China eyes bigger role for UNSC in maintaining int'l peace, security

China will work to ensure the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) plays a bigger role in maintaining international peace and security during its rotating presidency this November, China's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"China will take over the rotating presidency of the UNSC this November from tomorrow on," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a routine press briefing.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

"As far as I know, the UNSC will hold a number of sessions in November on issues of Syria, Lybia, Iraq, Lebanon, the Middle East, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Sahel region situation," Lu said.

As rotating president, China is considering open sessions on strengthening multilateralism and the role of the UN, as well as African peace and security under the current situation, Lu said, adding that the Chinese side is consulting with other UNSC member states about the working agenda of the next month.

He said that the UNSC, the core of collective security mechanisms established after the Second World War, serves as an important platform for global security governance.

"Currently, we are faced with complex challenges in international peace and security."

"As rotating president of the UNSC, China is to work towards a bigger role for the Security Council, in line with the missions and principles of the UN Charter, in upholding objectiveness and fairness, cooperating in the spirit of unity, taking effective actions, and making positive steps to ensure political settlement of regional hotspot issues, thus playing a major role in maintaining international peace and security," Lu said.

The Chinese side will also interact more with non-UNSC members, especially states on the UNSC agenda, so as to exercise its responsibility in a more open and transparent way, Lu added.

The presidency of the Security Council is held by one of the 15 member states in turn for one month. The last time China took the role was in July, 2017.