Promote unity and cooperation to meet global challenges (shared destiny)
In August this year, China assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council. In a responsible and constructive manner, China closely communicated and consulted with the members of the Security Council and all parties, earnestly performed the duties of the presidency, and pushed the Security Council to strengthen unity and cooperation and better play its role. In the meantime, the Security Council not only focused on the current outstanding problems, but also thought about long-term solutions. In order to meet various challenges, it held more than 20 meetings, adopted 2 resolutions, 1 presidential statement and 1 presidential press statement, and achieved positive results.
All parties fully affirmed China’s role, appreciated China’s leadership in the Security Council to actively respond to hot issues and properly handle emergencies, and spoke highly of China’s open and inclusive attitude and pragmatic and efficient style during his rotating presidency. China stated that as a permanent member of the Security Council, China will, as always, fulfill its due responsibilities and obligations, play an active and constructive role, and make new contributions to world peace and development and to the greater role of the United Nations.
Advocating dialogue and cooperation to safeguard common security
In today’s world, changes in the past century have accelerated evolution, unilateralism, power politics, camp confrontation and other thinking and behaviors have stirred up the international security situation, and various risks and challenges are complicated and intertwined. China believes that in the face of numerous challenges, the international community has no choice but to adhere to true multilateralism, adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, vigorously advocate dialogue, enhance understanding and trust, safeguard fairness and justice, and respond in unity and cooperation.
At the initiative of China, on August 22nd, the Security Council held an open meeting with the theme of "Strengthening dialogue and cooperation and safeguarding common security". Members of the Council held in-depth discussions around the theme of the meeting and extensively exchanged views on fundamental issues concerning international security.
UN Secretary-General Guterres said that when formulating a new peace agenda, we should learn from past events and devote ourselves to adopting peaceful tools such as dialogue, diplomacy and mutual trust. Zlavinen, President of the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, said that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is the consensus of the international community in safeguarding common security, and it is essential for countries to strengthen unity rather than division.
Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, said that in the era of globalization, the world is safe and secure. The global security initiative put forward by the Chairman of the Supreme Leader points out the direction for achieving common security. Respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries is the basis for achieving common security and the "golden rule" for state-to-state exchanges. All countries should firmly uphold the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, adhere to true multilateralism, support the UN and its Security Council to play an effective role, and actively respond to the needs of the times and expectations of all parties.
Michel Bianchi, Gabon’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, agreed with China. He said that dialogue can help achieve peace, overcome differences and promote the formulation of better and less risky conflict alternatives. The international community should find ways to get rid of the current crisis and emergency situation through dialogue.
Support capacity building to achieve lasting peace
At present, African countries are facing multiple impacts, such as COVID-19 epidemic, war and conflict, climate change, energy and food crisis, and urgently hope that the international community will pay more attention and input. Africa has always been a priority for the Security Council and China. At the initiative of China, the Security Council held an open debate on August 8 with the theme of "Peace and security in Africa: strengthening capacity building to achieve lasting peace". This is the third consecutive time that China has taken the initiative to hold thematic activities focusing on Africa during its presidency of the Security Council. The open debate received a positive response from the vast number of Member States, and representatives from more than 40 countries spoke at the meeting.
The delegation of China put forward a concept paper before the meeting, aiming at the long-standing problems faced by African countries, such as weak governance capacity, limited means of maintaining peace and insufficient resources, and stressed the importance of supporting African countries to strengthen capacity building. The Chinese side stated that it is the common responsibility of the international community to help Africa improve its capacity building, and strongly appealed to the international community to support Africa in strengthening its ability of government governance, the ability of the security sector to perform its duties, and the ability of sustainable development, and to cultivate and strengthen the African talent team. China emphasizes that strengthening the governance capacity of the government must adhere to the correct direction, respect and trust African governments, and support them to play a leading role. We cannot attach political conditions to aid, interfere in the internal affairs of African countries or even replace the role of local governments. China is willing to work with African countries to promote the implementation of global security initiatives as an opportunity to promote sustainable peace and security in Africa. China is willing to actively promote the implementation of global development initiatives and the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, deepen pragmatic cooperation and better benefit the African people.
Participants highly appreciated China’s initiative to hold this meeting and positively evaluated China’s contribution to supporting the peaceful development of Africa. Ban Kelai, Commissioner for Political Affairs and Peace and Security of the African Union Commission, believes that capacity building is crucial to maintaining lasting peace in Africa. China, as the rotating president of the Security Council, initiated this meeting, which is important and timely. It has hit the key issues facing Africa and meets the needs of African countries.
The members of the Security Council adopted the presidential statement drafted by China by consensus. This is the first outcome document of the Security Council on capacity-building in Africa. The statement puts forward systematic propositions and suggestions on supporting Africa’s capacity building, including both ideas and action plans, both measures to deal with urgent challenges such as the epidemic and long-term solutions. Representatives from Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia and other countries thanked and appreciated China’s initiative to hold an open debate and draft a presidential statement, emphasizing support for capacity building in African countries, helping to achieve lasting peace in Africa and benefiting the people of African countries.
Show China’s wisdom and contribute to China’s plan
In August, many hot issues on the agenda of the Security Council were at a critical stage, and new changes were brewing. The main thread running through the work of the Security Council was "dialogue, cooperation and cooling down". Together with other members of the Security Council, China has worked hard to mobilize positive factors, promote dialogue and reconciliation, and create favorable conditions for political settlement of hot issues.
China pays close attention to the development of hot events and makes every effort to push the Security Council to deal with them in a timely manner and play its due role. On August 4, the Security Council issued a press statement by the President, welcoming the extension of the truce between the parties to the Yemeni conflict and calling on the parties to extend the truce agreement to create conditions for the early realization of a comprehensive ceasefire. On August 8, China urged the Security Council to hold an emergency public meeting, which played an important role in cooling the situation in Gaza and consolidating the ceasefire. At the request of its members, the Security Council also held three public meetings on Ukraine, Libya and Afghanistan, considered Syria and Sudan, and adopted an extension resolution on the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
In an open and inclusive manner, China is committed to enhancing mutual trust, reducing confrontation, enhancing the unity of the Security Council and enhancing its authority, inclusiveness and work efficiency. Lana Nessibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, said that at the initiative of China, the Security Council held two landmark meetings in August to safeguard common security and support African capacity-building, which represented the positive progress made by the Security Council in practicing multilateralism, and the UAE supported China’s work. Ronaldo Costa, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, said that China presided over the work of the Security Council very successfully and made great efforts to ensure the smooth progress of the agenda of the Security Council in August.
Zhang Jun said that the Chinese President’s monthly work has come to an end, and China’s unremitting efforts for world peace, development and security will not stop. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China（CPC） will be held soon, and the development of China will move towards a new starting point and start a new journey. We have the desire and ability to make new contributions to world peace and development and to play a greater role in the United Nations. The global development initiative and global security initiative put forward by China represent the fundamental direction for China to cope with global challenges. China is willing to work with members of the Security Council and all Member States to make unremitting efforts to show China’s wisdom, contribute to China’s plan, work together to build common security, achieve common development, and promote the building of a community of human destiny.