Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called on the international community to unite under the banner of multilateralism and safeguard the central role of the United Nations in international affairs.

Wang made the remarks at a peace summit in Nelson Mandela's name in the United Nations General Assembly in the UN headquarters in New York when speaking of rising unilateralism and protectionism.

It's been one hundred years since the birth of former South African President Nelson Mandela. The UN General Assembly marked the occasion with a peace summit in his name. 

And a statue of the former South African president (a gift to UN headquarters in New York from the government in Pretoria) was unveiled near the General Assembly Hall, where Mandela once addressed the world.

"Mandela is one of the founders of China-South Africa relations and he has made important contributions to the development of China-South Africa ties and China-Africa ties," said Wang.

He recalled Mandela's saying: "Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice; it is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and the right to a decent life."

"Mandela's words still have great significance today," said Wang, "as many problems in the world now are rooted in poverty and backwardness," he added.

We should eliminate the root for conflicts and comprehensively promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he stressed.

"The father of our democracy, a symbol of our unity, he is also a symbol of our diversity of a nation,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said. “He's the glue that continues to hold our nation together. Many of us would like to be: integrity, compassion a peacemaker a selfless leader of his people.”

"He was one of humanity's great leaders. He devoted his life to serving community. He cherished the idea of democracy and free society in which all people live together in harmony. It was a bedrock for which he was prepared to die,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

The plenary session issued a declaration, offering world leaders a chance to renew their commitment to global peace, conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Mandela is revered at the UN not just as a national leader, but for his commitment to global citizenship and the ideals of the United Nations. Now, thanks to the peace summit declaration and the newly unveiled statue, the man known as “Madiba” will forever more have a special place in this corner of the world.

(CGTN's John Terrett also contributed to this story.)