Distinguished Mr. President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This year is the final year of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, and the lessons learned during their implementation were used as a basis for development of a new Agenda beyond 2015. The intergovernmental working group on Sustainable Development Goals played an important role in this process, and over the last two years managed to identify and agree seventeen Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Thus, soon we will start the implementation of the new Agenda against the background of an increasing impact of such global threats and challenges as international terrorism and extremism, illicit drug trafficking and organized crime, armed conflicts, financial, economic, food and energy crises, degradation of natural resources and climate change, natural and man-made disasters, infectious diseases that seriously undermine security and stability in the world and can slow down the achievement of sustainable development.

In this regard, we believe that the international community should make additional efforts to create a global environment favorable for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The new document is exclusive because it lays down specific goals and targets of sustainable development in its three key dimensions — economic, social and environmental — in a balanced and integrated manner.

We are convinced that the SDGs aimed at addressing poverty eradication, ensuring of food security, modern healthcare and education, sustainable use of water resources, improved access to cost effective and reliable energy sources, establishment of advanced infrastructure, adoption of urgent measures to combat climate change and its impact, reduction of inequality among countries, achievement of gender equality on a global scale are a logical continuation of the MDGs.

Mr. President,

As a pilot country in the implementation of the MDGs Tajikistan attaches great importance to the process of improvement of the previous agenda, and development and implementation of the new Agenda of development for the post 2015 period. In this regard, the Republic of Tajikistan took an active part in the development and coordination of the global development agenda beyond 2015 through contributing to the global dialogue by conducting a series of national consultations aimed at reflecting the aspirations of a wide spectrum of the population with regard to the Future we want.

Currently, the Government of Tajikistan is developing a new National strategy for the development by 2030 and a Mid-term program of national development for 2016-2020, which, along the priority areas for the country’s sustainable development, will take into account the targets identified by the SDGs. The UNDP Country Program Action Plan for 2016-2020 in Tajikistan could support this process.

The main goal of the above program and strategy under development is to improve the well-being of the country’s population through sustainable social and economic development. To successfully address a complex of social, economic and ecological issues, within the framework of the National strategy for the country’s development by 2030, we identified such strategic goals as ensuring energy security, eliminating communication deadlock, ensuring food security, without the implementation of which the achievement of the SDGs seems rather difficult.

In its turn, in order to achieve these goals we need to implement a number of projects at the national, regional and global level. In this regard, the priority areas are:- more efficient use of the national natural resources and human capital, diversification and achievement of competitiveness of national economy, institutional development, strengthening of the middle class, and balanced development of regions of the country.

In order to successfully implement the set targets it is essential to mobilize the necessary resources, which constitute a problem because of the ever changing international relations and emerging crises in the different regions of the world.

In this regard, increasing of Official Development Assistance (ODA), an important component of financing of development, remains an urgent matter. Under the current circumstances, it is essential to revitalize international trade and investments – the main engines of a productive capacity growth — and to encourage and promote transfer of innovative and ecologically sound technologies.

Mr. President,

It is obvious that the path towards sustainable development is not going to be easy or smooth. For this reason, it is essential that we keep our collective determination and lend a hand to those countries that are confronted with most difficulties. One should remember that a number of countries will start implementation of the new plan of action for sustainable development under least favorable conditions. In this regard, there is a need to render support to the countries in special needs, in particular, to the mountainous developing countries and LLDCs.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that Tajikistan will continue to actively cooperate with the international community, the UN institutions and programs, partner countries and organizations interested in a successful simple