China to fulfill duty as UNSC president

China will fulfill its duty as the rotating president of the UN Security Council in June in a fair, neutral way so as to effectively maintain international peace and security, the Chinese UN envoy said here on Wednesday.

Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, made the statement in an interview with the UN-based Chinese media at the country's mission to the United Nations.

"As the rotating president and a permanent member of the Security Council, we will adhere to the principle of being fair, neutral, efficient and pragmatic to ensure success of the work of the Security Council, so as to maintain international peace and security in an effective manner," Li said.

According to the current provisional work program in June, the Security Council is expected to review nearly 30 issues, including major international hot-spot ones such as Syria, Sudan, South Sudan and the Middle East, he said.

The UN Security Council is also scheduled to hold an open debate in June on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts, the envoy added.

The Council presidency rotates among the members of the Security Council in the English alphabetical order of their names. Each president holds office for one calendar month. China previously assumed the presidency in March 2011.

The Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members - China, Britain, France, Russia and the United States - and 10 non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms.

Under the UN Charter, the Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security in the world at large.