A Chinese U.N. envoy said on Tuesday that putting an end to armed conflicts is the greatest protection for civilians, as countless lives are suffering from the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to U.N., made the statement at a Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts.
"Saving lives is a noble goal in armed conflicts, but we must recognize that as long as the conflict continues, civilian lives are always at risk," he said.
Noting that the primary responsibility of the Security Council is to maintain international peace and security, and that the Gaza conflict, which has lasted more than seven months, has caused unprecedented civilian casualties and a humanitarian disaster, the Chinese envoy said that priority must be given to facilitating an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, urging Israel to immediately stop its collective punishment of the Palestinian people and to stop advancing its military attacks on the southern Gaza city of Rafah neighboring Egypt.
He stressed that the international humanitarian law is a bottom line that must be observed by all, adding that humanitarian assistance must not be politicized and basic goods such as food and medicine must not be weaponized.
"The Security Council should continue to uphold the authority of the international humanitarian law and ensure its universal and consistent application. Double standards or selective application of the humanitarian law are unacceptable and are tantamount to condoning more violations," Fu said.
The Chinese envoy said that strengthening the governance capacity of the countries involved in the conflict is a fundamental solution. When dealing with conflicts, the international community should take systematic measures to support the countries involved in the conflict to effectively enhance their national defense, public security and anti-terrorism capabilities. Meanwhile, efforts should be made to help the countries involved to accelerate development and gradually address the deep-seated causes of conflicts.
He said that China is willing to continue to work with the rest of the international community to make unremitting efforts to eliminate the scourge of war and ensure the happiness and tranquility of the people as soon as possible.
Ending armed conflicts is greatest protection for civilians: Chinese envoy
Ending armed conflicts is greatest protection for civilians: Chinese envoy
