China Urges Improvement of Oil-For-Food Program in Iraq

China Friday urged the United Nations Security Council to improve the implementation of the oil-for-food program so that the Iraqi people will be able to enjoy more benefits from it.

Speaking at the meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Iraq, Chinese Permanent Representative to U.N. Want Yingfan said that the Security Council should address the Iraqi humanitarian issue, especially impacts of the sanctions, with a comprehensive and integrated approach and from a long-term perspective.

Efficiency of the sanctions committee on Iraq is pivotal to the better performance of the oil-for-food program, and the related committee members should expedite the release of holds of the contract applications, Wang said.

"We have always maintained that sanctions against Iraq will not help solve the problem. On the contrary, it will lead to tremendous humanitarian consequences," he said. "As a matter of fact, the 10-year sanctions have caused uncountable suffering to innocent Iraqi civilians. This is by no means the original intention and purpose of the Security Council in imposing sanctions," the ambassador said.

"In our view, a fundamental solution lies in the timely lift of the sanctions. Differences among the Council members regarding the policy towards the Iraqi issue are difficult to avoid, but never should innocent civilians, especially women and children, be made victims because of the political differences," he said. In addressing humanitarian issues, the Security Council should proceed with the same standard and apply the same criteria to all regions and countries, avoiding both politicization and differentiation, he added.

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