United Nations in China and Shanghai Institutes for International Studies Co-Host International Symposium on Multilateralism and Sustainable Development

In his welcoming remarks, Professor Chen Dongxiao, President of SIIS, noted that the world is facing profound uncertainty and overlapping crises. He highlighted the urgent need to “empower the UN, so to continue to make it fulfill its vital mission – promote global solidarity and cooperation; safeguard international peace and security; advance the sustainable development agenda worldwide and uphold fairness and justice in delivering the goals.” He called on all countries to contribute to revitalizing multilateralism and reaffirmed SIIS’s commitment to serving as a platform for research and dialogue in support of UN priorities.

Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, underscored in his opening remarks that multilateralism remains indispensable in today’s interconnected world. “Multilateralism is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity. In a world of complex and interwoven risks, unilateralism cannot provide global solutions,” he said, pointing to the UN Pact for the Future as a blueprint for advancing climate action, mobilizing financing for development, and driving digital transformation while safeguarding human rights.

The keynote speeches reinforced these themes. Professor Zhou Hanmin, Standing Committee Member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association, stressed that “fostering solidarity and cooperation is the only path to overcoming crisis.” He called for deeper collaboration in clean energy, green finance, and the digital economy, citing China’s carbon reduction pledges as a demonstration of global leadership. 

Professor Yang Jiemian, Director of the Academic Advisory Committee at SIIS, reflected on Shanghai’s historic role in international diplomacy and emphasized the importance of combining far-sighted vision with practical action to strengthen the UN system, reminding participants that “the UN and the current international system need to keep pace with the times.”

In her video message, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, noted that despite its imperfections, the UN has prevented another world war, advanced human rights, and lifted millions out of poverty. She described the Pact for the Future as “our pledge to multilateralism, to make it fit for now and for the future. The Pact offers an ambitious vision to reinvigorate international cooperation.”

Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, emphasized the urgency of addressing the financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Unsustainable debt servicing costs and a growing financing gap are crippling the ability of many developing countries to achieve the SDGs,” he said, adding that the Pact for the Future, together with the outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development and preparations for the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), provides a strong framework for renewed cooperation and actionable policies to close the SDG financing gap, address the debt crisis, and reinforce multilateralism.

The symposium featured five thematic panel discussions. The first, on partnerships and financing for development, explored how to advance the outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. Experts stressed the need to reform the global financial architecture, expand blended finance, and reduce borrowing costs for developing countries, while underscoring those partnerships among development banks, governments, and the private sector are vital to ensuring that resources reach the most vulnerable.

The second panel, focused on climate action, examined preparations for COP30 in Belém. Participants agreed that ambition must be translated into implementation, particularly through scaling up adaptation finance and ensuring just energy transitions. China’s carbon reduction commitments were highlighted as a signal of leadership, and panelists called for greater South–South cooperation to close gaps in capacity and resources.

The third panel, Youth for the Future, placed young voices at the center of the debate. Youth delegates emphasized that their generation is not only the most affected by global challenges but also a driver of innovation and solutions. They urged more meaningful inclusion of youth in policymaking, expanded opportunities in green and digital economies, and greater recognition of youth leadership in climate action and sustainable development.

The fourth panel, AI for Good, examined how artificial intelligence can be harnessed to promote inclusive development while minimizing risks. Panelists stressed the importance of bridging the digital divide, ensuring developing countries benefit from AI, and embedding ethics and human rights into governance frameworks.

The fifth panel, looking ahead to the UN’s next eighty years, addressed the future of multilateralism. Speakers called for reforms to make the UN more representative, resilient, and capable of responding to both traditional and emerging global challenges, while underscoring the increasingly central role of civil society and the private sector in global governance.

Throughout the symposium, speakers emphasized that the symposium was not only a commemoration but also a call to action — to reinvigorate multilateralism, accelerate progress on sustainable development, and ensure that the UN remains fit for purpose for the decades to come. The symposium concluded with a reaffirmation of the UN’s enduring relevance and China’s role as a committed partner in upholding multilateralism. Participants agreed on the importance of strengthening global solidarity, investing in sustainable development, and modernizing the multilateral system to meet 21st-century challenges.