Written by Dr. Abdul Rahim Ibrahim Abdul Wahid
Ashgabat – Dubai: In an era increasingly defined by geopolitical tensions, environmental challenges, and social divides, the global call for unity has never been more urgent. Responding to this need, Turkmenistan has once again emerged as a champion of diplomacy and peace by proposing the designation of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust. This initiative, officially adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, aims to promote dialogue, foster cooperation, and reinforce the principles of mutual respect and non-aggression on a global scale. The following article explores the vision behind this declaration, its strategic significance, and the diverse activities planned throughout the year to advance a culture of peace and trust worldwide.
We can say with confidence that the year 2025, declared the Year of Peace and Trust at Turkmenistan’s initiative and endorsed by the UN General Assembly, presents a unique opportunity to deepen global cooperation in building a just, inclusive, and sustainable future
In this context, we can say that in light of the challenges in a world increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions, environmental crises, and social fragmentation, the call for unity and cooperation has become more urgent than ever. In response to this need, Turkmenistan has reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to peace and diplomacy by initiating the declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust. Officially adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, this initiative seeks to foster dialogue, enhance international cooperation, and uphold the principles of mutual respect and non-aggression on a global scale.
A Strategic Vision
The declaration of 2025 as the Year of Peace and Trust, backed by a broad coalition of UN member states, represents a vital opportunity to renew collective efforts toward a just, inclusive, and sustainable global future. This initiative is aligned with the UN Secretary-General’s “New Agenda for Peace”, which emphasizes conflict prevention, inclusive governance, and the strengthening of peacebuilding systems worldwide.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) plays a key role in translating this vision into impactful action. Recognizing the inextricable link between peace and sustainable development, UNDP works across political, economic, environmental, and social spheres to promote stability, equity, and progress. Through programs focused on conflict prevention, economic recovery, and social cohesion, UNDP supports the foundations of lasting peace, particularly in fragile and landlocked contexts.
These situations push us to say that the trends and events of the last few years indicate serious changes in international and interstate relations, the intensification of global and regional contradictions, and the emergence of conflicts in various parts of the world.
And the cause-and-effect relationships of these phenomena are diverse, but it is obvious that the defining characteristic of the current state of world politics is a lack of trust and significant differences in views and perceptions regarding the validity of one model of world order or another.
All this represents a very complex situation, capable of moving the entire international agenda back into the past, to an era of bloc and civilizational confrontation, significantly complicating multilateral cooperation in addressing new challenges and threats, achieving sustainable development goals, ensuring equitable distribution of resources, guaranteeing food security, overcoming poverty and inequality, responding to climate change and tackling a wide range of other pressing issues of global significance.
Building Partnerships
More than 30 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs)—home to nearly half a billion people across four continents—face inherent challenges in accessing global markets, resulting in trade costs that are often twice as high as those of their coastal neighbors. Economically vulnerable and often affected by geopolitical tensions, LLDCs require innovative solutions and international solidarity to overcome these hurdles.
To address these disparities, the Vienna Programme of Action (2014–2024) was launched as a global framework for advancing sustainable development in LLDCs. In August 2025, Turkmenistan will host the Third UN Conference on LLDCs under the theme “Driving Progress Through Partnership.” This major international forum will assess a decade of progress and chart a new course toward peace, cooperation, and inclusive development.
Turkmenistan—situated at the crossroads of Central Asia and Eastern Europe—is uniquely positioned to lead these efforts. As one of the seven LLDCs in the region, its geographic location and neutral foreign policy make it a strategic hub for regional logistics, trade, and diplomacy. Despite harsh environmental conditions, including the expansive Karakum Desert and heavy reliance on transboundary water sources, Turkmenistan has turned these challenges into opportunities by investing in transport corridors and hosting high-level forums on connectivity and regional integration.
UNDP’s Strategic Role
UNDP has been a key development partner for Turkmenistan, supporting its efforts in climate resilience, digital transformation, and sustainable economic growth. The agency has integrated climate risk management into national planning, supported the development of greenhouse gas reduction strategies, and helped advance Turkmenistan’s commitments under the Paris Agreement. UNDP also continues to guide the national preparation for the Third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and supports environmental reporting in collaboration with UNEP.
The 2025 International Year of Peace and Trust offers a powerful moment to advance shared global goals. It also marks the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s recognition as a permanently neutral state, a status endorsed by the United Nations in 1995. This milestone underscores the country’s longstanding dedication to peace, multilateral cooperation, and regional stability.
For over three decades, the UNDP-Turkmenistan partnership has delivered transformative results across development sectors—from rule of law and human rights to healthcare, digital innovation, and climate action. These efforts reflect a deepening relationship based on trust, shared values, and a unified vision for sustainable development.
New International Relations
The resolution “International Year of Peace and Trust, 2025” represents the practical embodiment of the philosophy of new international relations “Dialogue is a guarantee of peace”, announced by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
Thus, the adoption of this document marks a significant initial step toward utilizing the potential of the United Nations to provide a balanced assessment of current events and trends, overcome mistrust, and reduce confrontational tensions in global politics.
Turkmenistan considers the decision to declare 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust as a global-scale event and a genuine opportunity for a qualitative transition to a new stage in international relations. Essentially, Turkmenistan’s initiative is an invitation and call to all states to embark on joint efforts encompassing the political, ideological, and practical aspects of implementing the idea of peace and trust as a fundamental principle of the world order.
Based on this, the Global Security Strategy of Turkmenistan is intended to serve as an updated international legal framework for inter-state relations, reflecting the existing objective realities and needs of global development. Therefore, in conceptual terms, Turkmenistan considers the idea of developing the Strategy to be a logical and organic link in the affirmation of the principles of peace and trust.
Turkmenistan advocates for a clearly defined regional dimension in the UN’s activities – both in terms of substance and structure. We believe that such an approach is essential to making joint efforts more specific, functional, and effective.
Turkmenistan counts on the support of neutral, non-aligned and non-bloc countries, as well as all states that share the principles of non-interference and non-participation in conflicts, in the matter of uniting their capabilities, experience and authority to create conditions for the transition to peaceful, political and diplomatic methods of resolving existing and potential conflicts.
Comprehensive Strategy
In the International Year of Peace and Trust, Turkmenistan proposes to intensify a comprehensive strategy of cooperation for promoting the Sustainable Development Goals.
Achieving these goals is possible only by ensuring conditions for the full-scale participation of all states in the main processes of the modern world order, as wells as by shaping new approaches to the economy of the future – without dividing lines, bias, politicization and discrimination.
Turkmenistan will advocate for the same principles in addressing global food security, accessible healthcare, prevention of infectious diseases, and overcoming the consequences of global epidemics.
Turkmenistan’s approach to these issues is based on actively utilizing and enhancing the efficiency of interaction channels with humanitarian-focused structures, such as UNESCO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and other organizations.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship plays a major role in solving humanitarian issues. Leveraging the capabilities of the Foundation, large-scale humanitarian support to people in need in various countries will be continued during the International Year of Peace and Trust.