Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Dai Bing on the Security Council Resolution on the Mandate Renewal of UNSOM |
2022-11-02 00:01 |
Mr. President, Since its establishment, UNSOM has made great efforts in promoting the political process and coordinating the support from the international community. China supports the extension of UNSOM’s mandate. However at the same time, in the draft resolution, there is still need for improvement on issues such as protection of civilians, humanitarian access, climate change and the protection of children, and the future direction of the efforts needs to be clarified. Therefore, China abstained in the voting. I would like to emphasize the following points. Firstly, we hope that the Somali government will effectively assume the primary responsibility of maintaining peace and security in the country. At present, the situation in Somalia is at a critical stage. Security issues remain the biggest challenge facing the Somali government. On October 29, Al-Shabaab launched a terrorist attack in Mogadishu, which led to heavy casualties. We strongly condemn such attacks. This incident shows once again that terrorism poses a serious threat to the security situation in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, and further intensified efforts are needed to combat it. China attaches great importance to AU’s position on Somalia, and highly appreciates the efforts and sacrifices made by ATMIS to improve the situation in Somalia. For quite some time to come, ATMIS still remains indispensable to Somalia. China hopes that the Somali government and its security forces will continue to actively cooperate with ATMIS, and take concrete measures to implement the Security Transition Plan, to fight corruption, strengthen governance, and improve people's livelihood, in order to do proper job in winning the hearts and minds of the people in recovered areas. Secondly, we hope that the Somali government will continue to make great efforts on the humanitarian issues. The current humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa, where Somalia is situated, is still very dire. According to the OCHA report, security issues, bureaucracy, administrative restrictions and inadequate infrastructure are the main obstacles impacting international humanitarian action. We hope that the Somali government will pay more attention to humanitarian issues. And in terms of protecting the safety and security of vulnerable groups and humanitarian workers, and reducing bureaucratic restrictions on humanitarian work, we hope the effective measures should be taken to improve the situation. Thirdly, we hope that the Somali government will continue to strengthen the management of weapons and ammunition. The Secretary General recently submitted a report to the Security Council with recommendations on the Somali sanctions regime, and requested that Somali government further improve its capabilities in the management of weapons ammunition. When it comes to the adjustment of the sanctions regime, Somali government must continue to improve its weapons and ammunition management capacity. Security Council will discuss draft resolution on Somali sanctions next month. China's position on sanctions have been consistent and clear. We will actively participate in the discussions, to ensure that the relevant mechanisms are aligned with the efforts of Somalia and international community. And I wish to reiterate once again that China will continue to support the work of UNSOM and ATMIS. Thank you, Mr. President. |