Commentary: Open council debate kicks off commemoration of 70 years of United Nations

China's Security Council presidency on Monday culminated in an open debate at the 15-nation UN body on maintaining international peace and security, ushering in a prelude to a series of activities to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

The open debate, initiated by China, which holds the rotating council presidency for February, and presided over by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, attracted senior diplomats from nearly 80 UN member states, including foreign ministers from Lithuania, Malaysia, Nigeria, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine and Venezuela. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also took the floor at the event.

The active participation shows wide international endorsement of the Chinese initiative. Although the representatives spoke from different perspectives, they all agreed on the theme of the debate -- Maintaining international peace and security: Reaffirm the Strong Commitment to the Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

The debate is seen here as an important opportunity for UN members to reaffirm their commitment to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter. It is also conducive to creating a proper atmosphere for the world body to celebrate its 70th birthday.

"We should use this year's observance of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations to seriously reflect on our common enterprise -- on peace operations, peacebuilding, women's empowerment, disaster risk reduction and much else," Ban said. "We should also seize this year's opportunities to take transformative action on sustainable development and climate change."

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. The world body, arising from the gunsmoke of the World War II, is the result of mankind's long struggle for peace and development. It is, as the UN chief said, the living manifestation of "saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our life time has brought untold sorrow to mankind" and "practicing tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors."

As the most universal, representative and authoritative inter- governmental organization, the United Nations has endured many trials and traversed an extraordinary journey, playing a central role in maintaining world peace, promoting global development and advancing international cooperation.

"The 70th anniversary of the United Nations finds an organization with major achievements to its credit, multiple crises on its agenda, and tremendous opportunities ahead," said the secretary-general. "The United Nations was founded to prevent another world war, and it has succeeded in that. Despite the recurrence of genocide and repeated outbreaks of armed conflict, the past seven decades would surely have been even bloodier without the United Nations."

Since the establishment of the United Nations seven decades ago, the world has gone through profound and complex changes. Nevertheless, the trend towards multipolarity remains unchanged; the process of economic globalization remains unchanged; and the fact of peace and security as the two underlying theme of our time remains unchanged.

At present, human kind faces an unprecedented opportunity and an ever brighter future for development. The important principles established by the UN Charter, including respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of international disputes and non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, together make up the foundation of contemporary international law and international relations. They are also the core elements that must be upheld in the international rule of law.

The speakers, one after another, told the Security Council that the purpose and principles of the United Nations, as enshrined in the UN Charter, continue to be just as valid and important today as they were at the time of the Charter's adoption.

At the same time, they also maintained that the expectation to save the world from the scourge of war, respect the dignity of each and every human being and to ensure justice at all levels are not smaller than they were 70 years ago.

For countries worldwide, this year will also be commemorated as a historic juncture to reflect on the past and look to the future.

"Holding the presidency of the Security Council this month, China has proposed to convene this open debate for the purpose of joining hands with all countries to draw lessons from history and chart the course for the future," said the Chinese foreign minister.

This calls for reaffirming the solemn commitment to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter, and joining hands and building a new type of international relations centering on win-win cooperation.

History has repeatedly proven that these principles, if upheld and promoted, will be a blessing for mankind, while any attempt to deviate from or deny them would only cause endless troubles.

Therefore, member states should take stock of the background of the founding of the United Nations with a view to cherishing and maintaining peace for the future. There will be hope of peace only when the scourge of war is not forgotten.

In today's interconnected world, no nation is able to exist in isolation. What happens in one country will eventually affect another. Transnational threats such as terrorism, organized crime and global pandemics show that security threats are no longer confined within national borders. Therefore, they need to be dealt with collectively, now more than ever.

"Today, 70 years after its creation, the Charter of the United Nations remains as relevant as ever before," Wang said. "Not only should we stay true to the spirit of the UN Charter, we also need to act along the trend of the times and in line with practical needs to add new dimensions to the Charter and bring to it new dynamism and vitality." Endite