Toast by Zhang Yesui, Assistant Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Reception Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of UNHCR
(14 December 2000, Great Wall Sheraton Hotel, Beijing)
2001-05-14 20:38
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,
Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China and the UNHCR Representative Office in China welcome all of you to this reception we are hosting to mark this occasion.
First of all, please allow me to extend, on behalf of the Chinese Government, our heartfelt congratulations to UNHCR on its fiftieth birthday.
On this day fifty years ago, the United Nations established UNHCR in order to help the refugees in Europe and other places who had suffered profoundly. After fifty years of growth, UNHCR has become an important agency providing international protection and material assistance to refugees worldwide and facilitating their voluntary repatriation and resettlement.
In the last fifty years, armed conflicts triggered by racial, religious, territorial and other disputes as well as negative impacts of the unreasonable old international economic order led to frequent refugee crises in the world, and refugee waves of refugees flushed one after another. UNHCR, as a major agency dealing with the refugee problem in the UN system, has made unremitting efforts to help refugees all over the world, bringing warmth and hope to those in need of protection, assistance and resettlement and contributing to world peace and stability. Here, I would like to pay tribute to the lofty cause of UNHCR and express my appreciation for the hard work and dedication of its staff.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As a contracting party to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, China has always attached great importance to the work concerning refugees. Over the years, China has actively participated in the humanitarian activities to help refugees, and established and maintained good cooperative relations with UNHCR. As a developing country, China has rendered assistance within its capacity to refugees in the world through UNHCR and other channels. It's worth mentioning that China has cooperated with UNHCR in providing shelter to nearly 300,000 Indo-Chinese refugees, which is a significant contribution to the protection of refugees in the world. Hereby I wish to express our gratitude towards UNHCR for its assistance to China. China will continue to strengthen the friendly relations and cooperation with UNHCR and make further efforts for the settlement of the global refugee problem at an early date.
In 17 days, mankind will enter a new century and new millenium. We have many hopes for the new century, including the hope for a gradual reduction of the number of refugees and final settlement of the refugee problem. We believe that the fundamental guarantee for a thorough solution of the refugee problem lies in the establishment of a just and reasonable new international political and economic order, the realization of sustained global peace and development, and the peaceful and harmonious coexistence of people of all countries in the world. I am convinced that, as long as the international community continues to make unremitting efforts while strengthening coordination and cooperation, the refugee problem will be settled eventually. It is our wish that the final settlement of the refugee problem will come at an early date.
Finally, may I propose a toast
to the outstanding work of UNHCR over fifty years and
to the friendly cooperation between China and UNHCR.
Cheers!
Friends,
Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China and the UNHCR Representative Office in China welcome all of you to this reception we are hosting to mark this occasion.
First of all, please allow me to extend, on behalf of the Chinese Government, our heartfelt congratulations to UNHCR on its fiftieth birthday.
On this day fifty years ago, the United Nations established UNHCR in order to help the refugees in Europe and other places who had suffered profoundly. After fifty years of growth, UNHCR has become an important agency providing international protection and material assistance to refugees worldwide and facilitating their voluntary repatriation and resettlement.
In the last fifty years, armed conflicts triggered by racial, religious, territorial and other disputes as well as negative impacts of the unreasonable old international economic order led to frequent refugee crises in the world, and refugee waves of refugees flushed one after another. UNHCR, as a major agency dealing with the refugee problem in the UN system, has made unremitting efforts to help refugees all over the world, bringing warmth and hope to those in need of protection, assistance and resettlement and contributing to world peace and stability. Here, I would like to pay tribute to the lofty cause of UNHCR and express my appreciation for the hard work and dedication of its staff.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As a contracting party to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, China has always attached great importance to the work concerning refugees. Over the years, China has actively participated in the humanitarian activities to help refugees, and established and maintained good cooperative relations with UNHCR. As a developing country, China has rendered assistance within its capacity to refugees in the world through UNHCR and other channels. It's worth mentioning that China has cooperated with UNHCR in providing shelter to nearly 300,000 Indo-Chinese refugees, which is a significant contribution to the protection of refugees in the world. Hereby I wish to express our gratitude towards UNHCR for its assistance to China. China will continue to strengthen the friendly relations and cooperation with UNHCR and make further efforts for the settlement of the global refugee problem at an early date.
In 17 days, mankind will enter a new century and new millenium. We have many hopes for the new century, including the hope for a gradual reduction of the number of refugees and final settlement of the refugee problem. We believe that the fundamental guarantee for a thorough solution of the refugee problem lies in the establishment of a just and reasonable new international political and economic order, the realization of sustained global peace and development, and the peaceful and harmonious coexistence of people of all countries in the world. I am convinced that, as long as the international community continues to make unremitting efforts while strengthening coordination and cooperation, the refugee problem will be settled eventually. It is our wish that the final settlement of the refugee problem will come at an early date.
Finally, may I propose a toast
to the outstanding work of UNHCR over fifty years and
to the friendly cooperation between China and UNHCR.
Cheers!