OREANDA-NEWS. September 10, 2008. The roundtable on the priority trends in co-operation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the United Nations in the framework of the 2010-2014 UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) was organized at the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan.

The specialists of the national ministries and departments, the representatives of the large public organisations and the heads and officials of the UN agencies accredited to Turkmenistan – the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN High Commissioner for Refuges (UNHCR), World Health Organisation (WHO) took part in the forum.

The major agenda item was advancement of fruitful bilateral partnership particularly in the legal sphere, the legal guarantees of the deep democratic and social and economic reforms implemented in Turkmenistan.

Addressing the forum UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Richard Young said that the world community highly appreciated and welcomed the Turkmen leader’s policy of progressive reforms attaching paramount importance to improving the national legal system and bringing it in compliance with the international law norms and priorities of national development.

The participants noted that an important step on this way was the new Constitution set for public discussion. It was emphasized that these and other measures vividly testified to the leadership’s serious and responsible approach to further developing the democratic processes, enhancing the foundation of the jural state and establishing civil society in the country.

The participants discussed various aspects of designing the 2010-2014 UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). Based on the past outcomes of partnership this programme defined the major trends and objectives of Turkmenistan-UN co-operation for many years ahead in the social, economic and humanitarian spheres, in particular education and healthcare.

Stating the high level of bilateral co-operation the participants called for further intensifying the fruitful dialogue that Turkmenistan and the United Nations led for the benefit of the people. It was emphasized that the major outcome of this co-operation was to create the conditions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals that were closely interrelated with the main objectives of Turkmenistan’s policy.