Interview with United Nations Resident Representative

Richard Young is the United Nations' new Resident Representative in Turkmenistan. In an interview with IRIN in the capital, Ashgabat he spoke about the need to formulate an emergency preparedness plan for the earthquake-prone republic and about new programmes to promote human rights in the country. QUESTION: What are the principal humanitarian issues the UN here is engaged in along with the government of Turkmenistan? ANSWER: The main focus has been on registering and supporting refugees. Turkmenistan has been very supportive of the work of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR]. Being new here, I'm still learning about what has been happening in the past, but I know that during the Afghan crisis the government was very receptive and worked with UNHCR and UNICEF [United Nations Children's Fund] as well as international NGOs. Also during the Tajik civil war, the government here was positive towards the work of UNHCR. But humanitarian work here in Turkmenistan does need further development. Certainly there is the possibility of various kinds of emergencies impacting on the population here on a large scale - the whole region is very prone to earthquakes, we need to be prepared for that. Q: Is there a role here for the [UN] Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA]? A: Absolutely, in fact we'll be seeking assistance from OCHA and possibly other UN agencies, like UNICEF. I know in other countries in the region, like Kyrgyzstan for example, there was a joint mission there led by OCHA, that helped the country team forge a preparedness plan. Certainly through OCHA we'll be seeking assistance to prepare a good quality emergency preparedness plan and to help counterpart government agencies in capacity building of their staff. Q: Can you update us on the UN-affiliated regional centre on preventative diplomacy that the government of Turkmenistan is planning to open here in Ashgabat? A: Yes, it's something the government is still very interested in. It's being handled by the UN Department of Political Affairs but it's difficult to say at this stage when this initiative will go ahead. There are a range of issues that still need to be looked at on this, but yes, it's in the pipeline. Q: There has been some criticism of the centre - that it would confer credibility from the UN on a country that has a questionable record on things like democracy, governance and human rights. A: I think we have to be cautious in how we present this. This is a regional initiative which aims to benefit all the Central Asian countries and therefore I suppose, a final decision with regard to the establishment and location of this centre will be based on a consensus among these countries and other concerned member states of the UN. The United Nations already has a strong presence in all these countries and a good relationship with all the governments. The fact that we do have engagement and dialogue with the governments enable us to gradually pursue things like the UN's policies on human rights, the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] and so on. This may take place in a way that some in the international community find painstakingly slow, but I believe we have to pursue a gradualist approach. Constructive engagement without confrontation allows us to move forward. Q: Do you think the UN can play a role in Turkmenistan to get the country to engage more internationally at a time when it appears to be drifting further towards isolation? A: I think that's a vital role of the United Nations. Turkmenistan has signed up to a whole range of conventions and treaties, so the UN can assist the government in the implementation of these conventions and look at how it intends to meet these commitments. This offers a great opportunity for dialogue on issues related to human rights for example. In fact, the UN is in the final stages of developing a project with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [OHCHR] and the Turkmen government that is focused on strengthening the capacity of the government to respond to it's commitment to international human rights standards. Last year the government submitted its first report to the committee on the Convention on the Rights of the Child [CRC]. UNICEF has assisted the government in preparing that report. Also Turkmenistan has submitted the report to the committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [CEDAW]. These are some of the examples of positive step taken by the government to respond to its obligations to these international treaties and conventions. So these are all opportunities that could lead to real change. I think it should also be pointed out that Turkmenistan is hardly isolated when it comes to negotiations regarding gas supplies to other countries. Given the current energy concerns faced by several countries, the Turkmen government has been very actively engaged with a number of them. Q: We've spoken about humanitarian issues, what are the key development challenges in Turkmenistan? A: The key challenge in the long term remains putting into place strategies that will lead to sustainable development. There is a need to open up opportunities for the private sector here, to diversify the economy, particularly in agriculture and in processing industries. There also need to be institutional and legislative changes; this is a key area of UNDP concern. We have been active in the area of the environment and there are opportunities to develop information technology here also. UNDP is working with the government in schools to provide computer training and Internet access, particularly in Ashgabat and Mary. Q: Can you point to recent development achievements here? A: While access of the Turkmen population to quality basic health care and efforts for further improving the quality of education need attention, the country has sustained a high level of immunisation coverage among children to prevent six vaccine-preventable diseases, and achieved universal salt iodisation goal to prevent iodine deficiency which causes learning disabilities and mental disorders. The country is working on the fortification of flour to prevent anaemia, there are tremendous possibilities in that area. UNICEF is actively collaborating with the government in these areas. The fact that UNDP has managed to gain agreement with the government to establish computer centres in places of education is another achievement. Work on HIV/AIDS prevention has also been accelerated over the past year. A key achievement for us in 2005 was the implementation of the UNDAF 2005-2009 which is really the business plan of the UN agencies for harmonised support to the country in the areas of economic and social policy, basic social services and environment, towards achievement of the MDGs.