United Nations Special Programme for the
Economies
of Central Asia (SPECA)
Preventing instability before it is too late
Geneva, 28 September 2001
The recent terrorist attacks in the USA have
led to increased tension in Central Asia, raising the threat of instability in
all five economies of the region - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This is due to the geopolitical fact
that these countries are situated "next door" to Afghanistan.
Ever since their independence in 1991, the
Central Asian countries have lived under a threat of terrorist and religious
extremism coming from Afghanistan. Most of those countries have actually
experienced deadly incursions of terrorist groups. Traffic of drugs and arms
from Afghanistan through the Central Asian States has dramatically increased.
All together these factors have strained limited resources and diminished
development efforts. Even more important, these incursions and subversive
activities have been projecting a sense of fragile stability in the region,
discouraging potential business partners.
The quest for stability has been a major
concern ever since the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. One of the instruments
of the quest has been the United Nations Special Programme for the
Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), which covers Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The position of the SPECA participating
States in this regard was well reflected last week at the meeting in Almaty,
Kazakhstan, of the governing body of SPECA – its Regional Advisory Council (RAC).
In particular, Mr. Danial Akhmetov, First Vice-Prime Minister of
Kazakhstan, was very straightforward: "The world faces the evil, which
has no national identity. This is an evil and a menace for the whole world.
And it can be effectively coped with only through joining resources of the
whole world. In Central Asia the chances for success in such a confrontation
would be rather good, if the world community supports national efforts aimed
at achieving sustainable development and sub-regional economic
cooperation." The message was supported by the First Vice-Prime Minister
of Tajikistan, Mr. H.A. Turajonzoda: "Tajikistan joins the
resolute international condemnation of the terrorists acts perpetrated against
the United States on 11 September 2001. These criminal acts
constitute a challenge to all human values. They are directed not only against
the United States, but also against all the world community, against all the
rights and freedoms of the people. … We hope that the United Nations and the
world community will use the potential of the presidential programme of SPECA
for strengthening stability and development of the economies of Central
Asia."
The programme of SPECA was established in
1998 as an instrument for promoting economic cooperation in the sub-region and
for mobilizing additional internal and external resources for solving common
priority issues, especially the issues that can be jointly solved in a more
efficient way. The purpose of the Almaty meeting was to discuss ways of
strengthening regional economic cooperation and, on that basis, provide
guidance to the SPECA sectoral Project Working Groups.
The idea of socio-economic development as an
effective preventive measure against spreading extremist ideologies and
terrorism in the economies of Central Asia has been referred to by both
high-level Government officials and experts. Participating countries addressed
an appeal to the United Nations for speeding up economic development and
cooperation in the region on the basis of the SPECA Programme.
The participants of the session looked in
particular into the issues of energy and water, transport and border crossing.
Progress was made in designing a strategy of efficient use of energy and water
resources in Central Asia. The need for speedy, comprehensive and agreed
solutions on the issues in that area based on international norms and best
practices was emphasized. The in-depth analysis of the contentious issues of
international cooperation on water and energy will take place at the next
session of the Regional Advisory Committee.
On the issues of transport and border
crossing it was agreed to continue working on the Memorandum of Understanding
on Road Transport Facilitation in Central Asia and on the extension of the MoU
to rail road and other major means of transportation. Bilateral negotiations
on specific transport issues will be continued under the aegis of SPECA. The
state of transport in the region and the possible contribution of
international organizations will also be in the SPECA programme of work.
SPECA is at the heart of the much needed
process for accelerating the economic and social integration of Central Asia
in Europe and North America. "We can move faster and must do so!"
said Mr. Paolo Garonna, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe. "But this requires -- added
Mr. Garonna -- consolidating institutional capacity at the national and
regional level, as part of building democratic governance and enhancing
stability and human security in the region."
The next session of the Regional Advisory
Committee of SPECA will take place in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, from 13 to 14
February 2002.
The information on SPECA can be consulted at
the Internet site http://www.unece.org/speca
For additional information please contact:
Peter Tsyba, Regional Adviser
ECE Focal Point on SPECA
Palais des Nations, office 352
CH – 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: (+41 22) 917 58 26
Fax: (+41 22) 917 07 26
E-mail: [email protected]
Ref: ECE/GEN/01/23