At UN, China calls for Syria sanctions to be lifted to give children hit by war and quakes ‘hope of survival’
- Unilateral sanctions deprive many children in Syria of their fundamental rights to development and survival, says UN envoy Zhang Jun
- He urges ‘the last country in the world’ – the US – to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child without delay
China has called for unilateral sanctions against Syria to be lifted to give children in the country “hope of survival”.
Speaking at a meeting on children and armed conflict at the UN Security Council on Monday, Zhang said children were the most innocent and vulnerable victims of armed conflicts. He stressed that preventing and resolving conflict must be the first and last means of protection.
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“We once again urge countries to lift all illegal unilateral sanctions immediately and unconditionally. We urge them not to be accomplices of natural disasters, not to rob children of their hope of survival and not to engage in hypocritical political acts,” Zhang said.
He emphasised the need for countries to act according to the UN charter and follow the rule of law in preventing conflict.
Zhang also urged “the last country in the world” that had not ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to act without delay, so the “vital convention can truly achieve universal coverage”.