Since the 57th session of the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA), the world has witnessed profound changes
with increasing uncertainties and interweaving conventional
and non-conventional threats. The issue of development has
far from been resolved yet. Nevertheless, peace and
development remain the themes of the time. The calls for
multilateralism and a strong UN role grow ever
stronger.
Under such circumstances, the 58th session
of the UNGA is of great significance in strengthening
multilateral cooperation and maintaining the leading role of
the UN in world affairs. We expect that those important and
pressing issues relating to world peace and development will
be considered and discussed thoroughly by all Member States
so as to achieve common ground and undertake concerted
efforts to realize the goals set in the Millennium
Declaration.
I. UNITED NATIONS
1.
UN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
UN peacekeeping operations
should be carried out with the mandate and guidance of the
Security Council, and observe the UN Charter and basic
principles that have been proven effective through practices
in the past.
China is of the view that measures should
be taken to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the
UN peacekeeping operations. We support the Secretariat to
continue to improve the Standby Arrangement System (UNSAS)
and to enhance the rapid deployment capability of
peacekeeping operations, corresponding with changes of
situations and Members' needs.
China also supports
the reform of the DPKO to improve its capability in planning
and coordinating. With regard to the recruiting process,
relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the
principles of equitable geographical distribution and gender
balance should be observed and implemented
fully.
2. UN FINANCING
A strong and
stable financing basis is the guarantee for the effective
functioning of the UN. All Member States should faithfully
fulfill their financial obligations by paying all assessed
contributions for both regular budget and peacekeeping on
time, in full, and without conditions.
UN program
budget should be prepared on the basis of making available
the adequate resources for the mandated programs and
activities, following the principle of efficiency and
effectiveness. The priority setting must conform to the
interests and needs of majority of Member States,
particularly the developing countries.
3. UN
REFORMS
China supports the effort to reform the UN
with the aim to a stronger and more effective organization
and catching up with the pace of times. During the process
of reform, the legitimate rights and interests of the
developing countries should be taken care of, and the UN's
role in promoting economic and social development should be
strengthened, so as to achieve the goals set in the
Millennium Declaration. The 58th session of the UNGA should
discuss thoroughly the Secretary General's Report of the UN
Reforms and accelerate the process.
China is in favor
of appropriate and necessary reform of the Security Council
to enhance its authority, further improve its working method
and transparency in decision making and promote its
efficiency. The reform should follow the principle
of equitable geographical distribution while giving priority
to increasing representation of developing countries.
II. DEVELOPMENT
1.
GLOBALIZATION
The international community, especially
developed countries which are the primary beneficiaries of
globalization, should take their obligations and
responsibilities to push forward globalization in a stable
and balanced manner, so as to enable all countries to
benefit equitably from globalization process.
All
countries should coordinate and consult to explore specific
measures and possible mechanisms on implementing the agreed
objectives at the Millennium Summit in the area of
development cooperation.
All countries should
exchange and share experiences and lessons of various
civilizations and models of development, and learn from one
another in competition and comparison, so as to seek common
ground while shelving differences and achieve common
development. This process will give new impetus to world
economy and ensure that all people can benefit from
globalization.
The international community should
dedicate to the establishment of a new international
political and economic order in responding to the
development of globalization, including reforming the
international financial architecture, improving the
multilateral trading system to be more open and equitable,
as well as strengthening the capacity and role of the UN in
coordinating development issues. It should also strive to
ensure all countries, especially developing countries to
participate equally in the decision making process in world
economy.
2. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS
One of the key tasks for the UN is
to assist all countries, especially developing countries to
achieve MDGs. The international community should:
-
take concrete actions to ensure the sustainable and steady
increase of ODA to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of GNP
by developed countries.
- enhance the sound
development of world trade. The UN should promote the WTO
New Round to focus on development issues, so as to make it a
real "Round for Development".
- promote
cooperation for sustainable development and make the full
use of the existing mechanism, especially the UNCSD, to
exchange experience and share technology so as to implement
the consensus and goals set in WSSD.
- strengthen
capacity building for developing countries, provide
substantial assistance in institutional and competitiveness
building, as well as personnel training, to developing
countries according to their needs.
- set up a fair
and rational evaluation framework for the process of the
MDGs, not only monitoring the achievements at the national
level, but also oversighting and assessing the
implementation of the commitments on development
assistance.
- establish global partnership among
governments, international institutions, private sectors and
civil society to collaborate closely and join efforts to
achieve the MDGs. The UN should play a leading and
coordinating role in this aspect.
III.
Counter-Terrorism
China supports the fight
against terrorism in all forms.
With the coordination
of the Security Council and based on UN Charter and
principles of international law, the international community
should set a long-term and comprehensive counter-terrorism
strategy with the aim to eliminating the root causes of
terrorism thus making contributions to the world peace and
security.
China welcomes the dialogue among
civilizations, supports strengthening international
counter-terrorism cooperation, and opposes to link terrorism
with any specific nation, ethnic or religion.
China is
also the victim of terrorism. The East Turkistan
terrorist groups are part of international terrorist
network. Fighting against the East Turkistan
terrorist groups is an important aspect of the international
counter-terrorism campaign.
China has supported and
actively participated in the drafting of Comprehensive
International Convention on the International Terrorism and
the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of
Nuclear Terrorism. China expects all parties to
continue consultations on the remaining issues of the two
draft conventions in a cooperative and constructive manner
so as to adopt the two drafts at an early
date.
IV. REGIONAL
ISSUES
1?IRAQ
The issue of Iraq should be
addressed with a view of long-term interests of
Iraqi people as well as maintenance of peace and security in
the Middle East and Gulf region.
Iraq's political
independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity should
be guaranteed in the reconstruction process. The will and
choice of Iraqi people should be fully respected. The
international community should make efforts to help Iraqi
people restore peace and stability, national solidarity,
economic rehabilitation and friendly relations with its
neighbors at an early date.
The reconstruction of Iraq
depends on the joint efforts of the international community.
The vital role played by the UN in this process will bring
the initiatives of all parties into their full play and
ensure the reconstruction work be carried out smoothly and
orderly.
China supports and will participate actively
in the forthcoming International Conference on Iraq
Reconstruction hosted by the UN in the coming
October.
2. MIDDLE EAST
China welcomes
the relaxation of tension between Israel and Palestine and
supports the initiation and implementation of the "Road
Map".
China hopes that based on the relevant UN
resolutions and the principle of Land for Peace, Israel and
Palestine will continue their efforts to honour their
commitments and further progress in the peace negotiations.
China believes that the
negotiation between Syria and Israel and that between
Lebanon and Israel, which are also important parts of Middle
East peace process, should be resumed.
China is ready
to, together with other parties, contribute to the
realization of comprehensive and lasting peace in the
region.
3. AFGHANISTAN
The peace process
of Afghanistan is at a critical stage and needs continued
attention and support of the international community.
The international community should fulfill their
assistance commitments and facilitate the
implementation of Bonn Agreement in accordance with the
timetable therein. China supports UN's leading role in the
peace process of
Afghanistan.
4?AFRICA
China is of the
view that the stability and development of Africa is
indispensable to world peace and prosperity. The
international community has common responsibility and
obligation in helping African countries to achieve national
reconciliation, eradicate regional conflict and step onto
the road of rehabilitation.
The UN should pay more
attention to the conflicts in Africa and play a bigger role
in preventing, meditating and resolving conflicts, and
support the efforts made by the African countries in this
regard.
The essential solution to the conflicts in
Africa is development. International community should pay
more attention to the development of Africa and take
positive measures in eradicating poverty, remitting debts,
preventing and curing disease.
V. ARMS CONTROL
AND DISARMAMENT
China believes that it is in
the interests of all countries to ensure the peaceful use of
outer space and to prevent the weaponization of and an arms
race in outer space. It is necessary for the Conference of
Disarmament to re-establish the Ad Hoc Committee on
Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) to conduct
substantive work with a view to negotiating relevant
international legal instruments.
China has always been
advocating a complete prohibition and thorough destruction
of nuclear weapons. China welcomes the entry into force of
the Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty between the US and
Russia, believing that countries with the largest nuclear
arsenals bear special and primary responsibilities for
nuclear disarmament and that they should continue to reduce
their nuclear arsenals drastically and irreversibly, so as
to create favorable conditions for further progress in the
nuclear disarmament process.
China supports an early
entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban
Treaty and urges all states that have not signed and
ratified the Treaty to do so at an early date. We deem it
critical for countries concerned to maintain the moratorium
on nuclear test before the entry into force of the
Treaty.
China always supports an early negotiation and
conclusion of a treaty banning the production of fissile
material for nuclear weapons, which is conducive to
preventing nuclear proliferation and promoting nuclear
disarmament. We hope that the Conference on Disarmament will
reach a comprehensive and balanced working program at an
early date, so as to launch negotiations of the said
treaty.
China is firmly opposed to the proliferation
of nuclear weapons in any form. China views the NPT as the
cornerstone of the international nonproliferation regime. We
support the effort to preserve the Treaty's authority,
enhance its universality and promote its implementation and
review process. At present, to prevent nuclear terrorism is
of realistic significance. We support the international
community in adopting necessary measures to guard against
nuclear terrorism.
China has all along advocated the
complete prohibition and thorough destruction of biological
and chemical weapons, and has always been opposed to the
proliferation of such weapons. China is devoted to the
comprehensive and effective implementation of the Chemical
Weapons Convention. China will, along with the international
community, continue to make contributions to the process of
strengthening the effectiveness of the Biological Weapons
Convention within multilateral framework.
China stands
firmly against the proliferation of the delivery means of
weapons of mass destruction. We support the UN to play an
active and important role in addressing the issue of
missiles in all its aspects. We are willing to participate
actively in international exchanges and cooperation in this
field. A fair, reasonable, effective and non-discriminatory
multilateral missile non-proliferation regime shall be
established with universal participation.
China
attaches importance to the significant role of the
Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) in
addressing the humanitarian concerns arising from the
warfare, and has actively participated in all the work
related to the Convention. China participated and played a
constructive role in the five sessions of the Group of the
Governmental Experts (GGE) of the State Parties to the CCW
and the 2002 Conference of the State Parties to the CCW.
China will continue to support and actively participate in
the work of the GGE with the hope that further progress will
be made. The National People's Congress (NPC) of China has
ratified the Amendment of Article I of the Convention, and
the Chinese Government will soon deposit the Instrument of
Ratification to the UN Secretary-General.
China fully
understands and shares the humanitarian concerns of the
international community regarding the indiscriminate
injuries to innocent civilians caused by landmines. China
all along supports and actively participates in the efforts
made by the international community to address this issue.
As a state party to the Amended Landmine Protocol to the
Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, China has always
faithfully implemented the Protocol. Having solved
the landmine problems inside the country, China actively
participate in the international de-mining assistance
through donating funds, providing de-mining equipments,
sponsoring international de-mining training workshops and
sending de-mining experts to mine-affected countries for
on-site instruction in mine clearance, etc. China
is willing to strengthen the exchange and cooperation with
other countries in international de-mining assistance, so as
to make joint efforts to reduce the injuries to civilians
caused by landmines.
China all along supports and
actively takes part in various international efforts against
the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons (SALW).
China supports the UN's leading role in the
international efforts against the illicit trade of SALW, and
supports the report adopted by the UN GGE on identifying and
tracing of illicit SALW. The Chinese Government
has donated $10,000 this year to the UN DDA for its efforts
on SALW.
China has signed the Protocol against the
Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their
Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime. China supports an early entry into force of
the Protocol, and is making active preparations for the
implementation of the Protocol.
VI. SOCIAL
ISSUES
1. HUMAN RIGHTS
China maintains
all countries are obliged to make continuous efforts to
promote and protect human rights in line with the purposes
and principles of the UN Charter and international human
rights instruments. Such efforts should also be tailored to
their prevailing national conditions.
China advocates
for international cooperation in the field of human rights
and calls for countries to step up exchanges on the basis of
equality and mutual respect, so as to enhance mutual
understanding, seek common ground while shelving differences
and strive for common development.
We
stand against double standards and politicization on the
issue of human rights.
China will actively
participate in the Third Committee of the UNGA, press for
equal importance to be attached to the two groups of rights,
i.e. economic, social and cultural rights and civil and
political rights. China will also follow closely the
discussion on such issues as the right to development,
terrorism and human rights and international human rights
mechanisms.
2. DRUG CONTROL
China holds
that countries need to cooperate according to the principle
of "international solidarity and burden sharing".
The international community should help the developing
countries to strengthen their capacity through financial
assistance and technical cooperation. The principle of
mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each
other's internal affairs should be firmly adhered to.
Politicization of drug control issues should be
avoided.
3. MIGRATION ISSUES
China holds
that countries should conduct cooperation in the field of
migration on the basis of mutual respect, equality and
mutual benefit by opening legal channels to ensure orderly
population movement, while cracking down on illegal
migration and trafficking in persons.
China believes
that illegal migration is one of the salient issues in the
field of migration today. Economic disparity and the gap
between the rich and the poor constitute one of the major
root causes of illegal migration. The international
community needs to take practical actions to foster common
development and eliminate the root causes of illegal
migration.
4. PUBLIC HEALTH
Development
of the public health undertaking is the very purpose of
economic growth, the responsibility of governments in the
world, and the guarantee for a healthy life for all people
in the world. Economic globalization provides more chances
for the spread and transmission of diseases worldwide, and
poses a new challenge to the public health
undertaking.
The international community needs to
carry out cooperation and work steadily to develop and
strengthen the public health undertaking, at both the
national and the international level, by adhering to the
principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual
benefit.
China calls on the developed countries to
provide financial and technological assistance to the
developing countries and contribute to their capacity
building, with a view to jointly promoting development of
the public health undertaking and achieving the MDGs as a
whole.
VII. TAIWAN ISSUE
The
Resolution 2758 adopted at the 26th session of the UNGA has
completely resolved the issue of China's representation by
recognizing the government of the People's Republic of China
as the sole legitimate representative of China in the United
Nations . The United Nations is an inter-governmental
organization composed of sovereign states. As an inalienable
part of China, Taiwan is ineligible for membership in the
United Nations.
Since the 48th session of the UNGA,
the Taiwan authorities have used every means to try to list
the so-called question of Taiwan's participation in the
United Nations into the agenda of the UNGA, which has been
rejected by the successive General Committees of the UNGA.
The Chinese Government hopes that all Member States should
adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and
resolution 2758, and refrain from supporting in any form
Taiwan's attempts to participate in the United Nations.
(from http://www.fmprc.gov.cn)