Today, with changes unseen in a century unfolding at a faster pace, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. How to better achieve peace and security has become a must-answer question for the members of the same global village.

The Commemoration of the International Day of Peace was held in Shandong, China from September 19th to 21st. Leaders of political parties, and representatives from peace and friendship organizations and security think tanks from various countries jointly explored answers to achieving peace in the changing situation from the perspectives like history, reality, and the future.

Seeking answers from history

One learns from the past to predict the future. History always provides insights for mankind at crucial moments. The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN). On the first page of the UN Charter is the founding goal of the UN "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind."

"With rising geopolitical tensions, the only way to build peaceful co-existence is to ensure that the entire international world also respect the UN Charter," said Charles Mubita, Member of the Politburo of the SWAPO Party of Namibia and the Rector of the Swapo Party School. Mubita added that the original aspiration of the UN is to maintain world peace, and member states of the UN must not violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in their interactions.

Sommad Pholsena, Vice Chairman of National Assembly of Laos and President of Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity, believed that while pursuing peace and security, the international community needs to adhere to its original aspiration. It should advance the cause of peace on the basis of the UN Charter and international law, and build a multi-polar world of fairness and justice, therefore enhancing exchanges and cooperation among all countries.

The founding goal of the UN is to realize peace, but its member states are often caught up in conflict, said Ueli Maurer, former President of the Swiss Confederation. He said the international community needs to take measures to uphold the authority of the UN so that all parties can truly prevent conflicts, stop wars and ensure peace.

Insights we can gain from the current difficulties

Now, the Ukraine crisis continues. Conflicts flared up again in the Middle East. The global economy was weighed down by protectionism and the abuse of the security concept. And the international system was impaired by unilateralism and bloc politics. In this volatile era, exploring peace has become a more urgent task.

Ernesto Samper, former Colombian President, noted that the international community should learn lessons and draw inspiration from the current difficulties. In the face of conflict and war, ceasefire is the choice of peace. Choosing peace is a more difficult path, Samper said, adding that war can be started by just one party, while peace requires consensus from both sides.

Many political leaders noted that to cope with international security challenges, China timely put forward the Global Security Initiative (GSI), offering China’s solution to tackling peace deficit. The GSI, with support and appreciation of over 100 countries and international and regional organizations, has been written into a number of bilateral and multilateral cooperation documents between China and other countries and international organizations.

China, the world's largest developing country, plays an indispensable role in maintaining world security, said Mubita. He highlighted China's emphasis on the concept of common security and China's proposition that pursuing security should not come at the expense of other nations' security interests, and believed these have provided important ideas and methods for solving the practical problems facing global security.

Exploring solutions for the world's future

Peace is essential to the present and the future. Many political leaders present held the view that to truly and effectively resolve conflicts and seek security, one must think beyond immediate issues and proceed from a long-time perspective. Only by adopting a forward-looking approach can we achieve lasting peace.

Maurer noted that prevention is one of the most effective ways to avoid conflict in the short term. He stressed that a growing number of international organizations should work more proactively to mediate between countries. And in case of emerging crises, international organizations need to demonstrate their ability to mediate promptly.

Many political leaders said that achieving development is the solid guarantee for peace and security in the long run. As countries enhance security through accelerating their own development, they can build a more reliable and stable peaceful environment on a larger scale. The China-proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI) has been highly valued by the international community. To date, more than 100 countries and a number of international organizations, including the UN, have supported and participated in the GDI.

Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of South Africa, expressed the China-proposed GDI set specific development goals, created a favorable environment for better achieving development and prosperity, and also built up broad consensus on maintaining peace through development.

Mubita further elaborated that security and development, like the two wings of a bird, rely on and support each other. A peaceful future will not be an impoverished one. The China-proposed initiatives will help address the global development deficit and provide effective guarantee for realizing long-term peace.