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China supports greater UN role in peacebuilding: envoy

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-23 11:25

UNITED NATIONS: China on Wednesday voiced support for the United Nations to strengthen further its leading role in peacebuilding efforts to help countries emerging from conflicts to rebuild peace and development.

Addressing an open debate of the UN Security Council, Liu Zhenmin, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations said that peacebuilding, especially in the immediate post- conflict phase, was a recognition by the international community that the challenges faced by war-affected countries did not end with the conflict.

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China supported efforts to strengthen further the leading role of the United Nations in peacebuilding, as well efforts to enhance the role of the Peacebuilding Commission, he said.

The United Nations must continue to play a leading role in peacebuilding and to coordinate the activities of donors and international actors, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Post-conflict countries must commit themselves to national reconciliation and economic recovery, while the international community tailored its efforts to the specific needs of the affected countries and take into account the priorities established by national authorities, he said.

"One-size-fits-all" actions would not work, he said, emphasizing that the international community must listen closely to the requests of post-conflict countries and respect their cultural traditions and national priorities, he said.

Predictable funding was vital to peacebuilding, and the secretary-general's recommendations, including the need to consider innovative and country-specific funding mechanisms, were worthy of serious consideration, Liu said.

As for Africa, the international community should enhance its assistance to post-conflict countries on that continent, especially in ensuring the strengthening of their peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction capacities, Liu said.

The United Nations should also continue to support and scale up its efforts in support of the African Union, Liu added.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, members of the 15-nation council, delegates from dozens of UN member states as well as representatives from relevant UN agencies took part in the day- long debate.