Madam President,

I am very glad that you are presiding over today's meeting, and I wish to congratulate Greece on the great job it has done since assuming the presidency of the Security Council.

The United Nations is the core of international collective security mechanism, and the Security Council shoulders the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. At a time when the security interests of countries are increasingly inter-connected in the face of growing global security threats, China supports enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and regional, sub-regional and other inter-governmental organizations to safeguard world peace and security.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recently submitted a report on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. China in principle endorses the analyses and proposals of the report and supports the establishment of an effective global partnership. In this regard, I wish to make three points.

First, it is important to complement each other's efforts and enhance coordination. China welcomes contribution made by regional and sub-regional organizations in maintaining peace and security both in their regions and in the world by fully drawing on their experience and strengths in addressing issues in their respective regions in line with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter. We support establishing the basic principles guiding this partnership and ensuring the leading role of the United Nations. In carrying out cooperation, full play should be given to the respective strengths of the two sides. Both sides should complement each other's efforts and form synergy rather than duplicating or hindering these efforts. Regional organizations should make timely and full reports to the Security Council on the progress of relevant activities they have carried out in accordance with the UN Charter.

Second, it is important to advance result-oriented cooperation. The United Nations may, in light of the respective strengths and features of regional organizations as well as the actual conditions, carry out cooperation with them in confidence-building measures, conflict prevention, crisis management and peacekeeping. Such cooperation should be flexible and diversified in form, and should not be confined to a particular model or mechanism. The establishment of the Peace Building Commission marks a new stage for the work of the United Nations in this field, and we support the active participation of relevant regional organizations.

Third, it is important to strengthen capacity building. Enhancing crisis response capacity at the regional level is the best way to prevent or end conflicts, and the regional organizations of developing countries are playing an increasingly important role in this respect. The United Nations should put more emphasis on its cooperation with these organizations and provide them with assistance and policy incentives in terms of institutional building, information exchange and funding. China calls on the United Nations as well as countries and regional organizations that are well placed to give more assistance to the African Union in capacity building and support a greater role of the African Union in maintaining peace and stability in Africa.

Thank you, Madam President.