Mr. President,

I have listened attentively to the briefing by Prosecutor Karim Khan and welcome the Permanent Representative of Sudan to today's meeting.

China's position on the ICC has been consistent. The current cases related to Sudan were referred to the ICC in 2005. We hope that in its work, the Court will continue to strictly comply with the principle of complementary jurisdictions stipulated in the Rome Statute, fully respect the judicial sovereignty and legitimate opinions of the country concerned, and avoid politicization and double standards. Some colleagues mentioned the current situation in Sudan and I wish to briefly state China's position.

The armed conflict in Sudan has persisted for three months. Although the two parties to the conflict have reached multiple temporary ceasefires, fighting has never stopped. The reasons humanitarian tragedy in the Omdurman region is the last thing that any party wish to see. China hopes that all parties in Sudan will prioritize the peace of the country and the well-being of its people, resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation, cease hostilities, and end fighting at an early date, in order to avoid a greater humanitarian crisis.

China supports the efforts of regional organizations and the countries concerned in promoting peace talks. We note that the AU and IGAD have convened a number of meetings on the issue of Sudan to come up with proposed solutions. Egypt has also just hosted Sudan's Neighboring States Summit. China hopes that the UN and international partners will support the efforts of regional organizations and cooperate with them. We encourage the regional organizations to strengthen coordination with all parties in Sudan and form synergy to promote an early deescalation of the situation and avoid greater spillover effects.

Recently, the humanitarian situation in Darfur has deteriorated. The Darfur issue goes back a long way and involves complex factors such as inter-communal clashes, competition for resources, and external interference. The conflict in Sudan has made the situation in Darfur even more fragile. China is of the view that the most urgent task at this stage is to urge all parties to uphold and implement the Juba Peace Agreement and provide support to the Sudanese authorities in fulfilling their primary responsibility to protect civilians. China calls upon all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, fulfill their responsibility to protect civilians, curb violence and ensure unimpeded humanitarian assistance.

Thank you, Mr. President.