Post-conflict states 'need special help'

Support for a transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding in countries emerging from conflict is essential for national reconstruction, a Chinese envoy to the United Nations told diplomats on Wednesday at a Security Council ministerial open debate on peacekeeping.

Countries coming out of a conflict often see their infrastructure in ruins but, in addition to rebuilding, they also need to work on securing peace, said Dai Bing, charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the UN.

However, post-conflict countries, due to their vulnerability and fragility, are hardly capable of independent development during that transitional phase, the envoy said. The UN and the international community should take on the responsibility of providing targeted support to those countries, so as to improve their self-driven development capability, he said.