China’s UN ambassador: Further consultation needed for Security Council reform
By Li Bingxin
People's Daily app
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China's new Ambassador to the United Nations, Ma Zhaoxu. 

Washington (People’s Daily) - During a recent meeting with the UN Security Council (UNSC), China’s UN Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu pointed out that the UNSC, as the core of the UN security mechanism, carries the responsibility of addressing international security and should enhance effectiveness while advocating democratization approach to decision-making. 

Ma said China supports continued improvement of the Council’s working methods to deliver on its mandate with greater efficiency, and respond to the threats of international peace and security. 

Ma declared the UNSC should first stay focused on key issues and ensure theeffective execution of mandates. 

Ma insisted on democratic consultation to ensure a collective decision-making process. He also suggested a broad consensus would safeguard the Council’s authority and unity, while encouraging the exchange of information and views from all parties to engage with countries and regions that contribute troops for peace-keeping operations. 

Later on, Ma reiterated that the GA inter-governmental negotiations constitute the main platform for member states to discuss issues related to Security Council reform. 

“China attaches great importance to Security Council reform and supports the increase in representation and voice of developing countries, African countries in particular,” said Ma.

Ma stressed how the Council should be guided by the principle of member state leadership, as China is ready to continue to engage in patient democratic consultations with other member states on the five clusters in a quest for a package solution and the broadest possible consensus. 

“Setting an imagined time-frame, steamrolling half-baked proposals or initiating text-based negotiations in the absence of required conditions will only undermine the credibility of inter-governmental negotiations, which is not helpful to the unity among member states,” Ma concluded.