Chinese envoy urges countries concerned to “immediately” lift all unilateral sanctions

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) — A Chinese envoy on Wednesday urged some countries to “immediately” lift all unilateral sanctions, as the indiscriminate imposition of illegal unilateral sanctions by these countries in violation of the UN Charter and international law not only “exacerbate the economic and social difficulties of the countries targeted, but also sow the seeds for new conflicts and instability.”
Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks at the Security Council open debate on peacebuilding and sustaining peace: the new agenda for peace — addressing global, regional and national aspects of conflict prevention.
“Effective conflict prevention requires favorable external conditions,” he said, highlighting the role of the United Nations in conflict prevention.
The envoy called on the world body to increase its input in the area of development, noting that UN peacekeeping operations and special political missions should pay attention to the needs of the countries concerned and do more practical work conducive to promoting their economic growth and sustainable development.
He also underlined the role of regional and subregional organizations in enhancing political trust among countries and promoting regional cooperation, calling for building an open and non-discriminatory international economic and trade environment, so that more developing countries can participate fairly in economic, scientific, and technological cooperation and share the dividends of development.
He stressed efforts to promote the reform of the international financial architecture, to better meet the needs of developing countries in such areas as financing for development, climate change, and capacity building.
“We should uphold international justice, oppose interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and oppose unilateralism and hegemony,” Fu said.
He emphasized that the indiscriminate imposition of illegal unilateral sanctions by some countries in violation of the UN Charter and international law “not only exacerbate the economic and social difficulties of the countries targeted, but also sow the seeds for new conflicts and instability.”
“We urge these countries to immediately lift all unilateral sanctions,” Fu said.
Addressing the international situation undergoing profound and complex evolution, with some regions facing intensifying turmoil with a serious spillover effect, the ambassador highlighted the need to enhance the effectiveness and relevance of conflict prevention and to address both the symptoms and underlying issues, in particular the root causes of conflict.
He also stressed the need to translate the international community’s shared vision for peace into effective actions to realize lasting peace, saying that poverty and under-development are “major sources of conflict,” and conflict prevention must take up poverty reduction and development as a foundational task.
“To maintain stable economic growth and keep creating jobs and wealth constitute the very foundation for realizing long-term national peace and security,” he said.
The ambassador noted that effective governance is indispensable for a country to maintain long-term stability and achieve sustainable economic and social development, adding that the government should play its role in making up for the shortcomings of market mechanism, investing more in infrastructure, education, health, among others, to enhance people’s sense of benefit, hereby solidifying public buy-in of government policies and actions.
He also underlined the importance of inclusive development in building the foundation of lasting peace. “We must see to it that the human rights of women, youth, and other groups are safeguarded in the context of development, with the right to life and right to development being put front and center in our work, while other human rights being promoted and safeguarded in a balanced manner.”
Fu stated that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and an important member of the Global South, along with realizing its own development, has always taken as its responsibility to support the Global South in achieving lasting peace and sustainable development.
Since its establishment in 2015, the China-United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund has so far carried out about 150 projects, providing important support for the world body in promoting the sustainable development agenda and maintaining international peace and security, he said.
Juncao Technology, the ambassador said, is one of the priority projects carried out under the Trust Fund. Based on the widely adaptative herbaceous plant, this technology helps farmers rapidly invest in higher value-added industries such as mushrooms and animal husbandry. So far, this technology has been promoted and adopted in 107 countries around the globe, bringing hope for tackling problems of poverty, food security, and employment.
The inventor of Juncao Technology, Professor Lin Zhanxi, who is 82 years old this year, has been engaged in research for more than 50 years and can still be seen traveling around the world to personally engage in research and development and promotion, according to Fu, who recalled his recent travel with senior UN secretariat officials and the professor to Rwanda and Tanzania, where a young man transformed his life using the Juncao Technology.
“A string of fungus or a blade of grass, though tiny and small, is loaded with significance,” the ambassador noted. “It symbolizes the successful practices explored by the Chinese people in the course of poverty reduction and eradication, and epitomizes China’s practical actions to support the realization of sustainable development in the Global South.”
China is ready to work with the international community to help more developing countries realize independent development, usher in the dawn of peace in more regions, and continue to build the foundation of global peace and stability, he said. ■