Mr. President,

Thank you, Mr. President for once again presiding over the Security Council meeting. I welcome His Excellency Mr. Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany. I thank USG Soares and ICRC President Maurer for their briefings. I have listened carefully to the statement by Ms. Bellal.

Seventy years ago, in the aftermath of two world wars, the international community, after painful reflection, came together, revised and made improvements to the Geneva Conventions, further developed and supplemented them by adopting the Additional Protocols. The principles of humanity, differentiation, military necessity, proportionality and prohibition of reprisals were established with protection at the center. These shining principles of humanity received universal support from all countries in the world in a strong and important manifestation of multilateralism. Two decades ago, the protection of civilians in armed conflict was added to the agenda of the Security Council, paving the way for the further development and consolidation of the principles of international humanitarian law (IHL). At present, the international security situation remains grave and fraught with new dynamics. The traditional and non-traditional security threats are intertwined. Armed conflicts in some regions have protracted or even escalated, causing serious concerns to the international community. Promoting peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue, upholding IHL and carrying forward the international humanitarian spirit are of great significance. China would like to emphasize the following points:

First, governments concerned and parties to the conflict must earnestly fulfill their obligations under IHL. Governments, in all circumstances, bear the primary responsibility to comply with IHL and this role is irreplaceable. The conduct of parties to conflict in disputed areas should be governed by IHL. In situations where conflicts are inevitable, the principles of IHL should be upheld to prevent the indiscriminate use of force or acts that disregard humanitarian consequences. Any violation of IHL should be investigated and punished according to law.

Second, the international community should play a constructive role in helping the relevant parties to strengthen capacity-building in implementing their obligations under IHL. China appreciates the effort of ICRC in adhering to the principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence and its longstanding contribution to the wide dissemination and effective implementation of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. Humanitarian agencies, on the basis of full respect for sovereignty of the countries concerned, should promote humanity, compassion and dedication and engage in training, legal consultancy, technical support and experience-sharing to ensure the effective implementation of the principles of IHL.

Third, the implementation of IHL should be strengthened with a focus on enhancing the effectiveness of existing mechanisms of IHL. At present, the continuous development of cyber technologies, artificial intelligence and high-tech weapons, frequent occurrence of non-international armed conflicts and terrorist attack pose challenges to the implementation of IHL. The international community should proceed from the practical needs of applying and complying with IHL and build on the consensus of countries to reach a broad agreement on addressing current challenges and strengthening the implementation of IHL.

Fourth, the Security Council should attach importance to tackling the underling causes of conflicts by addressing both the symptoms and the root causes. Conflict prevention, reduction and resolution and peaceful settlement of disputes are best approaches to upholding the spirit of IHL centering on protection. At the heart of the collective security mechanism, the Security Council should earnestly fulfill its primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and encourage parties to dispute to fulfill their obligations to implement Security Council resolutions and resolve conflicts through dialogue, consultation and political negotiations. The international community should establish a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, build partnerships by way of choosing dialogue over confrontation and partnership over alliance, and create a world of lasting peace and universal security. We should build a community of shared future for mankind, advocate a global governance concept of extensive consultations, joint contributions and shared benefits, and strive to create a peaceful and stable international environment.

Mr. President,

China was among the first countries to accede to the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. Over the years, the Chinese government has been taking useful and practical measures to implement, study and disseminate IHL, including strengthening relevant domestic legislation, conducting training and advising in the army, and carrying out IHL education and publicity activities throughout the society. In 2007, the National Committee of International Humanitarian Law was established to promote the dissemination and implementation of IHL in China. China stands ready to continue to work with all parties to make greater contributions to the development and implementation of international humanitarian law.

Thank you, Mr. President.