The Group of Friends of Global Governance established at the UN

Fu told reporters after the meeting that the Group of Friends is designed as "an open and inclusive platform". He encouraged more countries to take part and said China is willing to work with all partners through the United Nations framework.

Ernesto Soberon Guzman, Cuba's permanent representative to the United Nations, told reporters that Cuba "welcomes and supports the Global Governance Initiative".

"We are also convinced that an initiative like this will contribute to the democratization of international relations," Guzman said, noting that the current international environment is "marked by widening inequalities and political tensions."

He said the initiative "is also aiming to reduce double standards and to help countries defeat unilateral measures."

Cuba "really values the will of the People's Republic of China to strengthen multilateralism, to promote international cooperation and to promote international dialogue", Guzman said.

He added that the initiative "will contribute to the unity of the Global South" and "will also contribute to promoting the Global South's interests in the multilateral field".

Zephyrin Maniratanga, Burundi's permanent representative to the United Nations, said Burundi was "one of the first countries to join the Group of Friends of the Global Governance".

"We believe, and we are very confident, that the Group of Friends of the Global Governance is of vital importance given the many challenges the world is facing now," Maniratanga said.

"Together with member countries of the Group of Friends, we will be able to address many challenges that the multilateral system is facing today. Alone, we cannot do it," he said.

Aida Kasymalieva, Kyrgyzstan's permanent representative to the United Nations, highlighted the practical role of the group.

It is "a mechanism for uniting the collective voice of developing countries and also small landlocked states", she said, and "a tool for practical cooperation, especially in building the capacities of Global South countries, and a catalyst for bringing together national, regional and global initiatives".

The Group of Friends also released a joint statement on the occasion of its launch, reaffirming members' commitment to the UN-centered international system and the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference.

The group said it would use the platform to "deepen dialogue and coordination on global governance issues, amplify our collective voice, build and expand consensus, and deliver concrete outcomes" and extended an invitation to other like-minded UN member states to join the initiative, according to the statement.

minluzhang@chinadailyusa.com