The Sept. 27 meeting hosted by China and Brazil on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly produced a nine-point final communique that directs the Permanent Representatives to the UN of the attending nations to form a “`group of friends for peace’ with a view to foster common understandings to support the global efforts for achievement of a lasting peace” between the governments of Ukraine and Russia.
Last May, the Brazilian and Chinese governments jointly issued a six-point program of “common understandings,” noted in point four of the communique, which calls for support for a “comprehensive and lasting settlement by the parties to the conflict through inclusive diplomacy and political means based on the UN Charter.” Most of the six points are included in the communique, including “refraining from the use or the threat of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons and chemical and biological weapons.” Especially relevant is this admonition: “All efforts must be made to prevent nuclear proliferation and avoid a nuclear war.” It pointedly states that “all parties must comply with relevant international laws and agreements and resolutely prevent man-made nuclear accidents.” Kiev has of course threatened to unleash nuclear catastrophe with its suicidal attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine and threats against the Kursk NPP after it invaded the Kursk region of Russia.
Of note, the communique emphasizes the “importance of peaceful solutions for all international conflicts, whilst continuing to promote the spirit of solidarity and partnership between nations, as emphasized by the Bandung principles, inter alia.” Among the core principles discussed at the 1955 Bandung conference in Indonesia were political self-determination, respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs and equality. That gathering’s final communique reiterated, among other things, the importance of self-determination.
