Mr. Chairman,

First of all, the Chinese delegation wishes to thank Mr. Vijay Nambiar, Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General for his introduction on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Proposed Strategic Framework for the period 2010-2011: Part one: Plan Outline. We welcome this first CPC discussion with high-level participation which shows the importance the member states attach to the role of this Committee.

According to Resolution 58/269 of the General Assembly, the Strategic Framework is the principal policy directive of the United Nations, which includes a Plan Outline reflecting the longer-term objectives of the Organization and a Biennial Programme Plan. The Chinese delegation has carefully studied the Plan Outline of the Proposed Strategic Framework for the period 2010-2011. I would like to make the following comments and suggestions on some issues.

First, the United Nations should identify its longer-term objectives and priority areas in conjunction with the tasks and challenges under the new circumstances.

At present, the international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes. Mankind is faced with a rare opportunity for development together with many global threats and challenges. Globalization is developing vigorously, and science and technology are advancing at a lightening speed. At the same time, there is a host of security threats, traditional and non-traditional; uncertainties detrimental to peace and development are growing; the gap between the North and the South is widening; and the developing countries are consequently faced with major challenges. The United Nations, as the world's most universal, representative and authoritative inter-governmental organization, should and can play a positive leading role in responding to these challenges, especially in the areas of maintaining peace and promoting development and cooperation. China is of the view that the Plan Outline of the Strategic Framework should reflect precisely the efforts made to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the outcomes of relevant major international conferences and summits. We support keeping the eight priority areas identified since 1998 as priority areas of the biennium 2010-2011.

Secondly, the United Nations should set the effective implementation of the MDGs as the first priority in the medium and long term.

Poverty is one of the major causes of conflicts and development is the fundamental means to eradicate poverty. To achieve balanced, coordinated and sustainable development throughout the world is the common aspiration of the international community. It should therefore, with a sense of urgency, take upon itself the mission of adopting effective measures to deliver on the consensus and commitments made thus far, correct imbalances of development and speed up the implementation of the MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals (IADGs). China supports the United Nations in sparing no efforts to increase input in the area of development with particular emphasis on helping the developing countries accelerate their development, strengthen international dialogue and cooperation in energy, food and financial fields, and provide humanitarian assistance in a more effective manner.

Thirdly, the United Nations should continue to focus on the promotion of peace and security.

As the centre of our collective security mechanism, the United Nations bears the primary and irreplaceable responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. China supports the strengthening of peace keeping operations, attaches importance to preventive diplomacy, and encourages and supports the settlement of international disputes or conflicts through negotiations. W hope that the United Nations, while resolutely fighting terrorism, will help further enhance the mutual understanding among nations and civilizations, dismantle barriers of understanding, and avoid confrontation due to differences in history, social system and development model.

Fourthly, the United Nations should actively promote dialogue and cooperation on human rights issues.

This year, the international community will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. China supports the United Nations in playing its due role in advancing the international human rights cause, promoting dialogue among different civilizations, facilitating active international cooperation in this field, and striving for the realization of all human rights, especially the right to development. It is our hope that the Human Rights Council should work towards constructive cooperation and avoid relapsing into the old practice of politicization and double standards in dealing with human rights issues.

Fifthly, the United Nations should give a higher priority to the issue of development in Africa.

Stability and development of Africa constitute the pre-requisite for the establishment of a harmonious world with lasting peace and common prosperity. They are what the African people aspire to and where the interests of all countries lie. Effectively assisting African countries to achieve stability, security and sustainable development is a common responsibility of the international community. The United Nations is duty-bound to help maintain and build lasting peace in Africa.

Mr. Chairman,

The Strategic Framework is the principal directive of the United Nations and an important basis for budget preparation. The Chinese delegation will work with other member states to formulate a United Nations Strategic Framework that takes into account the lessons learned from the previous biennium and reflects the challenges and reform strategies of the United Nations.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.