On February 2, 2017, the UN General Assembly, by its resolution (A/RES/71/275), proclaimed December 12 as International Day of Neutrality.
The establishment of the memorable date was preceded by the consideration of the Ashgabat final document, which became the logical conclusion of the International Conference held in 2015 in Turkmenistan and dedicated to the policy of neutrality.
Neutrality in the system of international law is a policy of non-participation in war and refusal to participate in military blocs during a peaceful period of time. Adhering to a policy of neutrality, states at various periods of history sought to protect themselves and their citizens from the destructive consequences of wars that took place in neighboring territories. International law distinguishes between armed neutrality, neutrality in armed conflict and permanent neutrality.
In the modern world, the policy of neutrality and its role in ensuring security in certain regions, as well as maintaining peace and good neighborly relations, are highly appreciated by the world community. It was the desire to emphasize such a role of neutrality in the system of international relations that prompted the countries participating in the 2015 International Conference to appeal to the UN with a proposal to establish a memorable date, calling it International Day of Neutrality. This was the essence of the Ashgabat final document.
The initiative came from Turkmenistan, which has been a neutral state since 1995 and celebrated the 20th anniversary of its neutrality in 2015.
Establishing a new memorable date, the UN General Assembly noted the connection between the policy of neutrality and the instruments of preventive diplomacy: prevention and prevention of conflicts and armed confrontations, mediation missions, negotiations, with the aim of peacefully resolving and ending conflicts that have already arisen, etc.
High appreciation of these activities emphasizes the importance and priority of preventive diplomacy, and also indicates that the neutrality of the state in peacetime – is one of the keys to building peaceful relations in the region where such a state is located. The neutral status of the state reduces the level of international tension in the region, guaranteeing its neighbors that the enemy and armed forces of any military bloc will not be on their borders. It is no coincidence that the successful activities of neutral Turkmenistan in this area became the reason for the choice of Ashgabat as the headquarters of the UN regional center for preventive diplomacy in Central Asia.
International Day of Neutrality aims to raise awareness of the specifics of such policies, as well as their role in building peaceful, friendly international relations.