Jointly Advancing?the Global Development Initiative and Writing?a New Chapter for Common Development

– Keynote Address at the?Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative

Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI).

At the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, world leaders unanimously adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, setting goals for the global development cause and ushering in a new era of international development cooperation. We are nearly halfway through the timetable for implementing the 2030 Agenda, and will have a mid-term review of the Agenda next year. Global development has made positive gains over the past seven years, but is also faced with unprecedented challenges.

Bearing in mind the well-being of the entire humanity, President Xi Jinping proposed the GDI at the UN General Assembly last year. Aiming at building a global community of development, the GDI puts development first and the people at the center, and seeks to expedite the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. One year on, the GDI has received the support of over 100 countries and many international organizations including the United Nations. More than 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. Today, the Group of Friends has become an important force boosting solidarity and coordination among countries as they work together to pursue development. It has also become an effective platform for us to have discussions with the UN development system on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It is thus of great significance that we have this ministerial meeting today to further our discussions on development cooperation.

Global development has now come to a critical juncture. Affected by the COVID-19?pandemic, regional conflicts and major-country rivalry,?food, energy and debt crises are emerging?simultaneously. The world?economy is struggling to recover, and developing countries face daunting challenges in attaining the 2030 SDGs.?At the SDG Moment event yesterday, Secretary-General Guterres said that the perils facing the world are pushing the SDGs further out of reach, and that we have a long "to do" list.

The more difficulties we face, the more important it is that we join hands on the way forward. Last June, President Xi Jinping chaired the High-level Dialogue on Global Development. He and participating world leaders worked together to restore?development?as the centerpiece on?the international agenda?and forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership, to inject strong impetus for accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda. President Xi announced major steps to implement the GDI, including creating a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, increasing input in?the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, and setting up a global development promotion center. After the High-level Dialogue, China released 32 steps that it will take to kickstart the implementation of the GDI.

The Dialogue signifies that the GDI has?progressed from laying the?foundation to erecting the pillars, and?is evolving from?broad strokes?to refined details.?In the meantime, China and international partners have worked on the following areas to deliver the GDI.

We have built cooperation platforms. China is working with relevant parties?to develop?cooperation networks?in such areas as agriculture,?education, COVID-19 response?and climate actions.?One hundred and fifty institutions from nearly 40 countries and regions are making?joint preparations to establish a World Technical Vocational and Education Training (TVET) League. The China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Action Cooperation Center?has been established. China has?engaged in co-production of COVID-19?vaccines with 13 countries, including nine from the Group of Friends. More than 40,000 training opportunities have been provided to Group of Friends?countries through over 1,000 capacity building programs.

We have scaled up inputs into GDI's implementation. The Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has been put in place to support GDI cooperation projects. China has participated?actively in the replenishment of the International Development Association and the Global Environment Facility, and has officially launched the Phase III of the China-FAO South-South Cooperation Trust Fund, contributing its share to increasing international development resources.

We have jointly tackled pressing?challenges. COVID-19 has wiped out years of gains in poverty reduction, condemning over 150 million people to hunger. The GDI makes poverty reduction one of its priority areas. Cooperation projects have been tilted toward poverty reduction, food, health and other livelihood areas. Institutions from 17 countries and regions became the first to join the International NGOs Network for Poverty Reduction Cooperation. In the face of a?food crisis, the Group of Friends has stated their common proposition and spoken with a collective voice at the General Assembly?on food security.?So far this year, China has provided multiple batches of emergency food assistance to other developing countries in need, and recently pledged to provide additional emergency humanitarian assistance.