UNITED NATIONS: The Global Governance Initiative (GGI) proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping provides important guidance for the future development of the United Nations, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Fu Cong said.
Speaking at a UN Security Council open debate titled “The United Nations Organization: Looking into the Future” held to mark 80 years since the UN Charter came into force on October 24, 1945, Fu said the anniversary offers an important moment to reflect on history, draw lessons and chart the way forward.
Fu noted that 80 years ago, humanity emerged from the ruins of the Second World War and, aspiring to save future generations from the scourge of war, joined hands to establish the UN. Over the past eight decades, the UN has expanded from 51 members to 193, becoming the most universal, representative, and authoritative intergovernmental organization. Multilateralism has gained broad consensus, and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter have been widely embraced, he said.
The Chinese envoy stressed that despite these achievements, the ideals envisioned in the Charter remain unfulfilled as the world enters a new period of turbulence and transformation. Global challenges are mounting, the system of global governance is under strain, and the United Nations stands at a critical crossroads, he pointed out.
How GGI breathes new life into UN vision
At this defining moment, Fu said, President Xi solemnly put forward the GGI, which offers a profound answer to the major questions of our times: what kind of global governance system to build and how to reform and improve global governance.
Fu said the initiative presents China’s solution to addressing the widening global governance deficit and promoting the establishment of a more just and equitable international system. It is in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, aims to strengthen solidarity and coordination within the international community, and seeks to enable a more effective response to the challenges of the times.
Fu emphasized that the UN should advocate the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, encourage countries to respect each other’s legitimate security concerns, replace confrontation with dialogue, and overcome bloc divisions through unity and cooperation.
He urged the UN to place development at the heart of the global agenda, accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and promote the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement while ensuring fairness and inclusiveness in the governance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The Chinese ambassador called for adherence to genuine multilateralism, with the UN serving as the main platform for formulating international rules, governing global affairs, and sharing the fruits of development. He also underscored the need to follow the historical trend of the collective rise of the Global South and to enhance the representation and voice of developing countries, especially small and medium-sized ones.
Fu called on the UN to pursue self-transformation, improve its working methods, and enhance its operational efficiency and capacity to fulfill its mandate, thereby consolidating its standing and restoring its authority through concrete achievements.
“The United Nations is at a new historical starting point,” Fu said, adding China stands ready to work with all countries to uphold the lofty ideals of the UN, maintain international order based on international law, defend the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and forge ahead to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
