UN Function and Future

by+Gong+Haiying

In September 2015， the United Nations will launch activi- ties to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its founding， and Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit the United States to attend the celebrations.

Why celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations？ The celebrations happen to coincide with the deadline of the UN Millennium Development Goals. What issues highlight the development agenda for years after 2015？ What is the significance of Chinese president attending the General Assembly of the United Nations？

Some answers came to light in our latest interview with Jia Lieying， director of United Nations Research Center under Beijing Language and Culture University.

United Nations： Conscience of Mankind

China Pictorial （CP）： How do we appraise what the United Nations （UN） has done over the past 70 years？

Jia Lieying （Jia）： The UN has served as a platform for multilateral diplomacy， without territory， population or an army. It has played a role mainly through its member states.

The UN has played an outstanding role compared to the League of Nations established in 1920. Over the last 70 years， it has played a positive role as an important channel to alleviate international conflicts， a hand up for human development， both socially and economically， and a weathervane reflecting the sentiments of people all over the planet， despite its failed intervention in Somalia.

The UN represents the conscience of mankind. Through the ages， it has continued unremitting efforts in many sectors， such as deterring nuclear proliferation， constantly caring for the disadvantaged， and safeguarding the environment.

I often think that the UN could play a bigger role if sovereign states could send their armies to its command.

CP： What are the most pressing issues on the development agenda of the UN after 2015？

Jia： This will be an important topic for discussion at the forthcoming General Assembly. Compared with the Millennium Development Goals targeting developing countries， the development agenda after 2015 should be more inclusive， which will take into account developed countries as well.

This year will bring the convention of the UN Climate Summit in Paris， which will hopefully produce a historic agreement to control global warming – the first highlight of the UN development agenda for years after 2015.

Still， the three pillars of the United Nations – development， peace and safety， and human rights – will continue to be enhanced after 2015 and find global consensus.

CP： What role do you think this General Assembly will play in reform of the UN？

Jia： UNs reform has remained an eternal question， but it will not be a hot topic for this General Assembly.

Mogens Lykketoft， president of the Danish Parliament and newly elected president of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly， has pledged to take into account the voices of some member states on UN reform without shifting focus of the United Nations.

China Will Enhance Its Support

CP： China is planning a military parade on September 3， 2015， its first to celebrate victory in the worlds anti-Fascist war. With this in mind， do you think the Chinese presidents attendance at the UN celebration has any special meaning？

Jia： This is the very first time that China has ever launched such a military parade except for celebrations of national days since the founding of New China. The event has great significance both politically and historically.

As a nation that has suffered major humiliation in modern history， China has invested extreme efforts to achieve what it has today. The country must make a major statement of its strength to face down neighboring challenges and security concerns， par- ticularly those born of the political views inconsistent with global consensus of the history of World War II. A military parade aiming to foster peace will be widely received around the world.

September 3 was carefully chosen as the date of the military parade to commemorate the historic moment on September 2， 1945 when Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri. The international order built by the UN in the wake of WWII after the Allied victory is not yet outdated and still works well. China， as a victor in WWII， should maintain such order.

During Xi Jinpings tenure as Chinese president， China has grown at breakneck speed and has strengthened its prominent position in global diplomacy. His move to attend the UN General Assembly fully embodies Chinas values and support of the United Nations in hopes of further strengthening the authority and function of the organization.

CP： How can intensifying coordination and building a new type of relationship between China and the United States influence the development of the UN？

Jia： In terms of resources， the UN can hardly do anything without financial support from great powers. Of the five permanent member states of the UN Security Council， the United States contributes more than the others. China， however， has risen up to sixth in donations to the UN thanks to the countrys economic development.

In addition， both China and the United States enjoy veto power， a decisive function to the United Nations. Summit diplomacy supports the many mechanisms maintaining the relationship between China and the United States. On the UN platform， greater consensus between heads of the two countries not only accelerates development of the relationship between the two countries， but also exerts a positive influence on the UNs operation and development.

It was China that presented the idea of building a new type of relationship between great powers in hopes of breaking the traditional logic of conflict and confrontation amongst major powers， instead seeking cooperation and win-win results among them， while helping emerging countries move forward healthily.

Millennia have passed since the war between Athens and Sparta as the “Thucydides Trap.” Humans should now be smart enough to prove the reality of peaceful rising. Apart from SinoAmerican relationship， interaction with other major powers should also be enhanced – an endeavor in an all-round way.

CP： How should China and the UN improve their cooperation？

Jia： China can intensify its support of the UNs work. Economically， it can donate greater membership dues to the UN and enhance its aid to developing countries. Culturally， China has established some 500 Confucius Institutes in other parts of the world， which not only disseminate Chinese language and culture， but also contribute remarkably to world culture.

After all， China was once a beneficiary of the United Nations. The time has come for the country to pay it back after its economic achievements.