Regional Peace Centre in Ashgabat – Part One

nCa Report

Ashgabat, 31 August 2007 (nCa) --- The United Nations has finally taken a step that may save it from premature demise and may darn some of its tattered reputation.

The UN decision to establish the regional peace centre – UN Centre for Preventive Diplomacy – in Ashgabat, is just the thing everyone in the region had been waiting for.

In this three-part series we shall examine the concept that is still evolving and the possible shape the centre may take.

Late Saparmurat Niyazov, the first president of Turkmenistan, was the original advocate and promoter of the peace centre in Ashgabat. In his article in the issue 2, 2004, of UN Chronicle, he puts the permanent neutrality of his country at the core of argument to call for establishment of the peace centre.

Niyazov writes, “Turkmenistan's neutrality is not a shell to protect us from threats and troubles of the world at large. On the contrary, it is a strong position to actively influence the situation in the region and in the world as a whole to promote effective international cooperation, which is an important factor of internal economic development in present conditions.”

“One of the main priorities of [Turkmenistan’s cooperation with the UN] is the maintenance of international peace and security and good neighborly relations with other states, as well as conflict prevention and settlement of existing hotbeds of confrontations,” he writes.

Referring to the first round of the Forum on Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Development for Central Asia that was held in October 2003 in Ashgabat under the auspices of the UN and OSCE, Niyazov says, “We believe it is necessary to establish a UN Center for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia in the context of raising the effectiveness of the instruments of preventive diplomacy. Turkmenistan stands ready to provide full assistance in the establishment of the center in the capital of our neutral state.”

He says, “The establishment of a regional Consultative Council for heads of Central Asian states would also serve the aim of building confidence in the region and be an efficient mechanism of crisis and conflict prevention.”

Giving the idea a wider scope, Niyazov offers, “Turkmenistan is ready to provide the U.N. bodies with all necessary resources to increase their presence in the region by opening up headquarters of other U.N. agencies in our capital. The republic has every condition for that, including housing and service infrastructure. We are ready to consider the issue of providing maximum economic benefits to the U.N. agencies working in Turkmenistan. Such an approach would allow the United Nations to save substantial financial resources that could be redirected to solve urgent problems in accordance with the UN Charter's aims within the frame of its programs.”

While offering all possible assistance to the UN, Niyazov points out the embedded double standard that frequently leads to miscarriage of justice in the UN activities. He writes, “It should be noted that the attempts to exert pressure while taking decisions on the part of some countries or group of states abusing the authority of international organizations, including the United Nations, greatly contradicts the norms and principles of equal and mutually respectful cooperation.”

While Niyazov expressed his views through the article in the UN Chronicle, his foreign minister, Reshit Meredov, expounded the argument in his speech during the general debate at the 59^th GA session on 27 September 2004New York. in

Putting a handle to the case for establishing the peace centre in Ashgabat, Meredov said, “At the juncture of 20th and 21st centuries our region – Central Asia - has moved forward to the front line of the world attention. Prospects of the world and security on the global level would be determined in many respects on how multilateral dialogue on problems of this region would be constructed.”

The concept that was in its generic form in Niyazov’s article, didn’t show many definite features in Meredov’s speech. He said that the consultative council of heads of state should hold regular consultations and work on joint decisions on topical issues facing the region. The consultative council should be able to deal with the issues of cooperation in trade and economy, energy supply, border trade, transportation and humanitarian interaction.

He was of the view that a permanent mechanism of multilateral consultation at the highest level would promote development, peace and stability in the region.

Meredov spoke again at the 60^th GA session on 16 September 2005.

He thanked the international community for the support that was building up to create the peace centre in Ashgabat. He said, “The attention given by the United Nations to questions of strengthening of security and preventive activity in Central Asian region is timely and necessary. In this connection the idea of creation of the United Nations Regional Center for Central Asia on Preventive Diplomacy with headquarters in Ashgabat was a significant international initiative. We express gratitude to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for his intention to create such Center.”

“As is known this initiative has found reflection in the annual report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization submitted to the current 60 th session of the General Assembly. We also thank many States for support of this important international initiative. The importance of creation and functioning of the Regional Center on preventive diplomacy in many respects will promote comprehensive consideration and resolution of questions related to prevention of contentious situations, fight against terrorism and illegal drug trafficking as well as to the all-round sustainable development in Central Asian region,” he said.

Even though the world community was moving sluggishly, mostly because a handful of countries were ready to scarify peace in the Central Asian region just to show their dislike of the sitting regime in Turkmenistan, the region as a whole was eagerly pushing for early establishment of the peace centre.

Article 5 of the agreement between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on friendship, strengthening of trust and development of cooperation, signed by Niyazov and Karimov on 19 November 2004 in Bukhara says:

“The high contract parties attach special importance for further strengthening the role of the United Nations and its Security Council, realization of the purposes and principles as specified in the documents of OSCE, other authoritative international organizations, in the task of prevention and settlement of conflicts, decisions of questions related to safety and stability, strengthening of trust.

“In this connection the high contract parties recognize the necessity of creation of a Regional Centre of the United Nations on Preventive Diplomacy with its headquarters in Ashgabat and Central Asian Regional Information Centre of the United Nations on struggle against trans-national crimes, connected with trafficking in narcotics, in Tashkent.”

Near the end of 2004 President Nursultan Nazarbaev of Kazakhstan sent a letter to Turkmenistan, showing his full support for the peace centre in Ashgabat.

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan soon favoured the centre in no uncertain terms.

All was quiet for a long while until recently. A few weeks ago Vladimir Goryaev arrived with a message from Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that the peace centre may be established in Ashgabat after all. It was obviously good news but the timing of the decision and Goryaev’s carefully structured talk with the local officials raises some questions.

To be continued . . .