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China's Position Paper on UN Reforms (full text)
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-06-08 11:35 5. The proposed "Democracy Fund"
The
Secretary-General should first give explanations of the source, rules of use,
and assessment procedure of the proposed "Democracy Fund" for the benefit of
further discussions.
China disagrees with the classification of countries
into "democratic" and "non-democratic" nations.
IV. Strengthening the UN
1. The UN General
Assembly (UNGA)
The General Assembly is an important body of
democratic decision-making. China is in favour of enhancing its efficiency and
its decision-making capability through reforms.
China favours the
adoption of a comprehensive package of reforms to revitalize the General
Assembly. We are open to proposals from any quarter.
China favours
streamlining and optimizing the UNGA agenda. Each year, UNGA may hold
discussions on some major substantive issues of interest to various parties, the
developing countries in particular. The unnecessary items can be removed from
the agenda on a year-by-year basis and in a balanced way.
China values
the constructive role played by the civil society in international affairs, and
is ready to continue discussions on setting up an interactive mechanism between
UNGA and the civil society. Participation of the civil society in the work of UN
should not alter the Organization's inter-governmental nature, nor should it
hamper its working order and efficiency.
2. The Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC)
China welcomes and supports the reforms
of the UN in economic and social fields, and is of the view that the reforms
should comply with the orientations, principles, objectives and emphasis defined
by the relevant UNGA resolutions, and should be government-led.
The work
in economic and social fields should aim at implementing the Millennium
Development Goals and decisions made at other major UN summits and conferences
and focus on financial assistance, technology transfer, capacity building,
market access, and poverty alleviation with a view to maintaining the continuity
and coordination of the policies of international economic cooperation and
development, and implementing the UN economic and development agendas in a
comprehensive, coordinated and balanced manner.
China is in favour of
turning ECOSOC into a high-level development forum for reviewing trends in
international development cooperation and playing a coordinating role.
China supports the leading normative and strategy-setting role of ECOSOC
in mapping out a global development agenda.
China favours holding an
annual ministerial meeting to assess the progress made towards agreed
development goals, particularly the Millennium Development Goals, and to discuss
other development issues of interest to developing countries.
China
endorses closer coordination between ECOSOC and Bretton Woods system, WTO,
UNCTAD and other UN development agencies.
China supports the important
role by ECOSOC in assessing famines, epidemics and major natural disasters and
promoting collective responses to them.
3. The Security
Council
The reform of the Security Council is multifaceted
covering such important issues as enlarging the Council's membership, increasing
efficiency and improving working methods. The reform of the Security Council
should apply the following principles.
The reform should be conducive to
enhancing the authority and efficiency of the Council and strengthening its
capacity to deal with global threats and challenges.
Increasing the
representation of developing countries should be given priority. Developing
countries, who account for more than two thirds of the UN membership, are
seriously under-represented on the Security Council. This situation must be
reversed.
More countries, the small and medium-sized ones in particular,
should be given more opportunities to enter the Council on a rotating basis to
participate in its decision making process.
The principle of geographic
balance should be adhered to, with representation of different cultures and
civilizations taken into consideration.
All the regional groups should,
first of all, reach agreement on reform proposals concerning their respective
regions. The principle of regional rotation advocated by some countries also
merits attention and consideration.
Achieving consensus through full
democratic discussions is the important principle of the UN Charter. Its purpose
is to accommodate the interests of all parties, especially the small and
medium-sized countries. Only decisions thus made can win the most broad trust
and support.
4. Reform of the Secretariat
China
supports the efforts of the Secretary-General to make the Secretariat smaller
but more efficient through reform of the management.
China endorses a
more simple and practical planning and budgetary system and a timely examination
of the programs and events approved by UNGA so as to determine their relevance
and ensure adequate resources for them.
The recruitment of the staff of
Secretariat should conform to the provisions of the UN Charter and take account
of the principle of equitable geographical distribution and gender
equality.
China considers it necessary to further increase the
transparency, credibility, efficiency and accountability of the Secretariat.
5. The Military Staff Committee
China has
serious reservations on abolishing the Military Staff Committee and is of the
view that reform does not mean abolition. We may, through consultation, entrust
the Military Staff Committee with new mandates in peacekeeping operations and
security areas.
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