Delegates appeal for remembering history as UN marks end of WWII

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a UN General Assembly's special meeting to commemorate all victims of WWII at the UN headquarters in New York on May 5, 2015. A UN General Assembly (GA) special meeting kicked off here on Tuesday to commemorate victims of the Second World War. [Photo/Xinhua]

UNITED NATIONS - Delegates of several countries gathered on Tuesday in a UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting to mark the end of WWII, appealing to the world to remember the history of the war.

The WWII is a "dark page" in human history, said Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, adding that the war has brought untold sufferings to Asia, Europe, Africa, and other places in the world.

"The war was not limited to Europe," said Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN. "There was also a brutal war waged in the East, where there were great losses incurred by China and many other countries and where the war continued through September 1945."

"We cannot forget the battles in Africa either," said Churkin.

Noting the victory of the world anti-fascist war has been won with a big price from the people of the world, Liu stressed that history should not be forgotten.

"All the peace-loving nations formed a world anti-fascist coalition, through painstaking and heroic fighting, won the victory of the anti-fascist war, leaving a far-reaching and profound impact on human civilization and progress," he said.

Liu's remarks were echoed by U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, who said "through countless acts of bravery and sacrifice -- some documented, most that we will never know -- they succeeded in defending and eventually reviving the stature of man and woman."

"But if we are truly to honor their sacrifice, we must do more than memorialize," she said.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the WWII and also the UN's 70th founding anniversary.

Seventy years ago, the war ended with the defeat of Nazi Germany and Japan. Some victors of the war have become today's permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France.

In the General Assembly meeting, Harald Braun, permanent representative of Germany to the UN said, "Germany is asking nations for forgiveness since we cannot forgive ourselves."

"It is in the Halls of the United Nations that we Germans today are humbly bowing our heads to pay tribute to the millions of victims of the Second World War," said Braun.