UN under-secretary-general calls for peace in Middle East, hails China's contributions to SDGs

In an exclusive interview with CGTN, UN Under-Secretary-General Melissa Fleming expressed grave concern over the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hunger, fear, and suffering have spiraled to intolerable levels.

"It's just so worrying, and we could help them, but we're not being given access, and that is incredibly frustrating," she said, condemning barriers to life-saving aid.

Emphasizing the imperative of multilateral solutions, Fleming asserted that lasting peace can only be achieved through "global cooperation, through negotiation, through mediation."

She echoed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' calls for de-escalation, adding that "he has called for a return to negotiations around Iran's nuclear program, and he is very hopeful hostilities will end."

Shifting focus to global development, Fleming praised China's steadfast commitment to sustainable growth, particularly its rapid renewable energy transition. 

She noted that China is "very committed to the UN Charter and to supporting the United Nations, and the values of the United Nations, and to providing cooperation and support to the Sustainable Development Goals and to helping lift up countries around the world to reduce inequality and promote development and maybe to share some of the strategies for that."

Interviewer and editor: Zhang Yuying

Cinematographers: Liu Xinchao, Chen Hongyu

Cover image designer: Yin Yating