China fulfills Security Council rotating presidency in April

China concluded its rotating presidency on April 30of the UN Security Council for April.

Under the month-long Chinese presidency, the Security Council convened 21 open meetings and 23 closed consultations, adopted seven resolutions and three presidential statements, said Liu Jieyi, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, on April 29 at the UN headquarters in New York.

In April, China heldthree open debates at the Security Council on issues including terrorism, the Palestine issue and piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea.

Under the Chinese initiative, an open debate was held at the Security Council on April 14 to discuss the issue of countering terrorism, which is a major concern now.

The debate heard a briefing by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and statements by representatives of more than 70 countries, further strengthening the political will of the international community in fighting terrorism.

Liu called for international efforts to update means of response and effectively suppress use of the internet and social media for terrorism at the open debate.

As a result, it is widely agreed upon that the international community should use political, economic and cultural means in an integrated manner to address both the symptoms and the root causes of terrorism.

Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians prompted a second open debate at the Security Council on April 18.

The demolition of Palestinian homes and businesses in the West Bank was continuing at an alarming rate and plans for more illegal Jewish settlements in the area cast doubt on Israel's commitment to a two-State solution, Ban said at the start of the debate.

“The creation of new facts on the ground through demolitions and settlement-building raises questions about whether Israel's ultimate goal is in fact to drive Palestinians out of certain parts of the West Bank, thereby undermining any prospect of transition to a viable Palestinian State,” Ban said.

The third open council debate on piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea,was convened on April 25 and jointly organized by China, Senegal and Angola.

The Gulf of Guinea has seen frequent pirate attacks and armed robbery throughout its territorial waters in recent years. These attacks feature links to terrorism organizations, illegal armed groups and criminal gangs.

Apart from these open debates, China also led council members to promote peace process in such countries as Syria, Yemen and South Sudan, urging political solutions to the crises. Meanwhile, the Security Council also discussed issues including Cote d'Ivoire, Somalia and Ukraine.