Meeting challenges through multilateralism: Commentary

UN secretary-general Kofi Annan recently stressed in his speech that the international community should strengthen cooperation to jointly cope with global challenges through multilateralism; the international community supports multilateralism in international affairs, meeting global challenges through cooperation has become a consensus.

Regarding this he points out that the role played by the United Nations (UN) in the defense of multilateralist system has gained recognition from various countries, the UN will continue to play an important role in this respect. In his opinion, the collective interest of the United Nations does not contradict a country's own interest, realization of collective interests by various countries through cooperation will also benefit a country's own interest, while various countries should also cooperate with the international community when they safeguard their own interests.

After entering into the 21st century, the international community was faced with the major question of multi-polarization of the world and democratization of international relationship and an early establishment of a new fair and reasonable political and economic order. Multilateral cooperation is no doubt the best way to achieve this objective. To set up a framework for multilateral cooperation in international relationship, it seems that it is essential to advance these two ideas:

one is that in multilateral cooperation all countries should be equal; countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, regardless of differences in their development roads, political systems and concepts of values should be, in the capacity as an equal member of the international community, participate in international affairs and should, on the basis of mutual respect and equal consultation, jointly maintain world security and stability.

Second is that in international multilateral cooperation they should pay attention to listening to and show respect for the voices and wishes of the vast number of developing countries, so that the latter can play a more important role in solving global problems. The evolution of the international situation after World War II and the change in South-North relationship have fully shown that without the participation of the numerous developing nations, many global problems cannot be properly resolved.

Peace and development need multilateralism. Consultation and cooperation are the quintessence of multilateralism. Without the framework and mechanism of multilateralism to serve as a guarantee, it is hard to realize the goal of global peace and development. Only by upholding the principle of consultation and cooperation, is it possible to bring about regional and world stability and, on the condition of trying hard to maintain long-term peace and stability, to promote regional common development and the self-development of a country.

On the basis of multilateralism, it is necessary to strengthen the exchange, use for reference and share the experiences and achievements gained in development, so that they can benefit the establishment and perfection of an all-round cooperation mechanism. In order to open up and maintain multilateralist channels, the process of cooperation among various existing organizations in various countries and regions should be encouraged and expanded. On the other hand, advancing South-North dialogs and cooperation is vitally important to global peace and development. In the process of economic globalization, developed countries and developing nations in the same boat should help each other and seize the opportunity so as to realize mutual benefit and a win-win result.

At present, while devoting its efforts to peace and development, the international community also faces grim challenges in the field of solving regional hot spot questions and cooperating in the fight against terror. Experiences show that it is very hard for a country, which deviates from multilateralism and relies only on its own strength, or even makes a fetch of power politics and hegemonism, to win a counter-terrorist war and guarantee its own security. Similarly, without the effective participation and mediation of UN-led international community, it is difficult to get a just solution to the long-drawn-out hot spot problem.

In recent years, unilateralism has once run wild, but it has ended up in running into snags again and again. Today when various challenges come thick and fast, especially when international terrorist activities are rife and rampant, the international community, while boycotting unilateralism, is crying for a mechanism of multilateral cooperation. In this sense, it is more important and urgent than anytime in the past to solve global problems through multilateralism.

In instituting multilateralism in international affairs, it is necessary to abide by the principle of "unity, equality and cooperation". Multilateralism needs two important fulcrums: One is persisting in giving play to the role of the United Nations, second is respecting the diversity of the world, i.e., respecting the diversity of civilization and the sovereign right of a country in choosing its development path. Only when these two points are adhered to, will it not be an empty talk for the international community to meet global challenges through multilateralism, and will there be hope for the establishment of a new just and reasonable international political and economic order.

The above commentary written by Zhu Mengkui is published on page 3 of People's Daily September 13, 2004 and translated by People's Daily Online