Eighty years of the United Nations: Sailing toward a future of peace and development

BEIJING, Oct. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on the 80^th anniversary of the United Nations:

"We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war…" — the opening line of the Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations (the Charter), has long been etched in people's memories. On Oct. 24, 1945, the Charter came into effect, marking the official birth of the United Nations.

Over the past 80 years, the United Nations has grown into the world's most universal, representative and authoritative international organization. It has always upheld the purposes and principles of the Charter, driving the world toward peace, justice and equality, improving lives around the world, and advancing global prosperity and sustainability.

However, eighty years since the UN's founding, the international landscape has undergone profound transformations, with global challenges and threats in various fields on the rise… In times of uncertainty and upheaval, concrete actions and real change are imperative. Recognizing this, the UN has proposed the "UN 2.0," an initiative to better support its member states through its own reforms and to stay true to its founding vision.

Internal reforms within the UN system alone won't be the game-changer. As the theme of the UN 80th anniversary "Building our future together" suggests, only through the concerted efforts of all countries, with practical actions instead of empty words, can humanity build the shared future we aspire to.

As a founding Member State and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has consistently fulfilled its responsibilities, demonstrating its commitment as a major country, safeguarding global peace with solid actions, and boosting common development via win-win cooperation.

From conceptual innovation to practical actions, China has consistently contributed a stabilizing and peaceful force to the world. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence upheld by China have gained broad recognition from the international community, and the Global Security Initiative has been incorporated into over 140 bilateral or multilateral documents. These philosophies and solutions, proposed by China, align with the purposes of the UN Charter, offering more practical guidance on how to make peace a reality. In practice, over 50,000 peacekeepers from China have served in more than 20 countries and regions on peacekeeping missions, making the Chinese "Blue Helmets" a key force for safeguarding global peace. In March 2023, China brokered the historic restoration of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing, after a seven-year hiatus of the two countries' diplomatic relationship. This reconciliation set a new model of political resolution of hot-spot issues.

China is also leveraging its experience and wisdom in steering global development to a more practical and inclusive future. At home, the country has eliminated extreme poverty, achieving the poverty alleviation goal in the 2030 Agenda ten years ahead of schedule, making a tremendous contribution to the global cause. For years, China has been sharing its development fruits, opportunities, and expertise with other partner countries via the Belt and Road Initiative. Solid outcomes of such collaboration range from large infrastructure projects from railways and ports, to smaller, people-centered projects such as drinking wells and the vocational training programs. These examples reflect China's commitment to improving livelihoods globally, while advancing the realization of the SDGs. In 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative; four years on, there are now more than 1,800 projects in the Global Development Project Pool, sharing tangible gains with various countries of the Global South.

Eight decades of trials and triumphs have testified to the enduring importance of the UN's commitment to peace and development, while bearing witness to China's contribution and responsibility. Standing at a new historical juncture, the world can expect China to share the benefits and shoulder the responsibilities with the United Nations as well as other countries, setting sail with peace as the wind and development as the oar, and translating the shared vision for the future into a tangible and living reality.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm 

Eighty years of the United Nations: Sailing toward a future of peace and development
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2025-10/24/content_118140669.shtml 

SOURCE China.org.cn