China ends UN council presidency, eyeing 70th birthday

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) confers with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon prior to the outset of a UN Security Council Meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, February 23, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sat in the president's chair for the 70th anniversary themed debate, "Maintaining international peace and security: Reflect on history, reaffirm the strong commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations."

Eight foreign ministers and two ministers of state participated, Liu said. In all there were 84 speakers in the day-long special meeting.

"We see that as one event in a series of important events leading to the commemoration in September," Liu said.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. In September, the commemoration is expected to be staged here when leaders from around the world gather at UN headquarters in New York for the annual General Debate.

He said the Chinese "tried to reach out more to countries whose challenges are addressed by the Security Council and also to sub-regional organizations and regional organizations. We intended to do this so as to place the work of the Security Council on a wider basis in the council's decisions and deliberations, just to reflect more of the views of the wider membership of the United Nations."

"Regional countries understand the region better," Liu said. "Be it Africa, be it the Middle East, sub-regional and regional organizations are closer to the issues and they can play a very effective role. So the work of the council will benefit in involving them more and hearing them more in making decisions and in trying to make a greater impact on the ground."

Additionally, the council president said there was a move this month to encourage members to be more focused, meaning focusing on analyzing the situation, pinpointing the problem and to work out solutions to these key problems so that the time in council would be used more efficiently on addressing the concrete issues on the ground and throwing in the weight of the council behind solutions. "

"These are the working methods that we adopted for the month," he said.