It is a great pleasure to take part in this timely online dialogue.

The nexus between peace and development is obvious. Peace and security are fundamental conditions for development. Moreover, development makes peace more resilient.

At the recent session of the Boao Forum for Asia, on 21 April this year, President Xi launched his Global Security Initiative. This represents a logical continuation, an addition to his last year’s Global Development Initiative.

The armed conflict in Ukraine has made the nexus between peace and development visible. The situation is dangerous. The conflict could grow into a wide Russia - NATO confrontation, either through escalation or by deliberate choice.

This would be a disaster of global proportions. But even if the military conflict remains contained, its adverse economic effects and the adverse effects of sanctions will be a major blow to global development. Therefore, every effort neds to be made for a peaceful resolution through mediation or other peaceful means.

In addition, the military conflict in Ukraine gave rise to different interpretations of its effects on the future of the international security. A serious discussion of this problem is necessary.

Unfortunately, the ongoing military situation and the related propaganda is driving much of the political commentary today.

According to some commentators, the military conflict in Ukraine will strengthen the West and help re-establishing the unipolar world that characterised the immediate post – cold war period.

A related simplistic opinion is based on the Manichean idea of good versus bad and on favours a new era of bipolarity, this time with the US and China as the main protagonists.

However, the majority of the world’s countries, including most of those who define themselves as democracies, have no wish to be drawn into a protracted great power competition of a proposed new bipolar world.

They understand that bipolarity would not help them, neither will it contribute to solving any of the world’s complex problems.

The world needs a realistic approach to global security based on the acceptance of multipolarity as a fact and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations as the framework for building durable security and peace

Acceptance of the reality that the world is multipolar now should not be too difficult. It is more difficult to define the ways to manage the opposing interests among the major powers – and among all states of the world - in a peaceful manner.

This will require far more dialogue among the main holders of power than is the case today. The absence of real dialogue is the first problem to be overcome in the effort to build a peaceful world. There are many things to discuss: the techniques of risk reduction and confidence building, the ways of a timely addressing common, global concerns, like the effects of global warming and the needed reforms. In each of these areas there is a need for specific proposals.

They will have to include proposals for reform of some of the international institutions – and creation of new ones, both at the regional and global level.

In Europe, the expected expansion of NATO following the armed conflict in Ukraine will change the regional balance. This will create an urgent need to overhaul the regional security architecture and to ensure that it is inclusive, effective and sustainable.

In the North East Asia a regional security dialogue is long overdue. Its absence in our uncertain times calls for more dialogue and for strengthened efforts for peace and stability in the region.

Changes will be needed at the global level as well.

For example, the reform of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank is long overdue. The world trading system should be adjusted to the trading needs of the future.

One of the basic needs for the changes in international structures will be a firm global conceptual framework. Fortunately, such framework already exists.

The principles of the UN Charter remain the best available framework for global cooperation: Sovereign equality of member states; fulfilment of their international obligations in good faith; peaceful settlement of disputes; non-use of force; the duty to assist the United Nations and non-intervention in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state.

These principles remain fully valid. They have to be respected in the actual practice. Moreover, the the mechanism of the United Nations, in particular its Security Council have to be used for solving of problems. Far too often the UN is used only to express a view, to be briefed or to criticise. This is not good enough in our times. The UN was designed for problem solving and it has to return to that primary purpose. The world has to find ways to using the full potential of the Charter of the United Nations.

Key Words： China US Danilo Turk