As China assumed the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council for the month of May on May 1, China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Fu Cong briefed reporters and other UN member states, that given the increasingly turbulent international situation and the spread of conflicts and confrontations, China will convene a high-level open Security Council debate on May 26 on the theme “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-Centered International System.” All United Nations members are invited to participate when the Security Council holds such a high-level debate, not merely the members of the council. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to chair it.
The multilateral system and the international rule of law are facing serious challenges, Cong warned—a polite way of referring to President Trump’s explicit rejection in January of any obligation to uphold international law. The aim of the debate, he said diplomatically, “is to encourage all countries to revisit the original mission of the Charter, safeguard the victorious outcomes of World War II, and revitalize the UN’s central role in the international system.”
Ambassador Fu otherwise reported that the Security Council will also hold briefings on such matters as the Palestinian-Israeli situation, Syria, Lebanon, and the protection of civilians in armed conflict, and pay close attention “to developments of hotspot issues, and urge relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, promote ceasefires as soon as possible, resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiation, and advance political settlement processes.”
