The success of the Global Development Initiative, or GDI, proposed by China for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, drew praise from the United Nations.

The GDI is a global public good provided by China, said Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the UN, on Wednesday. Based on China’s own development experience, the initiative is aimed at promoting common development and building a shared future.

“I hope more like-minded friends and partners will join the Group of Friends of the GDI and participate in the policy exchanges and practical cooperation under the GDI framework. Let’s work together to turn the vision of the 2030 Agenda into reality,” Zhang said in his opening remarks at a briefing of the Group of Friends of the GDI.

The briefing was held at the UN’s headquarters in New York, and it was co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of China to the UN and the UN in China.

“China will continue to play its role as an engine of the world economy. China will continue to share its development experience with other countries. China will continue to provide more public goods to the international community,” Zhang said.

“We believe China’s new progress in its modernization will provide new development opportunities for other countries and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humankind.”

During the keynote speech, Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said China is promoting a Chinese path to modernization and is committed to high-quality development and high-level opening-up. It is accumulating valuable experience for the realization of SDGs, and providing feasible and replicable action plans.

He said China will continue to practice the concept of a community with a shared future for humankind, build a global development partnership, and promote common development.

All parties present at the briefing agreed that global economic recovery is sluggish, and multiple crises have been intertwined. Thus, the practical significance and long-term impact of the GDI have become increasingly prominent.

Timely proposal

Chimed Khurelbaatar, Mongolia’s deputy prime minister and minister of economy and development, said the GDI is a “timely, pragmatic and efficient initiative that will play an important role in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for all countries”.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said that with regard to current global geopolitical tensions and the weakening role of the UN, the GDI emphasizes being people-centered and focuses on key areas such as poverty reduction, food security and technological innovation, which is “very significant”.

The UN’s permanent representatives from Singapore, Cuba, Zimbabwe and other countries said with the initiative putting development issues at the top of the UN agenda, it will become an “accelerator” for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and a “catalyst” for multilateralism.

Other permanent representatives of Pakistan, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and other countries to the UN said that in less than two years after the GDI was proposed, the 32 implementation measures announced by China have already been steadily advancing and have achieved positive results.

The Group of Friends of the GDI should work together to create more cooperation results, they said.

Ministerial officials from Guinea, Cuba, Tajikistan, Honduras, Dominica, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and other countries, and permanent representatives or deputy permanent representatives of more than 80 members of the Group of the Friends of the GDI also joined the meeting.

Representatives from nearly 20 UN agencies, including the UN Development Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization, joined the meeting. In total, more than 200 representatives attended the high-level meeting. (PR)