New York City, USA – China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, made a powerful call on Monday for the global community to end unilateral coercive measures, highlighting their harmful impact on international cooperation and human rights.
Speaking at a UN General Assembly debate, Fu Cong emphasized that such measures undermine the spirit of multilateralism and place the domestic laws of one country above international law. “Unilateral coercive measures trample on the principle of sovereign equality,” he stated.
Fu criticized certain Western countries for imposing these measures under the guise of protecting human rights. He argued that they in fact violate the basic human rights of people in affected countries, including their rights to life, health, and development. “They replace dialogue with coercion and power politics,” Fu added.
He also highlighted the detrimental effects of unilateral measures on global development efforts. “They rupture global development cooperation and severely halt the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” Fu said. He noted that financial embargoes and trade restrictions disrupt international economic cooperation and jeopardize the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
“These actions exacerbate global crises, widen the wealth gap, and make sustainable development goals even more elusive,” Fu warned.
Fu called on countries imposing unilateral measures to honor their commitments to the UN Charter and international law. He urged them to immediately and unconditionally lift all such measures. He also appealed to UN member states and international organizations to jointly oppose these practices and support affected countries.
As a member of the Global South and a nation that has experienced unilateral coercive measures, China is committed to upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, Fu said. “We will work with all relevant parties to promote global governance in a more just and equitable direction,” he affirmed.
Following the debate, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to proclaim December 4 each year as the International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures, aiming to raise awareness of their negative impacts.
