Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 26
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:
Turkmenistan was unanimously elected a member of two UN committees following a voting held at a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York.
The Central Asian country became a member of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development and the Commission for Social Development, according to a message from the Turkmen government.
Turkmenistan's membership in these commissions will last till 2017, the government said on April 26.
"Political stability, high rates of national economic growth and large-scale socio-economic programs successfully implemented at the Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's initiative, serve as the factors determining today's growing interest in positive experience of Turkmen state, which brings to life a unique national development model that has already proved its efficiency," according to the message.
ECOSOC is one of the main UN structures. Its purpose includes the settlement of international problems in economic and social areas, as well as in healthcare, culture and education.
The Commission for Social Development, a member of ECOSOC, was established in 1946 and includes representatives from 46 countries.
The Commission on Science and Technology for Development was established in 1992 and includes 43 states.
Turkmenistan's policy has a clearly defined social aspect, according to the message.
In particular, some 80.5 percent of the budget funds were allocated to the development of the country's social sector in the first quarter of 2014.
"One more important indicator is the growth of population's real incomes, which is provided by the sequential increase in wages, pensions, state benefits and grants, pricing policy, support for private initiatives, as well as a range of additional social benefits. Among them are the free electricity, gas, water, extremely low fee for utilities and transportation," the Turkmen government said.
Translated by E.A.