Madam Chair,

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN, as well as the victory of the Second World War. A revisit to the spirit of the UN Charter and an exploration of the UN’s role in international affairs are the best way to commemorate the anniversary, and are of great relevance today. The Special Committee is the sole permanent meeting mechanism within the UN framework to discuss issues related to the UN Charter and the strengthening of the role of the organization. China supports the Committee in doing its work as mandated by the GA, and making greater contributions to upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter and strengthening the UN role.

Madam Chair,

“Maintenance of international peace and security” is one of the purposes for the UN. It is also an solemn pledge by the Member States under the Charter. At present, unilateralism and protectionism are rampant, regional hotspots and conflicts keep popping up. Non-traditional threats to security continue to spread. We still have much to do and a long way to go for maintaining world peace and stability. In response to these challenges, we should reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, safeguard both the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law, and facilitate the development of a more just and effective system of global governance.

In recent years, the Committee has considered the working papers submitted under this item by the countries concerned, and some progress has been made. China commends those countries for their efforts to facilitate the discussions on the topic, and commends all parties for the spirit of cooperation they have demonstrated.

On the question of UN sanctions, China wishes to reaffirm that UN sanctions are only a means, not an end in itself, and should serve the political solutions of the relevant problems. The Security Council should adopt a prudent and responsible approach in this respect. The sanctions should be predicated upon the exhaustion of other peaceful means, be consistent with the Charter and the relevant principles of international law in order to minimize the impact on the general population and the third states. China believes that we should strictly abide by and implement the sanctions resolutions of the Security Council. China opposes the imposition of additional unilateral sanctions in contradiction to the UN Charter, which is detrimental to the effectiveness and authority of the UN sanctions.

Some countries proposed to seek an advisory opinion from the ICJ as to the legal consequences of the the use of force by states without prior authorization by the Security Council. China believes that this proposal is conducive to clarifying the rules of international law governing the non-use of force and to the interpretation and implementation of the Charter. China supports the continued deliberations by the Committee on the proposal.

Madam Chair,

“Peaceful settlement of disputes” is an important agenda item before the Committee. China has always stood for the proper settlement of dispute through peaceful means, such as negotiations and consultations by the countries to the dispute. The selection and application of the method for dispute settlement should conform to the principle of “state consent”. The right to autonomously choosing the method for dispute settlement by all countries should be fully respected. As a founding member of the UN and a permanent member of the Security Council, China has always devoted itself to facilitating the peaceful settlement of international disputes and carried out relevant work, holding the position of objectivity and impartiality. We have played an active role in addressing regional and international hotspot issues.

Pursuant to the GA resolution 74/190, at the current session, we will deliberate on the topic of conciliation, among methods of dispute settlement, as prescribed in Article 33 of the Charter. The modality of conciliation has been widely used in practice. Multilateral treaties such as the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the 1982 the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea have used conciliation as an important method for settling disputes. The UN has established the Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP) and other questions. The modality of conciliation is extremely flexible, has the characteristics of both enquiry and mediation. A third-party agency, entrusted by the parties to the dispute, conducts an enquiry into the dispute, then submits a report containing the recommendations for settlement. Though such a report is not legally binding, it plays a crucial and unique role in easing tensions among the parties to the dispute, and creating conditions for settling the dispute, leading ultimately to the successful settlement. As a method for dispute settlement with the involvement of a third party, conciliation should be in strict compliance with the purposes and principles of the Charter, and be predicated on the consent of the countries concerned.

Madam Chair,

China commends the Secretariat for the efforts invested and the progress made in compiling the Repertory of Practice of UN Organs and updating the Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council. We hope that the Secretariat will continue to push for their publication in all UN official languages. Meanwhile, China also supports the Committee in playing a larger role through improving its working methods and enhancing efficiency.

Thank you, Madam Chair.