Global Development Initiative: Maximizing Synergies for the Implementation of 2030 Agenda

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H.E. LONG Guoqiang, Vice President of the Development Research Center of the State Council,

H.E. Djauhari Oratmangun, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to China,

H.E. Jesús Seade, Ambassador of Mexico to China,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I want to thank Dr. ZHAO Changwen, President of the Center for International Knowledge on Development, for the important work the center is doing to advance sustainable development, and to support the key research and policy advisory role of the DRC. When research contributes to good policies, and is backed by political will, then progress happens.  China is a good example of this in how far it has progressed over the past 40 years. I am pleased that the United Nations has been a partner in China’s remarkable socio-economic progress since 1979.

The world today is facing unprecedented challenges. Over two years into the global pandemic, we have seen millions of lives lost and an unprecedented socio-economic impact. Recovery efforts to date have been uneven, unfair, and insufficient for sustainable development. 

The current crisis is threatening decades of development gains, further delaying the urgent transition to greener, more inclusive economies.

In addition, climate change, conflicts, growing inflation, digital divides, rising poverty and hunger, and structural inequalities between and within countries further exacerbate the dire situation. The world has moved further off track in meeting the globally agreed-upon deadline set by the 2030 Agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in his remarks to the Economic and Social Council, “we need to rescue the SDGs and get them back on track”.

With less than eight years in the Decade of Action, the global community is at a critical moment in its pursuit of the SDGs. It is time for us to act now.

Addressing the challenges that threaten global progress on the SDGs requires the entire community of nations to redouble its efforts to achieve a more just and sustainable world. I am pleased to see this forum bringing us together to discuss the challenges and opportunities affecting global development and explore how to maximize synergies and jointly accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The Global Development Initiative, announced by President Xi Jinping last September, is a promising response to help the world recover from recent setbacks and accelerate the achievement of the SDGs worldwide.

We welcome such an effort, especially the proposed alignment of many GDI priorities with the SDGs, including in the areas of poverty eradication, food security, health, financing for development, climate action, industrialization, digital economy, and connectivity.

China, as the second-largest economy in the world, has a significant role to play in sharing its lessons, experiences, and resources with other developing countries. Having served many years in Africa, I have seen first-hand the difference China has brought there. The UN Country Team in China stands ready to assist in making this ambitious development initiative a best-in-class endeavour that accelerates the realization of the 2030 Agenda.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The United Nations in China is keen to support the early development of GDI to drive greater SDG impact. In addition, the United Nations in China is also committed to leveraging the GDI as an opportunity to advance a series of cross-cutting areas of the 2030 Agenda, including gender equality and women’s empowerment, youth employment, vulnerable populations and digital education, in order to leave no one behind.

We stand ready and will continue to provide the best possible technical assistance and support to ensure the GDI’s alignment with the SDGs and recognized international norms and standards.

Global challenges require global solutions, and global solutions are found through multilateralism. But to achieve the SDGs, the world must now unite to strengthen multilateralism, unlock the full potential of public-private partnerships to be more inclusive, networked, and effective.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has contended that the SDGs are, “our practical blueprint for the world we want and need—a world of dignity, of solidarity, and opportunity for all on a safe and healthy planet.”

I wish you productive deliberations.