by Ma Shengkun
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Ukraine
On September 1 this year, the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus” Meeting held in Tianjin and solemnly proposed the Global Governance Initiative. This is another important public good that China has provided to the international community, following the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. Grounded in the transformations of our time and aligned with people’s shared aspirations for peace and development, the Initiative points the way forward and provides a practical path for the reform and development of the global governance system, injecting strong impetus into joint advance toward a community with a shared future for humanity.
Historical context: responding to transformation unseen in a century
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. 80 years ago, upon deep reflection on the bitter lessons of the two world wars, the international community decided to establish the United Nations, commencing a new practice in global governance. Over the past 80 years, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter have provided the fundamental guide for international relations, and global governance has played an important role in maintaining peace and promoting development.
However, today’s world has entered a new period of turbulence and change. Regional conflicts are breaking out one after another. The global economic recovery remains sluggish. De-globalization and protectionism are gaining ground. Unilateral sanctions and bloc politics are pushing tensions up. Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals is seriously off track, and such topical issues as climate change, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and the governance of outer space demand urgent solutions. The current global governance system suffers from three major deficiencies — insufficient representativeness, erosion of authoritativeness and lack of effectiveness. Taken together, these trends make reform and refinement a matter of immediate priority.
At this historical moment, bridging past and future, President Xi Jinping, in response to epochal shifts and the challenges of global governance, proposed the Global Governance Initiative, contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the international community.
Core concepts: Five Commitments that point the direction
The core concepts of the Global Governance Initiative can be summed up in five commitments.
Commitment to sovereign equality. This is the foremost premise of global governance. Sovereign equality is the most important norm governing state-to-state relations, and the foremost principle observed by the UN and all other international institutions and organizations. It is also the essence of the democratization of international relations. Sovereign equality means that all countries, regardless of size, strength or wealth, shall have their sovereignty and dignity respected, their domestic affairs free from external interference, the right to independently choose their social system and development path, and the right to participate in, make decisions in and benefit from the global governance process as equals. Only by upholding this fundamental principle can the global governance system better reflect the interests and aspirations of the majority of countries and more effectively increase the representation and voice of developing countries.
Commitment to international rule of law. This is the fundamental safeguard for global governance. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter are universally recognized basic norms of international relations. They must be upheld unwaveringly. It’s a must to defend the authority and credibility of international law. Major countries, in particular, must take the lead in advocating and defending international rule of law. It’s a must to firmly reject an extremely utilitarian approach to international law — “apply it when it suits you, ignore it when it doesn’t”. And even more so it’s a must to firmly oppose the extreme self-interested approach of placing national law over international law. In emerging areas, international rules should be formulated on the basis of extensive consensus and democratic process, with universal acceptance by all nations. They must be applied equally and uniformly, without any double standards or imposition.
Commitment to multilateralism. This is the basic pathway of global governance. Multilateralism is the core concept of the existing international system and international order. The principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit must be upheld. Global affairs should be decided by all, the governance system built by all, and the fruits of governance shared by all. Practice of unilateralism must be rejected. The UN is the core platform for practicing multilateralism and advancing global governance, whose role must be enhanced, not weakened, and its authority and effectiveness must be safeguard through solidarity and cooperation. Other global and regional multilateral institutions should give play to their respective strengths and play a constructive role. All discriminatory and exclusionary arrangements should be avoided.
Commitment to the people-centered approach. This is the underpinning value of global governance. The people of all nations are the fundamental actors in global governance and its beneficiaries. The global governance system can earn broad support and work effectively only if it meets the people’s needs and consistently fosters their confidence and belief in a stable future. It must seek improvement through reforms in order to inspire, among peoples of all countries, a greater sense of fulfillment through accelerated common development, a greater sense of safety through more effective response to humanity’s common challenges and a greater sense of well-being through advancing the common interests of different countries and communities.
Commitment to real results. This is an important principle of global governance. Effective global governance is essentially one that resolves real problems. Given the close links among various issues, global governance should be carried out in a more coordinated, systematic and holistic way. It must address both root causes and symptoms to find sustainable solutions. It must both tackle pressing issues and take into account long-term challenges. Developed countries should earnestly take on their responsibilities and provide more resources and public goods. Developing countries, on their part, should pull together for strength and do their best for the world.
These Five Commitments, as the core concepts of the Global Governance Initiative, align fully with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. They are meant to secure the central role of the UN in international affairs and to encourage all nations to interact through the UN and other multilateral mechanisms in order to engage in reforming and building the global governance system so it could keep pace with the times and respond more effectively to the challenges of our era.
Significant meaning: to respond to the challenges of the era and to reflect responsibility of a major country
To reform and improve global governance does not mean to overturn the existing international order or to create another framework outside the current international system. Rather, the goal is to make the existing international system and international institutions better at taking actions, working effectively, adapting to changes, responding promptly and effectively to various global challenges, and serving the interests of all countries, particularly developing ones. This is both a substantive answer to the major question, namely what kind of global governance system to build and how to reform and improve it, and another enrichment and development of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.
The Global Governance Initiative works in tandem with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. Together, across the four dimensions of development, security, civilization and governance, they bring stability and predictability into a turbulent world and jointly form the “four pillars” for building a community with a shared future for humanity. This fully reflects China’s responsibility in upholding world peace and advancing shared development.
Way forward: together into a brighter future
“A just cause finds great support, and a journey with many companions gets far”. Since its launch, the Initiative has won broad support from the international community. There is a common view that it provides both direction and practical pathways for addressing global challenges. It must be emphasized that global governance is not an affair of some single country, but a shared endeavor of all mankind. It requires joint efforts of all nations, international organizations, civil society and other stakeholders who, following the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, should work actively to implement the Global Governance Initiative and contribute to building a more just and equitable international order.
No matter how the international landscape changes, China will remain firm in safeguarding the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, stand firmly on the right side of history, and join hands with all progressive forces in the world to promote building a community with a shared future for humanity and make relentless efforts for mankind’s noble cause of peace and development.
