China Assumes Presidency of the UNSC in July, Setting the UNSC on a Course to Settle Conflicts

By Dr. Shafei Moiz Hali

China is not only one of the original charter members but the first signatory of UN charter and it is also one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council which have veto power over any matter voted upon by the Security Council. The UNSC is the most powerful body of the United Nations. The Security Council can sanction the deployment of troops from United Nations member countries, decree cease-fire during conflict and can impose economic sanctions/penalties on countries. The presidency of the UNSC is held by each of the members in turn for one month. For the month of July this year, China's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Liu Jieyi assumed the role of President of the UNSC. The People’s Republic of China has assumed the presidency of the UNSC 38 times. 

Though the UN comes under scrutiny by a lot of people that the world's largest intergovernmental organization needs reforms, but despite its shortcomings the truth of the matter is that, the UNSC has achieved a lot, as it has aided in culminating various conflicts. We can take a few examples; such as the conflicts in the Middle East, Mozambique and Cambodia. It has been responsible for bringing justice to victims of war crimes by holding culprits liable. It has pacified communities shocked by disasters. It has served as the bastion of human rights in the world by mobilizing peace keeping missions. All in all the UNSC has adopted 2364 resolutions so far and China has been at the epicenter by providing its support to the UN. The biggest success of the UNSC can be gauged through the fact that there have been no world wars since WWII. 

Liu Jieyi (L), China's permanent representative to the United Nations and UN Security Council president for July, attends a press conference at the UN headquarters, July 4, 2017. Ambassador Liu Jieyi of China, UN Security Council president for July, said on Monday that issues of Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Colombia, Haiti and Cyprus will be on the agenda of the 15-nation council in July.

Even though there have been no world wars since WWII, but conflicts have been erupting time and again. The UNSC is most relevant in times of crises and conflicts. Today’s world is also not cleansed of conflicts , there are quite a few crises, that is why China’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Liu Jieyi has his hands full during the month of July. The UNSC Presidency provides China a chance to set the agenda and also to suggest courses actions for the resolution of issues that are either on the agenda or off the agenda. Ambassador Liu Jieyi recently highlighted that, issues of Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Colombia, Haiti and Cyprus will be on the agenda of the 15-nation council in July. He reiterated the importance and the urgency of taking actions to uphold peace. 

The ambassador also brought to light the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, even though this issue was not formally listed on the council's July agenda. This was a perfect opportunity to address the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula because; some of the western powers which tend to exhibit the most concern for the resolution of the issue are actually escalating the problem and as the situation is getting out of their hands, they are resorting to pointing fingers at China, with statements like; “China is not doing enough.” Whereas, the most plausible, conflict de-escalating and peaceful course of action is overlooked; the Chinese proposal of "suspension for suspension." This proposal advocates “suspension of nuclear and ballistic testing on the part of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and suspension of the military exercises on the part of the United States and the Republic of Korea.” This is the reason why Ambassador Liu Jieyi said, "This is a feasible proposal because it accommodates all of the major parts that confront the region and we do believe that once we embark on the road of negotiations along the lines of these proposals and ... we will be able to calm things down and to seek a lasting solution of denuclearization and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."  

It is important to note that many times the US and the west tends to overlook the finer points in their bid for resolving conflicts. We can take the example of Asia. It is the biggest and most populous continent, with different cultures but having many things similar across various cultures; which can be termed as the Asian culture. Asian culture has been very well documented in the West, but in times of resolving conflicts, the West often forgets the culture. For people in Asia, “saving face” is very important and thus in times of negotiating peace, for the people in Asia, tremendous importance is given to the means than the end, with the process at times more important than the goal. The US is not from the region and its efforts so far have been confrontationist; like the conducting of military exercises in close proximity of the region, the deployment of THAAD against the wishes of the local populace and the issuance of extreme statements with threats. These actions have only exacerbated the problem. While, China is committed towards the resolution of the issue, as it is not only from the region, but is most affected by it and understands the issue. This is why the proposal for "suspension for suspension" holds credence and other member countries can surely see the difference in approach and are bound to heed to Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi suggestions.  

China has been recently playing important roles in brokering peace around the world; a few recent examples can be found in the Middle East and between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Chinese people and their cultural identity has not only remained intact but has flourished over thousands of years and this has been because of their peaceful nature and love for trade. Hence the Chinese have a knack for proposing win-win outcomes through dialogue. The Chinese presidency of the UNSC is an appropriate platform for China to share with the other member countries, China’s view on the resolution of various issues. It is through such opportunities that the world can look through the Chinese non-confrontationist prism of peace, which proposes dialogue and dialogue builds confidence in the process of conflict resolution. As Confucius said, “confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”   

The Author:

Dr. Shafei Moiz Hali studied at George Mason University, Virginia, USA and specialized in the field of International Commerce and Policy. He did his PhD from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China specializing in Chinese foreign policy focusing on the Belt and Road Initiative and energy issues. Currently Dr. Hali is an Assistant Professor at the National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad, Pakistan with the department of Government and Public Policy.