Eliminating armed conflict best protection for civilians: Chinese envoy

UNITED NATIONS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Eliminating armed conflict is the best protection for civilians, said a Chinese envoy on Tuesday.

While saving lives in armed conflict is a noble goal, it must be noted that as long as conflicts have not ended, the lives of civilians are under constant threat, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

At the same time, it must not be forgotten that the Security Council's primary responsibility is to maintain international peace and security, he told an open debate of the Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

Over seven months of hostilities in Gaza have resulted in unprecedented civilian casualties and a humanitarian catastrophe. An urgent priority for the Security Council is to push for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. And to that end, the council should take further actions and urge Israel to immediately stop its collective punishment of the Palestinian people and to stop advancing its military attacks on Rafah, he said.

International humanitarian law is the bottom line that must be adhered to by all. The Security Council should continue to uphold the authority of international humanitarian law and ensure its universal and consistent application. Double standards and selective application of international humanitarian law are unacceptable and are tantamount to condoning more violations, he said.

Serious efforts should be made to address outstanding challenges posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the development of autonomous weapon systems, said Fu.

The illicit trafficking, misuse, and irresponsible transfer of small arms and light weapons have exacerbated armed conflicts. China calls for strengthening the global governance of the arms trade, he said. "We stand for the concept of responsible arms trade and the need to combat the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons. We call on all countries to refrain from supplying weapons to non-state actors."

The risk of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous weapon systems being used as a means of warfare is on the rise and deserves greater attention. Following a human-centered principle of using AI for good, countries should work to ensure that AI always remains under human control. China supports the development of a legally binding international instrument on lethal autonomous weapon systems, he said.

Fu stressed the importance of improving the governance capacity of conflict-affected countries.

At the end of the day, national governments take the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and security of their own people. In dealing with complex situations, the international community needs to take systematic measures in light of the realities of the conflict-afflicted countries, and support them in strengthening their national defense, security, and counter-terrorism capacities. Assistance needs to be provided to the countries concerned to accelerate their development, promote employment and poverty reduction, improve the capacity of public service delivery, and gradually address the deep-seated causes of conflict, he said.

China has always attached great importance to the protection of civilians. Over the years, China has been actively participating in UN peacekeeping operations and, within the framework of South-South cooperation, China has been helping developing countries strengthen their governance capabilities. China will continue to work with the international community to eliminate the scourge of war at an early date to ensure peaceful and happy lives, he said.