Sound World Environment Is Precondition for Social Development: Chinese EnvoyA senior Chinese diplomat said Tuesday at the United Nations that "a peaceful and stable international environment constitutes the precondition for the realization of social development."Shen Guofang, the deputy Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, made the statement as he was speaking at a meeting at the Third Committee of the General Assembly. This committee is in charge of social, humanitarian and cultural affairs. "At present, terrorism has become a major threat to the world peace and stability and a terrible hazard to the entire international community," Shen said. "Also, in some regions and countries, protracted armed conflict and warfare have brought enormous losses of life and property onto the local people, directly undermining social development there." "Therefore, for the sake of realizing the common progress and prosperity of the entire humanity, countries of the world should rise to their responsibility for maintaining peace and stability and strengthen international cooperation against terrorism in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," he said. "At the same time, in consideration of the fundamental interests of people of regions and countries concerned, they should seek appropriate solutions to conflicts through peaceful means," he said. "We believe that only with peace and stability achieved can there be a guarantee for social development and progress," he said. Healthy, stable, well-balanced and comprehensive social development is not only the objective for economic development, but also an important representation of the progress of human civilization, he said. The Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Social Development held last year further reviewed and evaluated the implementation of the outcome of the 1995 Social Summit and put forward new initiatives, thus laying a stronger foundation for the international cooperation in this field, he said. China Urges World Cooperation in Promoting Social DevelopmentChina said that efforts should be made to step up international cooperation in promoting social development as globalization is well under way, and to properly integrate the interests of old people, women, children and the disabled and other vulnerable groups into the national development program."International cooperation for social development should be stepped up," he said. "It is a responsibility squarely on the shoulder of governments and peoples of countries to seek their own social development, yet nowadays, the whole world is closely linked together in economic and social development, as globalization is well underway." "At present, special attention from the international community should be paid to situations of deteriorating natural environment, decreasing resources and unchecked spreading of terrible diseases in developing countries," he said. "For the common interests of mankind, developed countries should fulfill their pledges on official development assistance, provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries, find a fair and equitable solution to the issue of debts of the poor countries and help developing countries out of poverty at an earlier date," he said. "In promoting social development, we must take into consideration old people, women, children, the disabled and other vulnerable groups and fully accommodate their interests in the overall planning at the national level," he said. "Only by doing so can a healthy, comprehensive, coordinated and well-balanced social development be achieved," he said. China Always Attaches Importance to Social DevelopmentThe senior Chinese diplomat said that the Chinese Government has always attached importance to social development."In the past more than 20 years since it adopted the reform and opening-up policy, while maintaining a rapid economic growth, China has successfully solved the issue of providing sufficient food and clothes to its rural poverty-stricken population of more than 200 million," he said. "As a developing country with a population of 1.3 billion, however, China still faces a series of daunting tasks such as the acceleration of economic growth, the further improvement of people's livelihood, the eradication of poverty, more input for education as well as better health and public hygiene services," he said. "But the Chinese Government is confident in fulfilling its commitments and will take effective measures to achieve coordinated and sustained economic and social development in China," Shen added. |
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