International Day of Neutrality

Preventive diplomacy has great peacemaking potential The prevention of disagreements between the parties to a dispute at the international level before it turns into a conflict is facilitated by the observance of neutrality Its general principles are set out in articles 5 and 12 of the Hague Convention, adopted in 1907 Thus, during the Second World War, Switzerland, Turkey, Portugal, Sweden and the Vatican declared their neutrality and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states Today on this list are Switzerland, the Vatican, Cambodia, Turkmenistan, Malta, Austria and the Republic of San Marino The choice of such a policy by governments is explained by the desire to protect citizens from the devastating consequences of regional and world wars However, states do not always manage to maintain their declared neutrality Thus, Nazi Germany invaded Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1940 The occupation took place despite the impartial position of these countries and their chosen neutrality German aggression against them, like British aggression against Iceland, and American aggression against Japan, led to an escalation of the conflict In the 21st century In the context of an increasing number of local “stress points,” respect for the territorial integrity of subjects of international law and their rights to self-determination is still relevant The Ashgabat conference, held in Turkmenistan in 2015, was devoted to neutrality and the basic principles of compliance with this policy Based on its results, a resolution was developed, according to which in February 2017 the UN proclaimed the International Day of Neutrality, the date of celebration of which was December 12 The conduct of events in honor of the International Day of Neutrality is intended to become one of the tools of preventive diplomacy Its goal is to prevent and prevent conflicts through negotiations, a policy of mediation and informal consultations between the warring parties, the use of the services of special envoys and fact-finding missions Analysts note that neutrality in peacetime is the key to building good neighborly relations between other states in the region where they are located The policy of non-interference is the key to de-escalating conflicts and developing friendly ties between countries The neutral policy of Turkmenistan contributes to the effectiveness of the application of preventive measures and is a factor stabilizing the situation in Central Asia, in particular, ensuring peace in Afghanistan Therefore, one of the UN headquarters for preventive diplomacy is located in the capital of the country, Ashgabat Neutrality plays a key role not only in achieving peace and security for the world's population, but also in delivering humanitarian aid to territories affected by military conflicts or affected by natural disasters In this regard, the UN pays great attention to the annual International Day of Neutrality on December 12