9 - 22 December 1997, No. 7

Finance Minister Anvarsho Muzaffarov, in an interview prior to the session, outlined the main objectives and provisions of 1998 budget. It aims to boost national manufacturing sector by easing manufacturers’ its tax burden through a 10% cut in profit tax, social insurance payments by 8% and a flat levy of 5% import duty (against previous 10%) on all goods, except alumina, grain, power and gas. Government spending is to increase by 70.2 billion Tajik roubles and revenues by 56.2 billion, with the inflation rate kept at 21% annually and budget deficit cut to 3.7% from 5.3% of gross domestic product (GDP). The budget also proposes to increase minimum wages and pensions by almost three-fold; salaries at budgetary institutions by 20% at the beginning of the year and another 10% in July 1998.

Majlisi Oli adopted the draft 1998 budget, as well as all other items on the agenda, with the exception of item no. 14 on Draft Constitutional Law of RT "on changing and amending few articles of the Constitutional Laws of RT". At the proposal of few speakers, the consideration of this item was postponement until the next parliamentary session. People’s Deputies decided to donate one month’s wages for the establishment of a special fund to mark the 1,100 year anniversary of the founding of Samanid State.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations, including the United Nations, did not receive invitations to observe the parliamentary proceedings, as it had been done in the past.

According to few media reports, the President also criticised some government officials for their lack of cooperation with the Commission on National Reconciliation (CNR) and for not taking part in joint Government/CNR meetings.

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) held its 8th summit conference in Tehran from 9 to 11 December. OIC 55 member-states representing the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims, was founded in 1969 in the Moroccan capital Rabat. Over 30 heads of state attended the summit. Others were represented by high-ranking officials. The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, attended as an observer. The summit addressed such issues as economic cooperation and development, human rights, combat against terrorism and illicit drug trafficking, as well as the situation in Afghanistan.

The delegation of Tajikistan, headed by President Rakhmonov, including Foreign Minister Nazarov and CNR Chairman Nuri, took active part in the summit. President Rakhmonov in his speech touched upon, in particular, on the need for a peaceful settlement to the war in Afghanistan. Among other formal meetings, President Rakhmonov met the United Nations Secretary-General during his stay in Tehran.

President Khatami of Iran, also in his capacity as Chairman of the 8th OIC summit welcomed the "trend of peace in friendly and fraternal Tajikistan" and expressed gratitude to President Rakhmonov and CNR Chairman Nuri "for their cooperation towards establishment of peace". He went on to say that "for further consolidation of peace and tranquility in Tajikistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran invites OIC to exert its utmost efforts in order to prevent the spread of ethnic differences, as well as to strengthen the process of peace in this country".

UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in his statement at the opening session praised the partnership between the

The Conference concluded with the signing of the Tehran Declaration, which inter alia, reaffirmed the resolve of member-states to consolidate cooperation and coordination, deplored the continuation of conflict and violence in Afghanistan, strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, declared that the killing of innocent people is forbidden in Islam, called on the international community to deny asylum to terrorists and take all necessary measures to prevent or to dismantle support networks helpful in any form of terrorism. The Declaration also welcomed the participation of the UN Secretary-General at the Tehran Summit as a sign of excellent relations and cooperation between the UN and OIC.

In recent weeks, it has become evident to both the CNR and Contact Group of guarantor-states and organizations, that the implementation of the General Agreement is lagging seriously behind set timetables. An overview of CNR’s Work Plan adopted by CNR on 26 September 1997 indicates the following areas of delay in the implementation of the peace accord:

• Amensty Law: deadline 1 December 1997;

• 30% quota for UTO representatives in

Government structures: deadline October 1997 (preparation of list of UTO nominees);

Despite informal indications by CNR and government representatives of extensive discussions on the issue, there have been no appointments of UTO representatives to government posts to date.

• Protocol on Military Issues:

CNR at its plenary meeting on 5 December chaired by Mr. Dostiyev, expressing concern over the delays in implementing the military protocol, adopted a Resolution "On the Status of the Implementation of the Protocol on Military Issues". Therein, the Commission declared that both the UTO and Government not only had failed to implement the Protocols of 15-16 September 1996 (Garm) and 11 December 1996 (Khusdeh) regarding the dismantling of checkpoints, but that the number of these CPs had increased, especially around the city of Dushanbe. The 9-point Resolution stipulates some of the following actions and deadlines:

To request appropriate Government and UTO bodies to identify building sites in the designated assembly areas for UTO fighters by 15 December 1997;

To request the Government of Tajikistan and UTO leaders to review existing road checkpoints by 5 January 1998, with the view that their future establishment is the prerogative of the Ministry of Interior;

To request CNR military sub-commission to complete the registration of UTO fighters and their weapons in Kofarnikhon and Leninsky districts by 10 January 1998;

To request the same sub-commission to take measures to accelerate the process of transfer of UTO fighters from Afghanistan.

The delay in the implementation of certain provisions of the military protocol also has direct effect on the realization of the Protocol on Political Issues. For example the lifting of the ban on the activities of UTO political parties and movements is tied to the

The Contact Group of guarantor-states and organizations at its regular weekly meeting on 9 December, reviewed the current status of the implementation of the General Agreement. Following the meeting, CG through its Coordinator, Gerd Merrem, addressed a letter to CNR Chairman Nuri and Deputy Chairman Dostiyev, expressing increasing concern with the delay in the implementation of certain aspects of the Agreement, including the Amnesty Law, uneven progress in the registration of UTO fighters, as well as discrepancies between registered fighters and weapons, preparation of assembly areas, repatriation of UTO fighters from northern Afghanistan to assembly areas in Tajikistan and the incorporation of UTO members into government executive structures, as per established 30% quota.

The Contact Group registered its disturbance with the accumulative effect of the delays on the overall implementation and the timetable of the General Agreement. Its members, in their capacity as guarantors, requested the addressee to inform what precise measures CNR intends to take to compensate for the time lapsed and thereby put the agenda and the timetable of the General Agreement back on track. The letter also noted that the timely implementation of the various provisions of the Agreement is a vital confidence building measure between the Tajik parties. It is, moreover, an element of trust of the nation in the work of the CNR, which has been entrusted with the immense responsibility of national reconciliation in Tajikistan during the transitional period.

On 17 December, World Bank board of directors in Washington approved a loan of US$10 million to Tajikistan. The credit is intended to be in support of the peace process, in particular, in such sectors as social welfare, the resettlement of refugees and employment of demobilized servicemen, as well as towards the government’s budget deficit and balance of payment. The amount will be transferred to Tajikistan’s account by the end of this year. The loan will be issued in a single portion for 40 years with a 10-year grace period.

On 19 December, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a loan of US$10 million to Tajikistan, under the IMF’s emergency post conflict assistance programme, to support the government’s 1997-98 economic programme. According to an IMF Press Release issued the same day informed that the 1997-98 programme aims to establish financial stability. Under the programme gross domestic product is expected to reach 4-5% in 1998 compared with 2% in 1997; inflation is targetted to fall to about 21% during 1998, from about 190% during 1997. The programme also emphasises structural reforms and institution-building to sustain economic recovery. Within structural reforms four areas are particularly pointed out: privatization, land reform, bank restructuring and enterprise reform. It also indicates the need for increasing social safety net spending in 1998.

On 16 December, the United Nations General Assembly at its 52nd session adopted a resolution, welcoming the Secretary-General’s intention to appeal to the international community urging a large-scale humanitarian assistance to Tajikistan as of 1 January 1998. The resolution calls on the international community to increase their assistance to Tajikistan as much as possible to help the reconstruction and development of Tajikistan’s economy.

During consultations prior the adoption of the resolutions, several countries spoke firmly on the need for adequate security conditions in Tajikistan. On 15 December, UNMOT issued a Press Release reiterating that persisting security threats in Tajikistan not only could jeopardies the future of the peace process, but also seriously impede the activities and the implementation of UN programmes, as well as those of other international organizations in the country.

In a delivered address in Tehran, marking the launching of the 50th anniversary year of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, said that "human rights lie at the heart of all that the United Nations aspires to achieve and develop". In a separate message issued on the occasion, the Secretary-General noted that "human rights are the foundation of human existence and co-existence. Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent. Human rights are what make us human. The struggle for universal human rights has always and everywhere been the struggle

Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, similarly delivered a message during her visit to Africa marking the anniversary.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly Resolution on 10 December 1948. The promotion of human rights is one of the pillars of the United Nations Charter. The Declaration, together with the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights represent the International Bill of Human Rights. Tajikistan to date has not become a signatory to the two Covenants.

• 49 Tajik refugees returned to the country on 18 December through Nizhni Pianj;

• A joint UNHCR/CNR refugee sub-commission scheduled visit to Turkmenistan, regarding the repatriation of Tajikistan from there, was postponed until mid-January, for technical reasons. 2,500 Tajik refugees are reported to have already registered for return from Turkmenistan;

• At a General Assembly meeting of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) in Geneva, the Tajik Red Crescent Society was officially admitted as a member;

• In accordance with the national language law adopted in 1990, Tajik will become the official language of use as of January 1998.