Chinese envoy urges advancing multilateral cooperation at UN committee meeting

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China's envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday called for safeguarding the UN Charter, practicing genuine multilateralism and promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes, while delivering a joint statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of Global Governance.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks at a meeting of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations, an ad hoc body established to consider proposals aimed at enhancing the ability of the United Nations to achieve its purposes and improving the effectiveness of its functioning without necessarily amending the Charter.

Speaking on behalf of the group's 49 members, Fu said the international community is facing "growing uncertainty and instability, compounded by mistrust and rising polarization", adding that the current global situation has placed the world "at a new crossroads between peace and conflict, progress and regression, order and chaos".

"Against this backdrop, the full implementation of the mandate of the Special Committee is more urgent than ever," he said.

Fu stressed that the UN Charter remains "the fundamental guideline for conducting international relations and the cornerstone of the international order", and that its core principles, including sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and the prohibition of the use of force, must be respected and upheld.

"All states, regardless of size, strength or wealth, are equal," he said. "International norms should be applied equally and consistently, and double standards and selective application should be rejected."

Highlighting the importance of multilateralism, Fu said the United Nations should continue to serve as "the central platform for global governance," and that reform efforts should be guided by practical objectives.

"Multilateralism remains the core concept of the existing international system," he said, adding that the UN80 Initiative should aim to strengthen the organization's role, promote balanced progress across peace and security, development and human rights, and enhance the well-being of people worldwide.

"This reform is not simply about cutting budgets or downsizing staff," Fu noted. "It should focus on improving effectiveness, efficiency and responsiveness to the needs of member states."

On dispute settlement, Fu said the peaceful resolution of conflicts in accordance with Chapter VI of the UN Charter must be upheld, and that unilateral coercive measures should be opposed.

"The right of states to freely choose the means of dispute settlement should be respected," he said. "Any attempt to impose one's will upon others by coercion, threat or the use of force in international relations must be rejected."

Fu also noted the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation in October 2025 in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, saying it provides "additional options for the peaceful settlement of international disputes".

"The Group of Friends of Global Governance stands ready to work with all parties to jointly safeguard the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, support the central role and preserve the intergovernmental character of the United Nations, and promote a more just, inclusive and equitable global governance system," said Fu.

The group was established at UN Headquarters in New York in December, following the guidance of the Global Governance Initiative introduced at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus meeting in September.