I thank Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed and Ambassador António for their briefings.

China welcomes the joint United Nations-African Union visit to Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The visit has a positive influence for the international community in helping it to understand the situation on the ground related to the protection of women and children in relevant countries and regions. It will assist the international community and the United Nations in providing further assistance to relevant countries. China commends the visit.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and northeastern Nigeria are faced with varying challenges related to armed conflict and terrorism. Their security situations are complex and grave. Women and children in the region are under the severe threat of sexual violence. The international community should pay greater attention to that issue and comprehensively enhance the protection of vulnerable groups of women and children. I would like to emphasize the following three points.

First, effective measures need to be adopted in order to stabilize the situation and improve security at an early date. The international community should stick to the general direction of settling hotspot issues by political means, and pushing relevant parties to settle their disputes peacefully through dialogue and negotiation. Efforts to combat terrorism and cross-border organized crime should be enhanced in order to cut off the channels for the movement of terrorists, provide necessary protection and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups, such as women, and create a secure and stable environment.

Secondly, integrated measures should be used to enhance the capacity-building of the countries in question, which bear the primary responsibility for preventing and combating sexual violence in conflict and for protecting women and children in the country. The international community should respect the sovereignty and will of the countries in question, respect the measures adopted by the Governments in question in the light of their own situations, provide targeted and constructive assistance so as to promote their recovery and development, and enhance their capacity-building in the sectors of security, social services and governance.

Thirdly, synergy arising from cooperation between United Nations agencies and regional organizations should be ensured. The Security Council should fully play its role as the organ bearing primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security; strengthen coordination with the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and UN-Women; and continue to strengthen cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, such as the African Union, in order to coordinate its work related to women, peace and security.

China would like to work with the international community to create a peaceful, secure and stable international environment and make a greater contribution to the swift eradication of sexual violence in conflict and continued advancement in the global cause of women.