BEIJING, Sept. 17 -- President Hu Jintao said on Thursday that United Nations reform, a hot topic at the ongoing world's largest summit, should be realized through democratic consultation in an active and prudent manner.

    "The new international situation presents new challenges to the United Nations," Hu said at an interactive roundtable focusing on the reform of the world body. He urged member countries "to seize the historical opportunity to introduce rational and necessary reforms" so that the UN can better fulfil its mandate under the Charter.

    It is the fourth time the Chinese leader has addressed the three-day UN World Summit, which coincides with the organization's 60th anniversary this year. On the second day of the summit, heads of government and heads of state from more than 170 countries stressed in their speeches the need to reform the UN, to fight terrorism and to continue efforts to achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goals.

    As the reforms have a key role in the future of the organization, Hu said they should focus on the overall mission and use it as the yardstick to evaluate all reform proposals.

    To help the reform gain a solid foundation and garner broad support, it is necessary to have full deliberation and extensive consultation where opinions of different parties are respected and concerns mutually accommodated, the Chinese president said.

    He warned against imprudent activities in carrying out UN reform to "ensure the results can withstand the test of time and practice."

    "There is indeed a sense of urgency to the UN reform," Hu said. "The more urgent a task is, the more important it is to keep it moving at the right speed and guard against rashness."

    For proposals on which consensus has been or can be reached, decisions may be made promptly for their implementation without delay, Hu said. "But for proposals where major differences still exist, a further exchange of views should be conducted to seek consensus."

    Last but not least, reform should be pushed forward on all fronts with clear priorities, Hu said.

    "Spanning such areas as security, development, the rule of law and institutional reform, UN reform needs an integrated approach," he said. The views of developing countries, which account for two-thirds of the UN membership, should be taken into full account and their interests truly safeguarded.

    Measures to give developing countries greater representation and to help them realize the Millennium Development Goals should be placed at the very top of the reform agenda, the Chinese president said.

    "China is firmly committed to UN reform," Hu concluded, adding that the country "stands ready to join hands with other member states in ensuring that the progress of the reform is sound, thus enabling the UN to make greater contributions to the lofty cause of peace and development for mankind."

    Hu also held bilateral meetings with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski, Gabonese President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba and Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson. Enditem

(Source: China Daily)