Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang holds talks with Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in Beijing, capital of China, February 2, 2023. /Xinhua
Editor's note: Hamzah Rifaat Hussain was a visiting fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. He is also an assistant research associate at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute and specializes in conflict dynamics and foreign relations between countries. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang during his meeting with visiting President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Csaba Korosi in Beijing affirmed that the UNGA is the most universal and representative charter body of the United Nations. President Korosi is in China on a four-day visit.
The truth is that the main deliberative body of the UN is the utmost forum for global policy making and should reign supreme with its aims of addressing world issues through consensus, unity and collectivity. The message from Korosi's visit to China is clear. It is critical to safeguard the true essence of multilateralism as interdependency for human progress and international security.
In a world characterized by the unfortunate erosion of both domestic and international institutions, discussions which address the full spectrum of international issues covered in the UN Charter must continue uninhibited. According to Foreign Minister Qin Gang, upholding the UN-centered international system with a world order anchored in international law as China has sought to do, is equally important.
Swiftly achieving the 17 goals under the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for example, can only take place if the UNGA's role is not held hostage to unilateral moves from member states. Furthermore, the swift implementation of initiatives such as China's Global Development Initiative (GDI) that builds on the 2030 SDGs of building stronger, greener and healthier global development will facilitate objectives which benefit the entire global community. This is only possible if the spirit of multilateralism is adhered to.
Secondly, the international community should endeavor to ensure that resources available to UN bodies are maximized for the facilitation of policies aimed at upholding peace and promoting development. One such example is the need to build on the investments in 2023 for UN institutions such as the UN Secretariat, which sets the agenda for deliberative and decision-making bodies of the UN such as the UNGA.
At the UNGA's Fifth Committee (both Administrative and Budgetary) that concluded in December 2022, the GA approved $3.4 billion as the regular budget for 2023 for the Secretariat which is more than $3.22 billion that was unveiled by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in mid-October 2022. This is to ensure that the efficacy of UN activities which is linked with the strength of both the UNGA and global multilateralism is secured.
Member states can also contribute positively to strengthening mechanisms that combat existing global challenges. During his exchange with Qin, President Korosi stated that the United Nations attaches great importance to China's influence and its leading role in improving governance, initiating dialogue between states to offset differences and promoting unity for joint policy making.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (3rd R) holds talks with Csaba Korosi (3rd L), president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in Beijing, capital of China, February 2, 2023. /Xinhua
China's Position Paper for the 77th session of the UNGA for example, underlined the importance of promoting a global community which is characterized by universal security while simultaneously speaking of economic development through the Silk Road of Innovation and addressing eight priority areas including food security, development financing, climate change, digital economy, and poverty alleviation, as viable pathways for speeding up the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Similarly, under the Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, it is possible to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter which will ensure the peaceful resolution of all international disputes and promote international equity and justice. Efforts to promote international security for example include inter alia prevention of the usage of chemical weapons through the implementation of the Chemical Weapons and Biological Weapons Conventions and advocating for the IAEA to ensure the complete prohibition and destruction of weapons of mass destruction. These measures have been mentioned in China's policy paper and provide important takeaways for the international community to uphold the true spirit of multilateralism.
In 2023, several important international issues require immediate attention. The international community continues to confront rising racism, protectionism, populism, income inequalities, North-South divides, poverty, hunger and unresolved conflicts. To combat these challenges and initiate global action, the General Assembly needs to enjoy the full support of the international community to enable it to chart out tangible policy outcomes.
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