Symptoms and root causes of conflicts must be addressed

People exit the United Nations Headquarters in New York, US, Dec 20, 2023. Editor's Note: The following are excerpts of remarks by Chinese ambassador, Fu Cong, at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Peace Building and Sustaining Peace: The New Agenda for Peace — Addressing Global, Regional and National Aspects of Conflict Prevention on Wednesday: We need to enhance the effectiveness and relevance of conflict prevention, and address both the symptoms and underlying issues, in particular by tackling the root causes of conflict, and strive to translate the international community's shared vision for peace into effective actions to realize lasting peace. An open and nondiscriminatory international economic and trade environment should be established so that more developing countries can participate fairly in economic, scientific and technological cooperation and share the dividends of development. Here, I wish to emphasize that the indiscriminate imposition of illegal unilateral sanctions by some countries in violation of the UN Charter and international law not only exacerbates the economic and social difficulties of the countries targeted, but also sows the seeds for new conflicts and instability. Maintaining stable economic growth and continuously creating jobs and wealth is the basis for achieving long-term peace and stability in a country and among countries.