Mr. Chair,

Thanks to H.E. Mr. Omar Hilale, Vice-President of ECOSOC and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations, for overcoming the difficulties and leading the team to actively prepare and convene this meeting as scheduled. China expresses its support for your work.

China commends the UN system and humanitarian organizations for their efforts in coordinating and providing humanitarian assistance as well as rapidly responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. China pays tribute to the humanitarian and medical personnel for their dedication on the front lines. China firmly supports the United Nations in leading and coordinating international humanitarian assistance and global cooperation to fight COVID-19, welcomes Secretary-General Guterres’ Appeal for Global Ceasefire, the Global Humanitarian Response Plan and other relevant initiatives.

The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 is posing huge challenges to all countries, especially those in humanitarian emergencies. The global humanitarian situation is more grim. There are prolonged conflicts in certain regions of the world. The food security situation in some countries is deteriorating. Extreme weather events are frequent. The global humanitarian needs have further increased. The international community should uphold multilateralism, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, work together to combat COVID-19, and help countries and peoples in humanitarian emergencies overcome the increasingly serious humanitarian challenges. In this connection, China wishes to stress the following.

First, strictly abide by international law and the norms governing international relations and respect the primary role of recipient countries.

Humanitarian assistance must abide by the UN Charter and General Assembly resolution 46/182, adhere to the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, firmly grasp the right direction, underscore its humanitarian nature and professionalism, respect the sovereignty of recipient countries, make every effort to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of recipient countries and avoid politicizing humanitarian issues. The international community must respect the primary role of the recipient country in the initiation and coordination of humanitarian assistance, respond timely to their priority needs. The UN should strengthen policy guidance for humanitarian relief agencies, effectively coordinate, integrate and oversee resources and actions of parties involved and create the greatest possible synergies for humanitarian relief.

Second, ensure the smooth operation of global anti-epidemic supply chain and respond to humanitarian emergencies comprehensively.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the world has been faced with unprecedented shortages of critical supplies, soaring prices and export restriction measures. Governments around the world and aid agencies have encountered severe challenges in obtaining anti-epidemic supplies. The international community should strengthen coordination and cooperation, stabilize the global anti-epidemic supply chains, ensure the transportation of medical and humanitarian supplies, and enable frontline humanitarian and medical personnel fighting the pandemic to obtain the necessary resources to save lives. While providing emergency humanitarian assistance in the fight against COVID-19, the international community should also guarantee the resources to existing humanitarian emergencies and continue to provide support to countries affected by armed conflicts, natural disasters and food insecurity, and strengthen the protection of people in vulnerable situations, such as women, children, refugees and displaced persons.

Third, invest in long-term development and fundamentally reduce humanitarian needs.

There is a global trend of protracted humanitarian crises, which are attributable to such deep-rooted causes as extreme poverty, unbalanced development and resources scarcity, among which development or the lack thereof is the most prominent. While effectively addressing short-term humanitarian needs, the international community should prioritize development, increase investment in this field, support developing countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, enhance their self-development capacity, eradicate poverty and hunger, improve people's living standards and better recover from the crisis, with the goal of a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Mr. Chair,

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, governments and people around the world have been fighting together against the pandemic. Upholding the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, China has great empathy with affected people all over the world, and has done all it can to provide humanitarian aid in support of the international community’s endeavors to stem the pandemic.

China has set up RMB 2 billion special funds, provided anti-epidemic supplies to more than 150 countries and international organizations, and shared experience on prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment with the rest of the international community. China has donated US$50 million to the World Health Organization to support the global fight against COVID-19 and strengthen developing countries' health systems.

At the 73rd World Health Assembly, President Xi Jinping announced five important measures to strengthen global cooperation against COVID-19, including providing US$2 billion of international aid in the next two years, working with the UN to set up a global humanitarian response depot and hub in China, establishing a cooperation mechanism for its hospitals to pair up with 30 African hospitals and accelerating the building of the Africa CDC headquarters, making China's COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment, when available, a global public good.

COVID-19 is a common challenge for mankind. Solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon at our disposal. China will work with the international community, actively participate in bilateral and multilateral humanitarian relief operations, and continue to support other developing countries within its capabilities to respond to humanitarian emergencies.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.