China urges nations to start 2030 Agenda

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and G20 Sherpa Li Baodong called on all parties to start implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development comprehensively at a UN debate on Thursday.

As the largest developing country, China always put development at the top of its agenda, Li said in the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, at the UN headquarters in New York.

In September, President Xi Jinping made commitments that China stands ready to work with other parties to contribute to the 2030 Agenda. China has launched its implementation process and included it in China's mid- to long-term national development program.

As president of the G20 this year, China is actively pushing the group to contribute to international development cooperation and the implementation of the 2030 agenda, Li said.

"The concept of development runs through the whole design of agenda and outcomes for the Hangzhou Summit, thus serving as an overarching theme in the preparatory work," he said.

The summit, to be held in September in Hangzhou, capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, will be marked with two "firsts", according to Li.

"It is the first time that the G20 will formulate an action plan on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Upon China's initiative, the G20 is examining ways to support industrialization in Africa and LDCs (Least Developed Countries)," Li explained.

"Meanwhile, under China's leadership, the G20 issued its first Presidency Statement on Climate Change, committing to signing the Paris Agreement on April 22 or thereafter, and bringing the agreement into force as soon as possible."

Li said that China hopes to make joint efforts with other countries to implement the 2030 Agenda and progress toward common prosperity and development by hosting the summit.

Li also held dialogues on preparations for the G20 Hangzhou Summit with Group 77 and other stakeholders from Tuesday to Thursday.

He said that China was committed to working with other parties to promote development by encouraging innovation, improving governance, promoting trade and investment, and supporting inclusion and interconnectedness, which will benefit developing countries and their peoples at large.

The summit is themed on "building an innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive world economy".

Lenni Montiel, assistant secretary-general for economic development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations and UN G20 Sherpa, said the theme and the agenda have been "very well endorsed" by all G20 members.

"This Chinese presidency has been praised by everybody in the G20 for the big amount of work in terms of preparation for each meeting," Montiel told China Daily.

"It's been impressive the way in which the Chinese presidency has prepared for each single agenda to put on the table.

"They have created a very strong line of work on green economy, green financing. This is new," Montiel said. "They have made an incredible effort to the debate, three very important issues: digital economy, the fourth industrial revolution and innovation."

Montiel added that having development as a universal concept shows that the G20 is not focusing on short-term priorities anymore and is driving the attention of everybody on long-term issues.

As it holds the presidency, China has invited the largest number of developing countries to G20 activities this year, said Wang Xiaolong, sous sherpa and special envoy on the G20 affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We have invited Egypt, Senegal, Chad, Kazakhstan and the Laos as guest countries, and Thailand, the chair of the Group of 77, to participate in the G20 Development Working Group, said Wang.

wanglinyan@chinadailyusa.com