President Jiang Zemin said Thursday that it has become a pressing task to enable the UN effectively maintain international peace and security and create a favourable environment for the development of all countries today facing unprecedented challenges and complex problems.

In order to dissolve contradictions and conflicts effectively and achieve a lasting peace and common security, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be strictly followed, Jiang said.

The president warned that willful use of force and interference in the internal affairs of other countries in the name of "humanitarianism" not only run counter to the principles of the UN Charter but also will lead to severe consequences.

He was speaking at a summit of the 15 member states of the UN Security Council, a side event of the three-day UN Millennium Summit in New York.

"And disputes, if any, must be settled through dialogue, negotiation and consultation," the president stressed.

He suggested giving the United Nations Security Council continued authority to handle international disputes and recommended that more developing nations be allowed to join.

"We should come together to safeguard the authority of the Security Council rather than to impair it," said Jiang.

Jiang said the UN Charter should help countries resolve disputes through dialogue.

"Interference in other countries' internal affairs not only violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter but will also bring about serious results," said Jiang, apparently referring to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in March through May of last year.

China strongly opposed the action and advocated a peaceful resolution of the Kosovo crisis.

The Security Council has a "primary" role in maintaining peace and security in the world, Jiang said, and "it is against the will of many member states for any country to bypass the Security Council and do what it wishes on major issues concerning world peace and security."

According to the UN Charter, the Security Council may explore peaceful ways to resolve international disputes, suggest settlements and send peace-keeping forces.

Statistics from the UN indicate that since 1948, the council has ordered 49 peace-keeping operations. Fourteen are under way now.

"It has been proven that whether a peace-keeping operation is successful or not is decided by whether the purposes and principles of the UN Charter are honoured," Jiang said. The principles, he said, include respecting countries' sovereignty, not interfering in internal affairs, gaining consent from relevant countries, maintaining neutrality and not using offensive force.

Jiang's views were echoed by the participants of the summit, who Thursday passed a resolution and declaration stressing the UN Security Council's obligation to maintain international peace and security in the world.

They also pledged to improve the UN's ability in peacekeeping and to strengthen co-operation between the UN and other international organizations.

As requested by China, the document also included clauses stating that sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity should be respected, that in handling international relations, countries and organizations should not resort to force or intimidation, and that international disputes should be resolved peacefully.

Jiang added that it is necessary to maintain the Security Council's authority to improve its efficiency.

"The reform of the Security Council can stand the test of history only when it fully reflects the will of the majority of member states," Jiang said.

Jiang said the council should let more developing countries join because they are now not adequately represented.

Apart from the five permanent members -- China, Russia, the United States, France and the United Kingdom, the other 10 are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. The 10 non-permanent members of the General Council are Argentina, Namibia, Tunisia, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Canada, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Mali.

Regarding the Security Council's current session on peace and development in Africa, Jiang said the UN and the council should listen to African countries and organizations. He said the world body should then help African countries alleviate poverty, which he called the root of wars and instability.

(China Daily 09/07/2000)