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Statement by Ambassador Wang Min at the Security Council Open Debate on Cooperation between the United Nations and Regional and Subregional Organizations in Maintaining International Peace and Security

2013-08-06 00:33

 

Madam President,

China welcomes the Argentine initiative to hold this debate on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security. We welcome the presence of Ms. Cristina Fernández, President of Argentina, to preside over today’s meeting.

I thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his briefing. I have listened carefully to the statements made by the representatives of the African Union, the League of Arab States, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Union of South American Nations.

The United Nations is the essential mechanism of international collective security. The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, at a time when security threats and challenges are proliferating and the national security interests of countries are closely interlinked. Strengthened cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations helps to promote multilateralism and enhances the international collective security mechanism and our joint efforts to maintain international peace and security.

China attaches great importance to the role played by regional and subregional organizations in conflict prevention and resolution, the deployment of peacekeeping operations, post-conflict reconstruction and other areas. We support the efforts of the United Nations to deepen its cooperation with regional and subregional organization so as to better fulfil itsresponsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

Here I wish to highlight four points.

First, in strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and subregional and regional organizations, we must be guided by the Charter of the United Nations. The Council should encourage and support such organizations in the quest to achieve the peaceful resolution of a conflict through dialogue, consultation, good offices and mediation, so as to contribute to regional peace and security. At the same time, the actions taken by regional organizations should be in line with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and any actions taken should be in accordance with the provisions of Security Council resolutions and as mandated by the Council.

Secondly, the United Nations and regional organizations can bring into play their respective advantages and complement each other’s work in working jointly to meet security threats and challenges. China supports the unique role played by regional organizations in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations in promoting the peaceful resolution of conflict, as they are better positioned geographically, historically and culturally. Cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations should help them to maximize their respective advantages, better complement and facilitate one another’s work and avoid overlaps and conflict.

Thirdly, cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations should focus on effectiveness and be tailored to the local situation. The United Nations may engage in various forms of pragmatic cooperation with regional organizations, in accordance with their respective characters, in the field of confidence-building measures, good offices and crisis mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. In addition to existing dialogue and consultation mechanisms, flexible and practical collaboration mechanisms should be actively explored with regional organizations according to their institutional structure and functions, with a view to meeting the real needs inherent in a particular situation.

Fourthly, the United Nations should strengthen its assistance and support to regional and subregional organizations. Enhancing the capacity of regional organizations to deal with security threats and challenges is an important means of effective conflict prevention. Many regional and subregional organizations, including the African Union (AU), have made major efforts, through good offices, to settle local hotspots, push forward peace processes and promote post-conflict reconstruction, with positive results. However, they also face various constraints in terms of resources and capacities. The United Nations should provide greater assistance to such regional organizations as the AU in personnel training, institution-building, logistical assistance and financial support, so as to strengthen their capacity-building and thereby help them to play an important role in the maintenance of regional peace and stability.

China attaches great importance to the unique role of regional and subregional organizations. We will continue to support such organizations in their proactive efforts to maintain regional peace and security and promote common development. China is ready to join the rest of the international community in pushing for strengthened cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security, creating a more secure and prosperous future.

Lastly, China supports the statement to be made by the representative of Kyrgyzstan, who will speak on behalf of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Thank you, Madam President.

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