A Chinese diplomat on Monday called for global efforts to end unilateral coercive measures, asserting that they weaken the foundations of multilateralism and the international rule of law.
Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, emphasized that history has shown such measures are a major cause of global instability and disruption of world order. He urged the international community to remain vigilant, strengthen unity, and collectively put a stop to these illegal actions.
He highlighted that the UN Charter is the cornerstone of the post-WWII global order, promoting principles like sovereign equality and peaceful conflict resolution. Unilateral coercive measures, however, contradict these values by imposing one country’s domestic laws over international law and violating the sovereignty of other nations.
Fu further criticized these actions for undermining the UN Security Council’s authority by replacing dialogue and mutual consultation with coercion and political pressure.
He warned that such measures infringe upon the fundamental human rights of people in targeted nations and often lead to widespread humanitarian crises.
Ironically, he said, some Western countries use the banner of human rights to justify imposing such sanctions, yet in doing so, they severely violate the very rights they claim to defend—such as the rights to life, health, and development.
He pointed out that unilateral sanctions disrupt global development cooperation and significantly obstruct progress toward achieving the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Fu also noted that tools like financial sanctions, trade barriers, and extraterritorial enforcement severely damage international cooperation in economic, trade, and technological fields. These actions destabilize global trade systems, harm supply chains, and worsen issues like food and energy insecurity, while widening the development gap between the Global North and South.
He accused some Western countries of manipulating such measures to enforce a form of “might makes right,” describing their actions as a clear manifestation of unilateralism, hegemony, and power politics. Fu warned that these practices are harmful and will ultimately be rejected by history.
He recalled that the UN General Assembly has repeatedly passed resolutions condemning unilateral coercive measures, particularly criticizing the U.S. embargo on Cuba and its negative impact on human rights.
China called on Western nations to respect global consensus, uphold international law, and lift all such sanctions immediately and unconditionally. Fu also urged UN member states and international organizations to stand against these actions and support the affected countries.
As a representative of the Global South and a past victim of unilateral measures, China reaffirmed its commitment to justice, multilateralism, and solidarity with developing nations. Fu said China will continue working with others to push back against unilateralism and promote a fairer international system anchored in the UN and international law, aiming for peace, development, and prosperity for all.
Concluding the debate, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to observe December 4 each year as the International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures.
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