Palestinians gather over the remains of a destroyed house following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Oct 21, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

UNITED NATIONS – A Chinese envoy on Friday said that the Palestinian-Israeli situation is the most pressing issue, and a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue cannot be delayed.

The outbreak of fresh conflict shows that piecemeal crisis management is unsustainable, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN).

China supports the League of Arab States and Arab countries in playing a leading role, he said.

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The times call for unity and cooperation, without which effective responses to various global challenges will be impossible, said Zhang

He urged the UN and the Security Council to heed the call of Arab countries, strengthen coordination with regional mechanisms, work on the basis of international consensus, take effective measures to promote an immediate ceasefire and make every effort to ensure the safety of civilians in order to prevent an even deadlier humanitarian disaster.

The times call for unity and cooperation, without which effective responses to various global challenges will be impossible, said the Chinese diplomat.

International law in conflict settlement

Regional mechanisms must adhere to international law and the basic norms governing international relations in conflict settlement, Zhang said.

He stressed that the Security Council bears the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.

Over the years, various regional arrangements have been made to promote the settlement of conflicts and disputes and safeguard international peace and stability, playing a role that complements that of the United Nations, he said.

In today's world with heightened turmoil at the international and regional levels as well as continuous flare-ups of geopolitical conflicts and hot-spot issues, it is all the more important for regional mechanisms to work in sync with the UN to maintain common security, he told a high-level debate of the Security Council. 

The debate focused on the contribution of regional, subregional and bilateral arrangements to prevent and peacefully resolve disputes.
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“Regional mechanisms must always abide by international law and the basic norms governing international relations, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and respect the will and choices of the people of the countries concerned,” said Zhang.

Zhang Jun (center), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks at the general debate on human rights issues held by the Third Committee of the 78th UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Oct 17, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Any enforcement must strictly comply with Security Council authorization, regional efforts must be guided by openness and tolerance and bloc confrontation should be avoided, he said.

International and regional mechanisms should draw on and reinforce each other in trust-building and maintaining peace, he said, adding that regional mechanisms are uniquely positioned to resolve regional issues through regional solutions. 

The UN should strengthen overall coordination, optimize resource allocation and enhance the capabilities of various mechanisms, said Zhang.

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“Regional mechanisms should embrace a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, peacefully resolve disputes through dialogue, consultation, mediation and good offices, and avoid the escalation or proliferation of crises.”

Regional mechanisms should make coordinated efforts along the peace continuum in peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and post-conflict reconstruction. In particular, regional mechanisms should help developing countries and least developing countries build capacity and improve living standards. It is also vital to have post-conflict countries engage in regional cooperation so as to achieve lasting peace, said the Chinese envoy.