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China has conveyed a clear message to visiting United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Chinese leaders told the UN's top diplomat that the country will throw its weight behind reform of the global organization. Annan's itinerary in China helped him become familiar with the attitudes of a wide range of Chinese people. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised that his country would firmly fulfill its commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals and continue its battle against poverty. Established in 2000, the Millennium Development Goals are intended to ensure decisive progress by 2015 in dealing with poverty, malnutrition, disease and environmental degradation. China has been co-operating well with the UN and will continue to support the world body and the work of its secretary-general. As the world's largest developing country, China is well aware of what kind of assistance other developing nations need. This has been clearly illustrated by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's pledge to help more developing countries with their poverty alleviation and development programs. Development is the issue which must top the agenda of UN reform. An authoritative, efficient and well co-ordinated UN benefits global peace, security and common development. Some progress has already been made towards achieving goals to end global poverty, the biggest challenge facing the world today. There is no alternative for the world organization but to undergo a thorough reform, and this must include prioritizing the fight against poverty. Through its various agencies, the UN provides food, shelter and healthcare to millions of needy people around the world. The 35-page document which heads of state and government signed up at last September's New York summit serves as a map for the way ahead. The meeting was the culmination of the single most ambitious and wide-ranging attempt to reform the UN since it was established in 1945. It calls for the creation of peace-building commission to supervise the reconstruction of countries after conflicts are ended. A new doctrine setting out a "responsibility to protect" in cases of genocide and crimes against humanity has been adopted. UN reform is making progress, although debate on how to move it further is dragging on. A new and more credible Human Rights Council has been established to replace the Human Rights Commission, marking a major step in better addressing this important issue. In this era of rapid and unstoppable globalization, the UN is the venue where "global villagers" are supposed to find ways to collectively deal with natural catastrophes, massive outbreaks of disease, global financial crises and security issues. Challenges have been piling up for the world body. The reform must help it work together with regional organizations in a more integrated manner than in the past and master the complexities of current situation. (China Daily May 24, 2006)
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