Sustainable Infrastructure for the Belt and Road Initiative to Accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals Action Platform High-Level Steering Committee Meeting

Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

I want to thank Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the United Nations Global Compact and her colleagues for the invitation to speak at this meeting. As expressed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs and other guests, I am pleased to join the High-Level Steering Committee of this important Action Platform.

I took office as UN Resident Coordinator in China in January 2021, when the Action Platform was still in its infancy. Yet, I have witnessed remarkable progress made in the short period since. To date, the Action Platform has published two critical reports on Building Sustainable and Resilient Healthcare Infrastructure in BRI Countries to Accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals and Corporate Net Zero Pathway: Delivering the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, its healthcare sector pilot project ‘Eco Loobox for All’ was incubated in 2021 to address inequalities in the healthcare sector, and improve accessibility for rural populations to basic healthcare infrastructure and services, to ensure we leave no one behind.

This could not be achieved without the support of public and private stakeholders in China and around the world. The 12 founding companies and the five institutional partners of the Action Platform, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), and the International Committee of the Red Cross, have been critical for its success.

I take this opportunity to congratulate Assistant Secretary-General Sanda Ojiambo and her team for securing the support of the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund (UNPDF) to carry out this important work.

Realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development takes financing and resources. That is why I was encouraged to hear the commitment made last month by President Xi Jinping, that China will allocate more resources for global development cooperation - by upgrading the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and adding another 1 billion U.S. dollars to the fund on top of the 3 billion U.S. dollars already committed; as well as increase inputs to the UNPDF. This is welcome news. I hope that the UNPDF can continue to support the Action Platform in its work to promote sustainable development. 

In April this year, I was honoured to meet with Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi. We discussed the UN-China partnership and its importance in accelerating global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During our bilateral meeting, I expressed the potential for sharing China’s relevant lessons and experiences with the rest of the developing world, with the UN as a bridge for further and more effective South-South Cooperation and South-South learning.

I believe that the BRI for SDGs Action Platform can also help share such experiences from China and foster multi-stakeholder partnerships, leveraging public and private sector expertise and resources in sustainable infrastructure solutions, and through the Belt and Road initiative, to accelerate global progress on the SDGs.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said, “With the support of the Global Compact, the United Nations is helping transform the global economy to keep the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals, and thereby transform our world.” The recent launch of its China Strategy will see UN Global Compact continue to constructively engage with the private sector on this purpose.

I thank the Mentougou District for providing this meeting venue, a vivid example of the local government’s sustainable development strategy and the successful partnership between public and private sectors.

I wish you successful deliberations and look forward to more action as we unite business for a better world.

Thank you.