Developing countries should keep alert against being marginalized in the process of modernization, some Asian ranking officials said Friday at the Asia High-Level Symposium on Threats, Challenge and Change being held in Hangzhou,capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province.

At the symposium, which opened Friday, 11 members of the panel of eminent persons on UN reform and the UN's role as well as some 33 senior officials and renowned experts and scholars from nearly 20 countries held wide discussion on the threats and challenge brought by modernization to the world peace and security, and reached broad consensus.

Participants shared the view that modernization brought about new and more complicated challenges for the international community and international situation.

The present world is not only challenged by traditional security factors, such as conflicts and war between countries, but also menaced by non-traditional security elements, including terrorism, cross-border crimes, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, abject poverty and AIDS, they said.

These traditional and non-traditional security factors are interrelated rather than isolated, which has increased the complexity of the international security situation, they said.

Under the trend of modernization, the security situation of all the countries and regions is closely related and, therefore, they said they should take collective measures to cope with the threats and challenge.

Many participants said that for most developing countries, poverty still remains the most pressing issue. Due to the challenge posed by modernization, the domestic economic and social development of a number of developing countries is in an unfavorable condition, they said.

Some participants noted that the developing countries should promote the balanced development of economy, society and culture. Meanwhile, they said, the developed countries should show their readiness to intensify assistance to the developing countries.

Participants all held that the United Nations, as a universal and authoritative international organization, plays a positive role in maintaining peace and boosting development in the world, and should play a bigger role under the new situation.

Some eminent persons also acknowledged that challenges faced by different countries are different owing to varying domestic situation. However, all challenges should be treated equally and not with double standards.

Since the international situation has undergone drastic changes, according to some participant, the UN itself should advance with the times, enhance its work efficiency and strengthen its function.

The three-day meeting will also hold discussions on collective actions against the threats and challenges, as well as the UN's operation, coordination and reform.

(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2004)