Mr. President,

China voted in favor of the draft resolution, which calls for a cessation of hostilities during the month of Ramadan by parties to the conflict in Sudan. 

It has been almost a year since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan. The conflict has caused the heavy civilian casualties, severe humanitarian crisis, and the widening spillover effects, all of which are very saddening. Ramadan is approaching, which is a very holy time for the Muslims. We call on parties to the conflict to put the interests of the country and its people first, effectively observe a cessation of hostilities, and implement the Security Council resolutions through concrete actions. The international community should continue to step up diplomatic and mediation efforts to create favorable conditions for peace negotiations between the parties, with a view to restoring comprehensive peace in Sudan at the early date. At the same time, the relevant actions should effectively respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs.

China welcomes the recent efforts made by the Government of Sudan to open some border crossings to UN humanitarian agencies to guarantee humanitarian access. We call the international community to, on the basis of compliance with UN humanitarian principles, continue to help Sudan and its neighboring countries improve their humanitarian response capacity to prevent the humanitarian crisis from getting worse.  

It is worth noting that on calling for a cessation of hostilities in Sudan, the Council could have spoken with greater unity. But the penholder did not make further efforts to that end, which we find regrettable. 

Mr. President,  

The lives of all people in the world are precious. While adopting a resolution on a ceasefire during the month of Ramadan in Sudan, the Security Council must not forget that the people of Gaza are still suffering under bombardment. The international community must push for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the conflict in Gaza to give the people some hope for survival and provide the basic security necessary for religious activities by the Muslims there. 

Thank you, Mr. President.