Mr. President,

I am honored to introduce the draft resolution A/60/L26 on Enhancing capacity-building in global public health under agenda item 120.

Mr. President,

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The recent World Summit evaluated the implementation of the MDGs and adopted World Summit Outcome, making a series of solemn commitments on HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other health issues. To curb and initially reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other major diseases is one of the MDGs as well as an important element of the World Summit Outcome. The United Nations and its Member States should strengthen relevant cooperation and continue their efforts to fulfill the above objectives.

At present, the international community is still confronted with serious challenges in the field of public health. The threat of avian influenza and other infectious diseases is far from over, and the possibility of an outbreak of large-scale pandemic still exists. The Indian Ocean tsunami, the Katrina hurricane, the earthquakes in Southeast Asia and other national disasters have constituted even more threats on public health systems. And the above is just the tip of the iceberg faced by human beings in the 21st century in global public health. The international community should have already realized that the weakness of the public health system has become an outstanding problem for countries in their efforts to obtain comprehensive sustainable development against the backdrop of globalization. Public health is not an issue limited by national boundary. It can never succeed without close international and regional cooperation. Only by responding to the above challenges through joint efforts of all UN Member States, can we build a harmonious society of coordinated, sustainable economic and social development.

The Chinese Government attaches great importance to public health. In recent years, we have invested hugely to enhance capacity-building in public health and improve emergency response mechanism, and made vigorous efforts for prevention and treatment of major infectious diseases. Through our cooperation with many countries as well as with the United Nations, WHO, World Bank, and APEC, we have accumulated valuable experience in HIV/AIDS, malaria, SARS and highly pathogenic avian influenza, as well as post-disaster rescue, treatment and disease control. We are confident that with the joint international endeavor to enhance capacity-building in global public health, the internationally recognized health-related development goals will be obtained.

Mr. President,

Due to the above reasons, the Chinese Delegation submits for the third time the draft resolution with the same title to the General Assembly. Consensus has been achieved among interested parties through long consultation. This year's draft embodies the health-related commitments in the World Summit Outcome with a view to its implementation It reinforces itself in aspects such as national capacity-building and health personnel training. It calls upon all countries to implement the revised International Health Regulations. It expresses concern on the possible human influenza pandemic arising from avian influenza and welcomes relevant responses by the United Nations and other international and national corresponding measures. It urges the international community to raise awareness of the deleterious impact caused by natural disasters on public health systems and to strengthen international cooperation in related areas. It requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-first session a report on the implementation of the present resolution, which will be his first exclusive report on public health submitted to the General Assembly.

There were 167 countries cosponsors for L26 upon tabling. Four more countries have joined as cosponsors since then. They are Angola, Brazil, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada and Serbia and Montenegro. On behalf of the Chinese Government, I would like to sincerely thank all the cosponsors as well as those who participated in the consultation, and hope that the General Assembly will adopt the draft resolution L26 by consensus.

Thank you, Mr. President.