Vice-Foreign Minister Li Baodong endorsed the remarkable achievements of the United Nations over the past seven decades and pledged that China will expand participation in UN missions.

UN headquarters in New York. [File photo]

Li made the remarks at a Monday seminar co-hosted by The United Nations Association-China (UNA-China) and the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs to discuss the future role of the UN.

At the seminar "The Seventy Years of UN: Mission, Responsibility and Future," Li said in an opening-ceremony speech that for seventy years the UN witnessed a changing international situation and has had to overcome many obstacles on the road it has traveled.

Li urged the international community to maintain international peace and security, promote common development, inherit the UN spirit and values, promote the principles of the UN Charter, boost multilateralism and strengthen the UN's role.

Li added that China has been championing the contemporary international order based on the UN, and China will boost involvement in UN missions in all fields to "better protect and promote benefits for mankind".

Ali Bassan Mwinyi, former President of Tanzania, told the seminar that the UN is an international organization designed to promote the enforcement of international law, security, human rights, and economic and social progress for countries around the world.

However, Mwinyi noted numerous challenges faced by the organization, and said "the Millennium Development Goals are yet to be achieved".

He believes that the systematic evaluation and study of the UN is necessary in order to ensure that over the next 70 years the UN will be of even greater significance.

Lu Shumin, president of UNA-China, said this year marks the final year of Millennium Development Goals, and the upcoming UN convention in September will start discussions about the agenda of sustainable development.

The Monday seminar gathered around 100 specialists and scholars as well as foreign diplomats, government officials from Russia, the United States, South Korea, Sri Lanka and China.

In-depth discussions were conducted on topics regarding the UN's role and challenges in maintaining international order, the role of the UN in global governance, and the maintenance of international peace and development in the new context.

Bian Yuhan contributed to this story.