Mr President:
On behalf of the EAEU member states, including the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and the Russian Federation, and in my capacity as a representative of the state presiding over the EAEU's bodies in 2023, I would like to inform you about how the development of economic integration processes within the EAEU contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the EAEU member states.
Currently, the EAEU is among the advanced regional integration organisations where the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labour is ensured. The EAEU’s main goal is to improve the well-being of the citizens of its member states. To achieve this goal, much is being done to create common markets within the EAEU in various areas of cooperation. Today, the EAEU represents over 184.3 million consumers, and the member states’ aggregate GDP exceeds $2 trillion.
The principles of equality, mutual respect, and consideration for the interests of all participants, as well as the functioning of the customs union without exceptions or restrictions, underlie Eurasian integration. This close cooperation serves as a source of economic development for the participating countries.
Each EAEU member state takes specific steps to achieve sustainable development goals based on national programme documents, and development strategies and concepts.
At the same time, economic integration within the EAEU serves as an additional factor that contributes to the achievement of the SDGs.
The EAEU was the first regional economic integration organisation to analyse the relationship between the depth of integration and progress in achieving SDGs. The report titled, “Indicators of Achieving the SDGs in the EAEU Region,” compiled by the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and presented during the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Political Forum in 2017 was the starting point for assessing our progress toward the 2030 Agenda.
The EAEU member states are pleased to note the positive pace of SDG achievement in areas falling within the EAEU's competence.
The well-established work in statistics within the EAEU allows for the expansion of the number of SDG indicators that can be calculated within the integration association to assess progress. To this end, the member states have compiled a list of benchmarks for achieving the SDGs that take into account the EAEU’s priorities.
For example, the guaranteed freedom of movement of goods within the EAEU significantly impacts SDG indicators.
Citizens of our states obtain practical benefits from free labour movement realised within the EAEU. Workers from EAEU member states do not require work permits or the validation of education documents issued in other member states.
Businesses in our countries and our partner countries operating within the EAEU member states benefit from the single services market. Approximately 50 percent of all services provided within the EAEU are regulated by uniform rules. The number of service sectors subject to unified legal regulation is continually growing.
To ensure the freedom of capital movement, the member states have agreed to a phased-in harmonisation of national legislation in the field of financial market regulation by 2025. This effort will result in the creation of a common EAEU financial market and a regulatory body for financial markets within the EAEU.
The EAEU’s digital agenda has made a significant contribution to achieving the SDGs. In particular, the uniform job search system, Work Without Borders, significantly simplifies job searches, while EAEU’s digital transport corridor ecosystem and the Eurasian industrial cooperation network expedite the process of bringing new products to market and enhancing cooperation with third countries.
Achieving the SDGs is closely related to the effective implementation of the climate agenda. Our five countries understand the importance of ensuring universal access to sustainable and the latest sources of energy and taking measures to combat climate change. The Climate Technologies and Digital Initiatives Bank has been established, including carbon footprint-related technology and digital initiatives; a list of green project criteria in EAEU member states has been approved.
International cooperation also plays a crucial role in achieving the SDGs. The EAEU advocates equal dialogue among integration structures and sees this as a key to the more efficient functioning of the global economic architecture.
We are pleased to note that this approach is shared by our partners in other regions of the world.
We appreciate the attention to regional cooperation issues from the United Nations, its regional commissions, and UN agencies.
We express our interest in studying the best global practices for reforming economic sectors aimed at achieving the SDGs, which is especially important in light of defining the strategy for the further development of the EAEU.
Achieving the SDGs is a shared goal that requires combined efforts and mobilisation of existing resources by all participants in international relations.