Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan delivers a speech at Peking University on April 22. (PHOTO: CSST)

 

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations (UN). On April 22, Earth Day, Peking University (PKU) welcomed former Secretary-General of the UN and 2001 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan.

This is Annan’s second China visit since he retired from the UN in 2006. An outstanding political figure with exceptional wisdom, courage and generosity, he has dedicated his life to the lofty cause of world peace and human progress through mediation and diplomacy.

At the invitation of the Office of International Relations at PKU and the Beijing Forum Secretariat, Annan delivered a keynote address titled “Toward a More Harmonious World Order” at the university.

Sharing with the audience the experience he amassed over decades and his insights on global governance, Annan began his speech with a mild, unhurried tone: “The English word ‘harmony’ comes from the Greek word ‘harmonia,’ meaning concord. In China, the concept of harmony dates back to the adages of Confucius. In Africa also, we have a proverb ‘With harmony, everything succeeds.’ From these references, we conceive that the search for harmony is an eternal human quest, but that is often frustrated by man’s fist and power.”
 

World harmony, the perennial pursuit and universal aspiration of mankind, is grounded in three mutually supportive principles-peace and security; sustainable and inclusive development; rule of law and respect for human rights, which he reiterated in his speech.

“We are living in a certain era when the formula for the international order is shifting,” Annan said.

The international architecture set up after the World War II is proving unable to cope with the uncertainties of our time, he said.
 

In Annan’s speech, he emphasized “the adaption of institutions to the new world order.” To realize this goal, Annan put forward proposals to make the Security Council and the international financial institutions more representative during his tenure as secretary-general of the UN.
 

Annan went on to list the major threats to peace in Asia, home to more than a half of the world’s population. Among those he cited were a resurgence of nationalism, ethnic and religious tensions, and territorial disputes. Fortunately, emerging Asian powers, particularly China with its foreign policy of non-interference, are playing a leading role in rewriting the international order, Annan said.
 

“I also see values in the new financial institutions that China has initiated, and from which, I hope, Africa could benefit,” he said, adding that China will have a strong role to play in the Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of this year.
 

“I believe international interest is the national interest,” Anna concluded.

 

 

Bai Le is a reporter at the Chinese Social Sciences Today.