Turkmenistan, committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, consistently brings to life the main principles of its policy, formulated as “The state is for the people!” and “The state is a state only together with the people!” In other words, an individual with his or her potential, values and needs is at the heart of the development of all spheres of life of the state and society.
Consistent measures are being taken for the benefit of the people in the country to strengthen social stability and to improve the wellbeing of the people, to maintain economic stability and to create a better future for the younger generation. On the basis of the Voluntary National Review of Turkmenistan on the Sustainable Development Goals, the NT editorial staff has prepared a series of materials on the progress of the implementation of the main principles of the state policy in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.
17 Sustainable Development Goals focus on five key areas: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace (peaceful life) and Partnerships. The tasks of the “People” component of the 2030 Agenda are to be integrated up to 95 per cent in the national programmes of Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan adopted 136 tasks and 180 indicators that will be implemented until 2030.
The main steps and actions taken by Turkmenistan to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and targets are set forth in the book of the National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Turkmenistan on the Path to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, presented at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly and in the first Voluntary National Review of Turkmenistan on the Sustainable Development Goals.
All national programmes, plans, conceptions and other programme documents set the ultimate goal of the long-term national development the improvement of the standard of living and wellbeing of the people. The goal-setting tasks of the new long-term Programme “Revival of the New Era of the Powerful State: The National Programme of the Socioeconomic Development of Turkmenistan in 2022–2052 include the further improvement of the standard of living, social protection and employment. Turkmenistan’s commitment to achieving the SDGs contributed to creating a holistic people-centred model of sustainable development and improving the wellbeing of every citizen of the country.
Pursuing the state policy, aimed at steadily improving the living standards of the people in compliance with the principle “The state is for the people!”, Turkmenistan allocates more than 75 per cent of the State budget for the social sector, including health care, education, employment, social protection, culture, housing and communal services. In 2015–2022, the share of financing for education, health care and social protection in the State budget increased from 49.0 to 67.7 per cent.
With the aim of steadily improving the living standards of the people, the state raises salaries, pensions, state benefits and scholarships by 10 per cent annually, has created more than 30,000 new jobs since 2019 and provide lifelong learning opportunities, which is of crucial importance in the context of economic diversification. All this is interconnected and linked to the promotion of gender equality and other SDG targets.
The main goals of the ongoing social reform include the comprehensive development of the system of social protection. Citizens of the country have access to temporary disability benefits, pregnancy benefits, childbirth benefits, childcare benefits (for working or not working mothers) until the child reaches the age of 3 and disability benefits (in the event of partial or complete disability). Social support is provided to families with many children, children who have lost their parents and veterans.
In November 2021, amendments to the Code of Turkmenistan of Social Protection were introduced, according to which, on January 1, 2022, childbirth benefits, childcare benefits and benefits for the loss of a close family member for families with 4 or more orphans were raised; an additional amount of 30 per cent to their pension or state benefits are paid to the mothers who have the title “Ene mähri”. All this contributes to the annual growth of incomes of citizens.
Since 2019, the Government of Turkmenistan and the UN have been implementing a Joint Programme on improving the system of social protection. The joint programme contributed to the adoption of the new Law of Turkmenistan “On Social Services” (2021). To enforce the new Law, a new model of inclusive social services for vulnerable populations, including children was launched, and 45 social work specialists were trained. The new model is based on human rights and an inclusive approach to the delivery of social services and focuses on the specific needs of vulnerable population.
In the medium and long term, a human-centred approach will be at the foundation of the priorities of the national policy of Turkmenistan. The fundamental component of the social and economic strategy of Turkmenistan is to ensure a decent life and free development of an individual. The social vector in the national policy contributes to making significant progress toward implementing the guiding principle of the 2030 Agenda – Leaving No One Behind.