Mr. President,

The Chinese delegation greatly appreciates the Rwandan initiative to convene today’s open debate. I thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his briefing. I have also listened carefully to the statements made by the representatives of the European Union and the African Union (AU).

United Nations peacekeeping operations, having been an important tool of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security for over six decades, have significantly contributed to the settlement of conflicts and disputes and restoration and building of peace. In recent years, the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations such as the AU have increasingly strengthened their cooperation in peacekeeping under the guidance of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and have yielded positive, recognizable results in peacekeeping operations in the Sudan, Darfur, Somalia, Mali, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. That cooperation is an important development in terms of international collective security mechanisms in today’s world. It is also one of the increasingly effective means for defusing conflicts and maintaining peace and stability in Africa and in the world at large.

At the same time, we should also recognize that various kinds of security threats and challenges in Africa are intertwined and that its security situation is still very weak. The peacekeeping efforts of regional organizations, such as the AU, are constrained by their human, material and financial resources. The United Nations should further strengthen its cooperation with regional organizations, such as the AU, in the strategic planning and deployment of peacekeeping operations and in their communications and coordination so as to effectively support African regional organizations in their efforts to maintain regional peace and security.

I should like to emphasize the following four points. First, the United Nations and regional organizations like the AU should be guided by the Charter of the United Nations in strengthening their peacekeeping cooperation. The Security Council has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, while the AU and other regional organizations can also play an active role in using their good offices to mediate conflicts and in peacekeeping deployment. The Security Council-mandated peacekeeping operations deployed by regional organizations should fully reflect the principles and purposes of the Charter. Their enforcement actions should abide strictly by their Security Council mandates and adhere to the basic principles of peacekeeping operations.

Secondly, the United Nations and regional organizations should strengthen their coordination so as to fully utilize their respective advantages and thereby create synergy. Many African issues are very complicated and require comprehensive solutions. Regional organizations like the AU, which was established in Africa and is led by Africans, have unique regional, historical and cultural advantages in conflict mediation and peacekeeping. The United Nations and regional organizations like the AU should explore ways of building various kinds of practical coordination and cooperation mechanisms on the basis of equal treatment and complementarity so as to strengthen coordination and cooperation in strategic planning, deployment, logistics management and support for peacekeeping operations. The efficiency and outcomes of peacekeeping operations can thereby be raised.

Thirdly, the strengthening of capacity-building in peacekeeping should be a priority area for cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, such as the AU. The United Nations and the international community should actively respond to the legitimate demands of regional organizations, such as the AU, and provide more support to African regional and subregional organizations in training peacekeepers, building mechanisms, logistical assistance and resource management. We should also explore practical modes of financial and technical cooperation so that we can play a significant role in mobilizing the international community in support of AU capacity-building. Fourthly, we should constantly summarize our experience and lessons learned and respond appropriately to the challenges encountered in peacekeeping transitions from regional organizations to the United Nations. Since last year, the peacekeeping operations in Mali and the Central African Republic have transitioned to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Many challenges have emerged in the transitioning of operations, communications with troop-contributing countries, and logistical support. We hope that the United Nations will heed the opinions and proposals of regional organizations, such as the AU, on matters related to transition and respond positively to Africa’s concerns so as to create enabling conditions for the smooth transition of peacekeeping operations from African regional organizations to the United Nations.

China highly commends and supports regional organizations, such as the AU, in their efforts to play an important role in African peace and security affairs. China has always made an active contribution through concrete action in the maintenance of peace and stability in Africa. China has vigorously supported and actively participated in peacekeeping operations in Africa. From the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Liberia, from Mali to the Sudan, close to 2,000 Chinese peacekeepers are involved in seven peacekeeping operations in Africa.

During his visit to Africa last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the concept of sincerity, honesty, kindness and integrity in the development of our relationship with Africa. In May, Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, visited AU headquarters, where both parties signed a joint statement on the further strengthening of friendly cooperation in peace and security matters. China attaches great importance to its relationship with Africa and will actively support regional organizations, such as the AU, in their efforts to maintain peace and stability in Africa. China will follow up in depth its China-Africa Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Security in an effort to help the continent build its peacekeeping capacities.

Alongside the international community, China will play a constructive role in strengthening the cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, such as the AU, in peacekeeping and in jointly promoting peace and development in Africa.

Thank you, Mr. President.