Speech at the Second World Summit for social development

Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies,

Heads of State and Government,

Honourable Secretary-General,

Ladies and gentlemen,

At the onset, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the State of Qatar and the United Nations for organising today's important Summit and for their warm hospitality.

It is clear, that social welfare is essential for fostering inclusive peace, overall stability and sustainable development.

In this regard, I would like to highlight that the adoption and implementation of the Strategy for the Development of the Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan for the period up to 2040 builds upon the country's existing efforts in this area.

As a key factor in protecting and ensuring social stability and raising living standards, this document aims to promote sustainable economic and social development of the country.

It is also worth noting, that the Government of Tajikistan will adopt a Medium-Term Development Programme for the country for the period 2026–2030 by the end of this year.

This document marks the final stage of the National Development Strategy 2030.

In the context of implementing the aforementioned programmes and strategies, our country is paying special attention to strengthening human capital by developing the education and healthcare sectors.

Cooperation between the government and civil society plays a crucial role for the social and economic development of our country.

Over the past two decades, more than 4.1 million jobs have been created or restored in various socio-economic sectors in Tajikistan.

Eight state programmes and three long-term strategies are currently being implemented in the education sector of Tajikistan, which is key to the developing the social sector.

Clearly, social development is inextricably linked to progress in the healthcare sector.

The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan regularly takes the necessary measures to ensure the efficiency of healthcare institutions and improve the level and quality of medical services for the population.

Distinguished participants of the Summit,

Ensuring social development is closely linked to the activities of all economic sectors and environmental sustainability.

With 93% of its territory being mountainous, Tajikistan is particularly vulnerable to changes in the hydrological cycle, including floods, droughts and other natural disasters.

To this end, we are taking continuous measures to address climate change and ensure the well-being of our people.

At the same time, developing countries, particularly those mountainous and landlocked, have faced significant challenges in achieving sustainable development goals and maintaining social stability.

We emphasize the necessity of taking serious and bold steps to improve vulnerable countries' access to financial resources, ensuring sustainable funding, particularly for social services, human capital development and adaptation to climate change.

Honorable participants,

The transition to a green economy provides the international community with significant opportunities to address social issues.

Recognizing its tremendous hydropower potential, Tajikistan prioritises energy independence and the development of green, environmentally friendly energy sources.

Currently, over 98% of Tajikistan's electricity is generated from water sources, making it the sixth largest producer of the green energy in the world.

Furthermore, I would like to highlight, that we are currently experiencing a rapid transition to digital technologies and artificial intelligence in various fields.

Using these technologies correctly and purposefully can contribute significantly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

As it is known, Tajikistan recently initiated the adoption of a special resolution by the UN General Assembly titled “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Creating New Opportunities for Sustainable Development in Central Asia”.

I believe that this Resolution will be an effective tool for utilising artificial intelligence in our region and will help us to achieve our sustainable development goals.

Distinguished participants,

Inclusive social development requires coordinated action at local, national and global levels.

In order to create fair conditions for social development, we must join our efforts for all segments of society and all people worldwide.

At today's Summit, we must unanimously emphasise our commitment to accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, paying particular attention to social development as one of its key objective.         

Thank you for your attention!

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