"As a professor of international law, I have studied in depth the global governance initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping. These initiatives point the way to building a just, reasonable, inclusive, and equitable multilateral framework, which helps maintain world peace and stability and promote development and prosperity," said Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, professor at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations in Switzerland, in a recent interview with this newspaper.
As an expert who has long been concerned with and actively involved in promoting the construction of a fair and just international order, De Zayas highly recognizes China's positive role in global affairs. "In recent years, China has put forward a series of new concepts and initiatives in the field of global governance, including a global governance perspective based on consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits; adherence to international rule of law; and practice of multilateralism," De Zayas said. He added that China's voting record on UN human rights issues is also noteworthy, noting its active role in resolutions concerning the rights to peace, development, food, water, and sanitation, as well as the prohibition of unilateral coercive measures.
According to De Zayas, some countries are attempting to undermine the UN system, harboring an irrational fear of China and imposing the role of "enemy" on it. Reality proves that global problems must be resolved through multilateral means. China has consistently maintained openness, practiced genuine multilateralism, and become an important participant and steadfast activist in improving global governance. "Global governance initiatives advocate for the democratization of international relations, call for increased representation and voice for developing countries in UN agencies, and truly reflect the interests and demands of the majority of countries."
The sudden change in the situation in Venezuela has drawn significant international attention. "We must be clear on one point: the United States is not only launching a military operation against Venezuela, but also an attack on all of us, on the UN Charter, on international law, and on civilization itself. We are witnessing a direct attack on nearly a century of civilization and human rights development," said De Zayas. "The United States will inevitably suffer the consequences of its predatory actions in Venezuela."
De Zayas believes that it is now more important to reaffirm that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, and that the fundamental principles established by the UN Charter and international law must be upheld. “Global governance needs unified rules, and the most widely recognized rule is the UN Charter. President Xi Jinping’s global governance initiatives are consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and will make a positive contribution to building a more just and equitable global governance system,” De Zayas said. He added that the initiatives will help global governance move towards multilateralism based on the equality of sovereign states, injecting more stability and certainty into maintaining world peace.
De Zayas believes that China's efforts to promote the implementation of the BRICS cooperation mechanism and the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative will further unleash the practical value of global governance initiatives. "The BRICS cooperation mechanism and the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative embody the principles of multilateralism, build consensus among all parties, and inject new momentum into regional development."
"Global governance initiatives help promote the development of the global governance system in a more just and equitable direction, bridging the gap between humanity's aspiration for peaceful coexistence and its current reality, and moving towards a community with a shared future for mankind," said De Zayas. "I have believed in international law my entire life, worked at the United Nations for many years, and taught international law for many years. Today, I still firmly believe in international law. The proposal of global governance initiatives is timely, and the United Nations and the international community value and welcome China's proposals and contributions to addressing global challenges." (People's Daily reporter Xu Xin)
