China on Thursday called for international and regional efforts to stabilize the security situation in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to protect women and children from the surge of sexual violence.
The DRC and northeast Nigeria are faced with challenges of armed conflict and terrorism, and the security situation there is complex and grave with women and children under severe threat of sexual violence, said Wu Haitao, China's deputy representative to the United Nations.
"The international community should pay more attention to this issue and comprehensively enhance the protection of vulnerable groups of women and children," Wu told a Security Council meeting.
He called for efforts to stabilize the situation and improve security. He cautioned that the international community should stick to the general direction of political settlement of hot spot issues and push relevant parties to settle their disputes peacefully through dialogue and negotiations.
He asked for efforts to combat terrorism and cross-border crimes, to cut off the channel of flow of terrorists, and to provide necessary protection and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups such as women.
The Chinese envoy called for integrated measures to enhance capacity building of the countries in question. He noted that the countries in question bear primary responsibility for combating sexual violence against women and children. The international community, on the other hand, should respect their sovereignty and will and the measures they adopt in light with their own conditions.
He urged the international community to provide targeted and constructive assistance to promote recovery and development of the countries, and to enhance capacity building in security, social services and governance.
Wu called for synergy of efforts by UN agencies and regional organizations to tackle the problem. The UN Security Council should assume primary responsibility of peace and security and coordinate with other UN agencies and to enhance cooperation with regional and sub-regional organizations, such as the African Union, he said.
"China would like to work with the international community to jointly create a peaceful, secure and stable international environment and make greater contributions to the early eradication of sexual violence and conflict, and to the continued advancement of the global course for women," said Wu.
