GDI offers certainty for global development

The United Nations estimates that some 2.3 billion people worldwide endure food insecurity, and developing countries face a $4 trillion financing shortfall for the Sustainable Development Goals each year. Moreover, only 36 percent of evaluable SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress. All this underscores the urgency for collective action to advance the global development cause.

Yet, with geopolitical conflicts, unilateralism and protectionism continuously undermining the unity of the international community, it can appear that the concerted will to effect change is lacking.

In particular, the global economic recovery remains sluggish, the North-South development gap continues to widen, and many developing countries are still trapped in poverty, held back by inadequate infrastructure and insufficient public services.

But the headwinds are just one side of the coin.

The Global Development Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly five years ago to advance global development cooperation, reinvigorate the global development cause, and help accelerate the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, has demonstrated there are a shared intent, will and means to advance the global development cause.

At a time when implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has fallen far behind schedule, and global development faces great challenges, the initiative has been a beacon that has brought hope to the world charting a clear path.

In the five years that have passed since the GDI was put forward, it has been well-received and widely implemented, with cooperation projects under its framework taking root and yielding outcomes in more than 120 countries, writing a new chapter of common development and win-win cooperation, as Xi said in a congratulatory letter he sent to a high-level dialogue marking the fifth anniversary of the GDI held at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday.

The wide support the GDI has won from the international community stems from the fact that it is rooted in the common interests of all humanity and has stood the test of time. Over the past five years, the initiative has evolved from a visionary concept into tangible international actions, and the global partnership for development has gained stronger momentum.

The Group of Friends of the GDI, now with 88 members, has become an important contributor to global development, and nearly 100 countries and international and regional organizations have signed GDI cooperation documents with China.

The over 2,000 cooperation programs under the initiative covering such areas as poverty reduction, education, medical care and infrastructure construction have delivered tangible benefits to people in developing countries, and injected strong impetus into global development. In particular, practical cooperation under the framework of the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has yielded fruitful outcomes in more than 70 countries, benefiting over 40 million people.

Development holds the key to solving many of the world’s toughest challenges. China stands ready to work with all parties to uphold a people-centered development philosophy, and make new contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Cooperation should be aimed at enhancing the independent development capabilities of supported countries. China always insists that all countries be equal participants and beneficiaries of global development, with every nation entitled to choose its own development path and share in the fruits of international cooperation.

Five years of practice have proved that the GDI aligns with the common aspiration of people of all countries for a better life and is an important practice in advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

The certainty that China offers to global development is a valuable asset in an uncertain world. During the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period and beyond, China will continue to share development opportunities with the world and align its growth with the common good of the international community so as to further contribute to global well-being.