China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu (C) addresses a debate of the UN Security Council on the Root Causes of Conflict - the Role of Natural Resources, at the UN headquarters in New York, Oct. 16, 2018. Ma Zhaoxu on Tuesday urged the international community to respect the sovereignty over natural resources in various countries. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu on Tuesday urged the international community to respect the sovereignty over natural resources in various countries.
At a Security Council debate on Root Causes of Conflict - the Role of Natural Resources, Ma said that the proper protection, exploration and management of natural resources are the sovereign rights and obligations of the countries they belong to.
The exploration, mining and utilization of natural resources should be decided independently by the government and people of individual countries, and countries in conflict regions should pay more attention to the proper use and management of resources, so as to prevent illicit exploration and misuse for fueling armed conflicts, Ma said.
The illicit exploration and trafficking of natural resources can potentially be a key role in triggering and fueling conflicts and undermining peace, the Chinese enjoy said.
It is necessary to help countries take full advantage of natural resources and facilitate their efforts in industrialization and economic diversification, so that they can follow their own path of sustainable development, Ma said.
Opening the debate, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "The exploitation of natural resources, or competition over them, can and does lead to violent conflict. Preventing, managing and resolving such conflicts is one of the major and growing challenges of our time."
The UN chief underscored the recognition for the potential for shared management of natural resources as a means for preventing conflict and enhancing regional cooperation for peace and sustainable development.
To that end, he said, "We have taken note of member states' call for greater focus on these issues," pledging to strengthen the UN's capacity to address the growing threat of climate-related security risks and maximize opportunities to use mediation over natural resources as a tool for conflict prevention.
UN studies have shown that more than 40 percent of internal armed conflicts over the past 60 years have been linked to natural resources. Since 1990, 75 percent of civil wars in Africa have been partially funded by revenues from natural resources.
