President,

China welcomes Deputy Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone Madam Francess Piagie Alghali presiding over today’s meeting, and thanks the Executive Director Sima Bahous and Assistant Secretary-General Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee for their briefings. I have also listened carefully to the statement by the representative of civil society.

Peace operations represent an important means for the Council to discharge its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. In recent years, with the changes in factors including the situation on the ground and the will of the countries concerned, some UN Missions face the need to withdraw, downsize, or make adjustments. How to achieve smooth transitions while maintaining peace and stability in the countries and regions concerned is an important topic for Council members to constantly reflect on, take stock of, and improve upon.

In this regard, respect for the sovereignty and the leadership of the countries concerned is a fundamental prerequisite. Consent of the countries concerned is a basic principle that has been developed over the years in peacekeeping operations and should be effectively upheld at all stages. We support the UN and the Security Council in formulating clear and feasible transition plans and exit strategies for peace operations based on fully heeding and respecting the will of the countries concerned and aligning with the national development strategies and priority areas of the countries concerned, so as to ensure a smooth transition. 

President,

Women are important stakeholders in peace operations. Security Council Resolution 1325 explicitly supports women’s equal and full participation in peace processes, and calls for enhanced protection of women and girls in conflict areas. This is also one of the responsibilities of many missions. We support the Council in exchanging usable practices and taking stock of lessons learned on how to better advance the WPS agenda in light of the situation, needs, and challenges of peace operations in transition. 

Development is the foundation of peace, and enhancing the development capabilities of the countries concerned should be the core objective of peace operations in transition. Therefore, we should focus on promoting women’s empowerment based on development and supporting women, who account for half of the population, in leveraging their wisdom and potential, thereby truly taking their future and destiny into their own hands. We support UN Missions, in fulfilling their mandates and designing projects, to focus on long-term and the transitional needs by actively helping conflict areas develop infrastructure, enhance education, and eradicate poverty, so as to consolidate the hardware foundation for gender equality. We support the countries concerned in elevating the protection of women’s rights and interests to the level of national will and, along with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, making sustained investments in women’s empowerment and development, so as to continuously enhance women’s representation and voice in political, economic, cultural, and social affairs. 

The transition of peace operations does not spell the end of international support. We support the international community, on the basis of respecting the sovereignty and leadership of the countries concerned, in continuing to support countries in conflict and their cause of women’s development. We support UN Women, UNDP, and others to continue to play their role in helping the countries concerned effectively tackle the challenges faced by women, such as poverty, discrimination, and the digital divide. Developed countries should effectively fulfill their ODA commitments and provide financial, technical, and capacity-building support to developing countries, African countries in particular. We strongly call for accelerating the reform of the international financial architecture to enhance the decision-making power of developing countries in global economic governance, so as to create favorable conditions for post-conflict countries to achieve development and prosperity.

It must be noted that all efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts and to create a peaceful environment for civilians, including women, are key prerequisites for advancing the WPS agenda. No matter what transitions or adjustments peace operations go through, the promotion of political settlement of hotspot issues should always be the most fundamental mandate. UN Missions should step up good offices and mediation, form synergy with regional organizations, support the countries concerned in promoting disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, and advance inclusion and reconciliation. Capacity building support should be provided to the law enforcement agencies of the countries concerned, so as to enhance their ability to protect civilians and maintain social order.

President,

As we speak, conflict in the Gaza Strip has been going on for over 300 days, with more than 10,000 women killed and over a million Palestinian women and girls facing famine. We reiterate our call on all parties to respond to the overwhelming consensus of the international community and to jointly promote the full and effective implementation of the relevant Council resolutions to achieve an immediate ceasefire, to put an end to the humanitarian catastrophe, and to contain the spillover of the conflict. 

President, 

China has always been actively helping the reconstruction and development of post-conflict regions in such areas as economic development, education, health, and infrastructure over the years. Through the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, China has supported the countries concerned in carrying out projects and cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, and good offices.

As the host country of the Fourth World Conference on Women, China has always been contributing through concrete actions to the development of women in developing countries, conflict areas in particular. We have dispatched over 1,000 female officers and soldiers to UN PKOs, provided emergency food aid to women and children facing starvation in the Horn of Africa, helped over 10,000 villagers in the Central African Republic set up mushroom sheds and chicken farms, and assisted Afghan women in generating income through the China-Afghan pine nuts corridor. China is ready to continue working with the international community to make positive contributions to the advancement of the WPS agenda. 

Thank you, President.