China calls for strengthening the core role of the United Nations

Chinese Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sun Lei spoke at the General Assembly interactive dialogue on the “Future Contract” and the “United Nations 80th Anniversary Reform Initiative” (UN80) on the 24th, calling for strengthening the core role of the United Nations. Sun Lei said that the current international situation is growing increasingly turbulent. With security disorder, development imbalance, and governance failure becoming more and more prominent, the United Nations is also facing serious political challenges and financial difficulties. The “Future Contract” and UN80 have emerged in response to the times, carrying the firm commitment and good vision of the international community to champion multilateralism and improve global governance, and reflecting the determination of member states to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the United Nations and move with the times. Sun Lei emphasized that the more difficult the moment is, the more we need to strengthen the core role of the United Nations as the most universal, representative, and authoritative intergovernmental international organization; the more we need to strengthen the practical effectiveness of the United Nations’ work in its three main pillars—peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights; and the more we need to support the work of the Secretary-General. The starting point and the focus of the “Future Contract” and UN80 are both to uphold the authority of the United Nations and strengthen the role of the United Nations. Sun Lei said that UN80 has achieved phased progress, while reform is increasingly entering deep waters and the tasks in the next stage are even more complex and arduous. China expects all member states and the Secretariat to uphold the original intention of reform, focus on action orientation, and advance the authorization implementation review and structural reform in an inclusive and transparent manner. In this process, we must earnestly follow the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, ensure that member states retain the initiative and decision-making power in the reform process, and balance progress across the three pillars of development. At the same time, we must firmly rule out political manipulation to ensure that the development pillar is not weakened and that the representation and right to speak of developing countries are not affected.(Xinhua News Agency)