Global Policy Forum

With the advent of a new century, international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes. Peace and development remain the themes of the times, but uncertain and unstable elements are on the rise. We are faced with rare opportunities as well as grave challenges to realize enduring peace and common development of human society.

Against the backdrop of in-depth development of globalization and increasingly closer interdependence of states, global threats and challenges have become more diverse and interconnected. All threats, new or old, "soft" or "hard", direct or indirect, should be treated with equal seriousness and emphasis without partiality. All countries should make concerted efforts to deepen understanding through contacts, enhance trust through dialogues, and promote cooperation through communications, so as to cope with threats and challenges, especially to eliminate their root causes, by collective action.

The United Nations plays an indispensable role in international affairs. As the most universal, representative, authoritative inter-governmental international organization, the UN is the best venue to practice multilateralism, and an effective platform for collective actions to cope with various threats and challenges. It should continue to be a messenger for the maintenance of peace, and a forerunner for the promotion of development promotion. A reformed UN with a bigger role to play will serve the common interests of humanity.

China welcomes the report of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, UN Millennium Project Report and the comprehensive report of the UN Secretary-General, all of which put forward some useful and feasible approaches and proposals for the rejuvenation and reform of the UN. China is ready to work with all other parties to push for positive results of UN reforms and success of the summit in September.

China maintains that UN reforms should observe the following principles:

• Reforms should be in the interest of multilateralism, and enhance UN's authority and efficiency, as well as its capacity to deal with new threats and challenges.

• Reforms should safeguard the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter, especially those of sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, peaceful resolution of conflicts and strengthening international cooperation, etc.

• Reforms should be all-dimensional and multi-sectoral, and aim to succeed in both aspects of security and development. Especially, reforms should aim at reversing the trend of UN giving priority to security over development by increasing inputs in the field of development and facilitating the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

• Reforms shall accommodate the propositions and concerns of all UN members, especially those of the developing countries. Reforms should be based on democratic and thorough consultations and the most broadly-based consensus.

• Reforms should proceed gradually from tackling more manageable problems to thornier ones and be carried out in a way that will maintain and promote solidarity among members. For those proposals on which consensus has been reached, decision may be made promptly for their implementation; for important issues where division still exists, prudence, continued consultations and consensus-building are called for. It is undesirable to set a time limit or force a decision.

I. Development Issues

Development is the common pursuit of people from all countries and bedrock for a collective security mechanism and the progress of human civilization. Poverty, diseases, environmental degradation are also grave challenges to the international community. Serious attention must be given to the needs of developing countries, with a view to achieving coordinated, balanced and universal development around the world.

1. Poverty

• To eliminate poverty, an urgent priority is to facilitate the implementation of the MDGs. This should become the focus of UN reforms and the September summit.

• We should steer globalization toward balanced development, and strengthen developing countries' position for equal participation and decision-making in international affairs.

• China supports developing countries' efforts to promptly formulate and implement comprehensive national strategies in light of their own national conditions for the realization of MDGs. The international community should provide necessary assistance to support these efforts.

• International development assistance should be provided in a way that takes into full consideration the national conditions of developing countries, and increases the recipient countries' autonomy and participation in this process for better results.

• China is in favor of the Secretary-General's recommendations of a timetable for increasing Official Development Assistance(ODA) to 0.7% of national GDP, and believes that it is necessary to draw detailed implementation plans and set up a monitoring and assessing mechanism.

• China supports international efforts to explore innovative resources as a useful supplement to ODA, which should continues to play a major role.

• We shall reform and improve the international financial system to make it consistent with the principle of equality and mutual benefit, and monitor, and guide rational flows of international capital to fend off financial crises.

• We should establish and improve an open and fair multilateral trading system, based on full consideration of the interests of developing and new members, and eliminate agricultural subsidies and substantially reduce tariff and non-tariff trade barriers as soon as possible in accordance with the mandate provided by the Doha Declaration.

• The Chinese side supports efforts to promote an agreement on the modality of negotiations at the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong in accordance with the July 2004 approximation and the mandate provided by the Doha Declaration, with a view to achieving an early completion of the Doha round and making it a genuine "development round".

• The developed countries should reduce and forgive, in real earnest, debts owed to them by developing countries, so that more capital will be available for development.

• We should encourage and strengthen public-private partnerships and mobilize more resources to promote economic growth and eliminate poverty.

• China supports to strengthen South-South cooperation, including sharing experience, expanding areas of cooperation and mutual assistance for mutual benefit, in order to enhance capacity building for development.

2. Disease

• All countries should promptly implement the UN resolutions 58/3 and 59/27 related to "enhancing capacity-building in global public health", put public health development in the context of their own development plans and activities, establish scientific and standardized public health systems, and improve the monitoring, prevention, control, treatment and reporting networks for contagious diseases. The developed world should help the developing countries in this regard.

• Relevant agencies operating within the UN system should consider incorporating public health into their activities, programs and plans, give greater support to all countries in strengthening public health capacity and promote international cooperation.

• We should strengthen the guiding and coordinating role of the World Health Organization and other relevant international organizations in disease prevention and treatment. China is in favor of more resources being channeled for the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.

• We should make further efforts to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. The immediate priority is to speed up the implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/ AIDS within the existing cooperation framework. The developed countries shall honor their commitments through the provision of more financial and technical support to the developing countries in the prevention and treatment of HIV /AIDS.

• Currently there is no universally recognized standards to define whether contagious diseases pose a threat to international peace and security. Given that the Security Council's main function is to deal with issues that pose grave threats to international peace and security, it is unadvisable for it to repeat the work of other agencies.

3. Environmental Issues

• China stands for a scientific concept of development encompassing, inter alia, incorporating sustainable development and environmental protection into national development strategy and coordinating relations between economic, social development and environmental protection.

• Countries ought to engage in international cooperation for sustainable development according to the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities, focusing on helping developing countries cope with environmental challenges effectively, especially such urgent issues as water scarcity, urban air pollution, ecological degradation and desertification. Developed countries ought to honour their commitments through technological transfer and provision of financial support aimed at capacity-building of developing countries.

• Sustainable development is the most effective response to global climate change. The international community should give serious consideration to the immediate needs and challenges of countries when formulating policies on energy, climate change and other related issues.

• The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change provides an fundamental and effective framework for international cooperation in response to climate change. Obligations for 2008-2012 provided for in the Kyoto Protocol, including reduction in emission of greenhouse gases, transfer of know-how to developing countries, financial support and assistance in areas such as capacity-building should be fulfilled in real earnest.

• China is in favor of stepping up coordination and cooperation among existing environmental protection institutions and integrating resources for higher efficiency and better coordinated policies. China is open to related recommendations aimed at achieving the afore-mentioned goals.

4. Natural Disaster

China supports the establishment of worldwide early warning systems for all natural disasters at an early date, supports the strengthening of coordination and cooperation for emergency humanitarian assistance and disaster reduction at the national, regional and international levels.

II. Security Issues

We endorse the Secretary-General's proposal concerning collective action against security threats and challenges. It is consistent with China's proposal for a new security concept that features "mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination". To establish an effective, efficient and fair collective security mechanism, the key lies in adhering to mutilateralism, promoting democracy and rule of law in international affairs, sticking to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, strengthening the authority and capability of the UN and safeguarding the centrality of the Security Council to the collective security system.

1.War and Conflict

• Internal conflicts are complex. Whether they threaten world peace and security needs to be judged on a case-by-case basis. The resolution of internal conflicts should mainly rely on the efforts of the people of the State. External support should be given with caution and responsibility in compliance with the UN Charter and international law and should combine political and diplomatic measures with a prudent and responsible attitude to encourage and facilitate the resolution of problems through consultation and negotiation between the conflicting parties.

2.Counter-terrorism

• China hopes for a consensus on the definition of terrorism. The definition may draw on, as appropriate, the existing international conventions and related provisions of Security Council resolutions.

• China believes it necessary to appoint a UN coordinator for counter-terrorism affairs.

3. Disarmament and Non-proliferation

• China supports the early launch of negotiation on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty on the basis of a balanced program of work to be agreed at the Disarmament Conference in Geneva.

• China opposes the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, supports the strengthening of the current international non-proliferation regime and calls for the resolution of proliferation issues within the framework of international law by political and diplomatic means. Any non-proliferation measures should contribute to international and regional peace, security and stability. Like many other nations, China is not in favor of the interceptive measures taken by the Proliferation Security Initiative beyond the international law.

• China supports the international community's efforts in combating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and supports the negotiation for the conclusion of an international instrument on ¡°marking and tracing of the illicit small arms and light weapons¡±. The illicit trade in small arms involves many factors such as disarmament, security, development and humanitarianism and should be addressed through a comprehensive and appropriate approach. In this regard, states shall take on the primary responsibilities and strengthen coordination and cooperation, and the UN should continue to play a leading role.

4. Organized Crime

• Provided that the existing international conventions concluded at the UN are effectively implemented, China does not object to the negotiation and conclusion of necessary new international conventions within the UN framework.

5. Prevention and Mediation

6. Sanctions

• The international community should help developing countries build capacity for sanctions implementation.

7. Use of force

8. Peacekeeping

• UN peacekeeping operations should comply with the UN Charter and all the basic principles that are proven effective, including neutrality, consent of parties concerned and non-use of force except for self-defense, etc.

• China supports the enhancement of the UN's peacekeeping capacity and welcomes the Secretary-General's proposal on the establishment of strategic reserves and civilian police standby capacity. China hopes that the Secretariat will specify and clarify the many aspects of the proposal as required by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping of the General Assembly. To establish a new mechanism entails cautious and thorough consideration so as to ensure its feasibility and effectiveness. Resources should be consolidated and limits of capacity respected and potential of the existing mechanisms fully tapped.

• The limited UN resources on peacekeeping should be rationally and effectively utilized. The UN may provide support, where necessary, to peacekeeping operations conducted by regional organizations in Africa.

• China supports stronger cooperation between the UN and regional organizations for better coordination and full utilization of each other's advantages. Peacekeeping operations undertaken by regional organizations should comply with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

9. Peacebuilding

• China supports the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission. The responsibilities of the Commission should focus on assisting the planning of the transition from conflict to post-conflict reconstruction and coordinating international efforts. China endorses the Secretary-General's view that the Commission is largely an advisory body without early warning or monitoring function.

• The Commission will be responsible mainly to the Security Council, which is in the interest of its efficiency and effectiveness. China also supports the Economic and Social Council's full participation in the Commission's work.

• The Secretariat should follow the principles of efficiency and effectiveness in setting up the Peacebuilding Support Office.

III. Rule of Law, Human Rights and Democracy

1. Responsibility to Protect

• Each state shoulders the primary responsibility to protect its own population. However, internal unrest in a country is often caused by complex factors. Prudence is called for in judging a government's ability and will to protect its citizens. No reckless intervention should be allowed.

• When a massive humanitarian crisis occurs, it is the legitimate concern of the international community to ease and defuse the crisis. Any response to such a crisis should strictly conform to the UN Charter and the opinions of the country and the regional organization concerned should be respected. It falls on the Security Council to make the decision in the frame of UN in light of specific circumstances which should lead to a peaceful solution as far as possible. Wherever it involves enforcement actions, there should be more prudence in the consideration of each case.

2. International Criminal Court

• China supports the establishment of an International Criminal Court characterized by its independence, impartiality, effectiveness and universality, capable of punishing the gravest international crimes.

• In view of some deficiencies in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court which may hinder the just and effective functioning of the Court, China has not yet acceded to the Statute. But we still hope that the Court will win the confidence of non-Contracting Parties and wide acceptance of the international community through its work.

• The Security Council should act with prudence as to whether to refer a certain situation to the International Criminal Court.

3. The International Court of Justice

• China is in favor of strengthening the role of the International Court of Justice, improving its working methods and enhancing its efficiency. The right of each country to choose freely peaceful means to settle disputes should be respected.

4. Human rights

• Equal importance should be given to the economic, social and cultural rights on the one hand and the civil and political rights on the other. Emphasis on one category of human rights to the neglect of the other should be redressed.

• The UN human rights bodies must abide by the principle of equitable geographical distribution in their composition to ensure broad representation. To have a small "Human Rights Council" to replace the Commission may not possibly overturn the serious "credit deficit" in the human rights area. It is necessary to conduct serious discussions on ways to improve the work of UN human rights agencies.

5. The proposed "Democracy Fund"

• China disagrees with the classification of countries into "democratic" and "non-democratic" nations.

IV. Strengthening the UN

1. The UN General Assembly (UNGA)

• China favours the adoption of a comprehensive package of reforms to revitalize the General Assembly. We are open to proposals from any quarter.

• China values the constructive role played by the civil society in international affairs, and is ready to continue discussions on setting up an interactive mechanism between UNGA and the civil society. Participation of the civil society in the work of UN should not alter the Organization's inter-governmental nature, nor should it hamper its working order and efficiency.

2. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

• The work in economic and social fields should aim at implementing the Millennium Development Goals and decisions made at other major UN summits and conferences and focus on financial assistance, technology transfer, capacity building, market access, and poverty alleviation with a view to maintaining the continuity and coordination of the policies of international economic cooperation and development, and implementing the UN economic and development agendas in a comprehensive, coordinated and balanced manner.

• China supports the important role by ECOSOC in assessing famines, epidemics and major natural disasters and promoting collective responses to them.

3. The Security Council

• The principle of geographic balance should be adhered to, with representation of different cultures and civilizations taken into consideration.

• Achieving consensus through full democratic discussions is the important principle of the UN Charter. Its purpose is to accommodate the interests of all parties, especially the small and medium-sized countries. Only decisions thus made can win the most broad trust and support.

4. Reform of the Secretariat

• The recruitment of the staff of Secretariat should conform to the provisions of the UN Charter and take account of the principle of equitable geographical distribution and gender equality.

• China considers it necessary to further increase the transparency, credibility, efficiency and accountability of the Secretariat.

5. The Military Staff Committee

• China has serious reservations on abolishing the Military Staff Committee and is of the view that reform does not mean abolition. We may, through consultation, entrust the Military Staff Committee with new mandates in peacekeeping operations and security areas.