By Song Yiran, Zhang Penghui, People’s Daily
The Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China is closely related to improving people’s livelihood and well-being, facilitates the realization of the United Nations (U.N.) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and provides other countries with ideas and inspiration for the formulation of policies for sustainable development, Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, told People’s Daily recently.
Since it was proposed last September, the GDI has received swift response and support from more than 100 countries and international organizations, including the U.N. 53 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI launched by China’s Permanent Mission to the U.N. in January.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on global development, China calls on the international community to focus efforts on development, jointly promote development and build a global community of development with a shared future, demonstrating the wisdom and strong sense of responsibility of a major country.
The GDI has gained wide response and support because it responds to the general concerns of the international community.
The weak and faltering global economic recovery is being exacerbated by a widening development gap and mounting global challenges. The Human Development Index has for the first time in 30 years declined The world’s impoverished population has increased by more than 100 million. Nearly 800 million people live in hunger. The international community requires a meaningful solution to unbalanced development immediately.
China is a champion of global development, and more importantly, a doer in development cooperation. As the largest developing country in the world, China always places development at the forefront of its governance and rejuvenation, adheres to a people-centered development philosophy, and attaches great importance to and actively participates in U.N. programs for economic and social development.
It was among the first countries to meet the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, took the lead in implementing the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and accounted for over 70 percent of global poverty reduction, making important contributions to global development.
China has helped its people enjoy better lives, and hopes to improve the well-being of people in other countries through common development.
The country has been taking practical actions to fulfill its solemn commitment to make sure that no country or individual is left behind and no aspiration is overlooked in development.
China has helped the Philippines cultivate 226,500 hectares of commercial Chinese hybrid rice varieties, directly and indirectly benefiting more than 134,000 local farmers and raising the country’s grain output by 308 million kilograms, or roughly a three-kilogram increase in grain supply per Filipino.
In the Pacific island country of Vanuatu, a Chinese company spent two years helping extend Malapoa College, an English-language secondary school in Port Vila, Vanuatu. With new teaching buildings, laboratory buildings, dormitories, canteen, and playground, the school took on a brand new look.
COVID-19 vaccines provided by China were the first of its kind to arrive in Afghanistan and Syria, as well as other war-torn countries, bringing hope to people in difficult situations.
China will take a slew of pragmatic measures to speed up the implementation of the GDI, including enhancing consultation with other emerging markets and developing countries and holding a high-level meeting on global development at a proper time to discuss ways to promote development; increasing input in development and further ramping up support for the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund and the China-U.N. Peace and Development Fund; building on the consensus to establish a pool of GDI projects for the participation of all parties; and releasing a Global Development Report in due time to promote international exchanges in and sharing of development knowledge.
Bridging the development divide and revitalizing global development are the shared aspirations of all countries; the trend of peace, development, and advancement for humanity is irresistible.
China is always willing to work together with all countries to deepen and intensify the implementation of the GDI by re-energizing global cooperation on the implementation of the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, fostering a favorable environment for accelerating global development, building equal and balanced global development partnership, and enabling the U.N. system to play the central and guiding role.
