev: Relying on systematic and targeted approach, realization of strategic measures outlined in the Programme of social and economic development of Turkmenistan for 2011 2030 as well as in profile and regional programmes of development, our state has provided the stability of the economy and financial system, the State Budget of Turkmenistan is executed with the profit and incomes of the population are growing constantly.
It has fundamental importance for the improvement of the authority of our country in the world.
G.Romanova: Such factors as favourable geographic location and rich natural and people potential, having which our country actively continues integrating to the system of international distribution of labour.
Support of high rates of economic growth by intensive development of the branches, diversification of the economy and implementation of the reforms in different directions including financial sphere are the main targets.
Integrated measures timely taken by the President of Turkmenistan and aimed at the support of the competiveness of the branches and improvement of the efficiency of the economy, activation of foreign trade operations allowed increasing of working occupancies, social stability and steadfast improvement of economic potential of the country.
G.Shukurova: Concerning national model of growth, it is always modernized.Last year, by the order of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the Government of Turkmenistan has elaborated and adopted new middle-term programme of social and economic development for 2018 2024, which reflects the main directions of innovative and integrated approach taking into account the latest changes in the world and Central Asia economies.
It is important that our country lay emphasis on the development of oil and gas branches, processing industry, service sphere, transport, trade, etc.the efficiency of reforms was mainly achieved by financial stability, stable monetary and credit policy and development by financial markets.
B.Gajarov: It is necessary to highlight another key moment.Being the main financial mechanism in the orientation of national economy to innovative social oriented type of development, The State budget of Turkmenistan is based on the principles of the efficiency of the income distribution, use of the incomes in capital expenditures like wide-scale investment projects, creation of necessary conditions for steadfast social and economic development of the country.
At the same time, provision of social protection of the population by increment of salary wages, pensions and scholarships 9on 10 percent level), development of social sphere are important objectives of the State budget.
M.Atayev: It can be stated today that increased volumes of the investments to the diversification of the economy allowed the expanding the taxation base of non-hydrocarbon branches of the economy for the formation of the revenue of the State budget and increasing the volumes of financing of social sphere, which is 75 80 percent from the total amount of expenditure of the State budget.
Conservative budget policy coordinated with monetary and credit and financial markets development policies provided the stability of budgetary system, fulfilment of all State obligations on the expenditures, improvement of its efficiency.
The security market, which volumes grow every year, is successfully developed in our country for the provision of the financing of investment projects.Ashgabat Stock Exchange, which work is aimed at the establishment of the secondary securities market, has been founded in 2016 and started operating in 2017.
G.Romanova: At present, banking system of the country is actively developed.Monetary and credit policy is aimed at the financing and mobilization of the funds to the economy of Turkmenistan taking into account all factors of social and economic development.
Balance of the volume of trade and monetary market is supported by efficient use of the instruments of monetary and credit policy.Steadfast increment of the volumes of crediting of national economy is carried out for the provision of macroeconomic stability and dynamic development of the branches of the economy.
At the same time, financial support of private sector, which development seems to be quite mature, is one of priority directions of credit policy.
G. Shukurova: Summing up what was said above, all mentioned measures supported the formation of reliable foundation for stable development of national economy. Natural result of fundamental reforms in our country is that the economic growth rates are stable, which is confirmed by competent financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
B.Gajarov: Today, Turkmenistan is on new stage of the reforms.At the same time, development of social sphere branches is continued, social protection of the population is carried out as well as important reforms in education and health protection are realized.
Business environment for small and medium enterprises is improved.Support of private sector and privatization of the Government facilities are expanded.Growth of economic self-sustainability, improvement of its efficiency and improvement of the wealth of our citizens on its base are continued.
G.Romanova: I would like to address the fact that Turkmen delegation is planning to organize the presentation of the TAPI gas line project and relative exhibition under High-Level Political Forum under the ECOSOC aegis, which as it was mentioned before would be held on July 18.
It is also planned to hold an event with the participation of the delegations of Central Asian countries dedicated to the consolidation of stability by the achievement of the SDG and in this context, to new directions of cooperation with Central Asia.
In other words, the agenda will include new mechanisms of cooperation and multilateral dialog for common interests and goals.
G.Shukrova: Therefore, having achieved high results in realization of wide-scale reforms in all spheres and activities, in elaboration and implementation of national development strategies, Turkmenistan gained sufficient experience and is able to assist other states in the development of recommendations aimed at the growth of the wellbeing of the population, improvement of quality and efficiency of measures for the achievement of universal peace and security.
As we told before, all of these were the reason of the election of our country to the Economic and Social Council, which is one of the main UN bodies.
M.Atayev: So, having become the member of the ECOSOC again, our country receives more opportunities for the participation in globalization processes, in activation of multilateral cooperation with other states and competent international organizations for the realization of the projects and programmes initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, which, as is known, are aimed at sustainable development of the country and entire regions, at solution of social and economic problems in national, regional and global scales.
It will give our country real opportunity to enter fundamentally new level in the scale of the world economic space.At the same time, the principle of our activity remains the same and expressed in coordination of national objectives with the perspectives of global development and taking of specific measures and decisions on local level.
New opportunities for improvement of efficient partnership for successful solution of topical issues of the present, provision of economic and social progress not only in national scale but also in regional and global are opened after the election of Turkmenistan as the member of the ECOSOC in 2019 2021.