Global Development Initiative, proposed by Xi, helps achieve Sustainable Development Goals
In his “state-of-the world” report to the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns the world is “in big trouble”. (LI RUI / XINHUA)
The world’s major challenges have been highlighted at the General Debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly that opened on Sept 20 with the theme, “A watershed moment: Transformative solutions to interlocking challenges.”
“We live, it seems, in a permanent state of humanitarian emergency. Over 300 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian aid and protection — a 10 percent rise since January,” said Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, who presided over the opening of the debate.
The world needs “solutions”, he said. “We need solidarity because inequalities have reached record heights … sustainability because we owe it to our children to leave behind a livable world ... science because it offers us neutral evidence for our actions.”
In his “state-of-the world” report to the General Assembly, right before the opening of the General Debate, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is “in big trouble” and needs collective action across the board.
“Our world is in big trouble. Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. And challenges are spreading farther,” he said. “We need action across the board.”
“Our world is in peril — and paralyzed,” said Guterres, adding that geopolitical divides are undermining the work of the Security Council, international law, people’s trust and people’s faith in democratic institutions, and all forms of international cooperation.
“At one stage, international relations seemed to be moving toward a G2 world. Now, we risk ending up with G-nothing. No cooperation. No dialogue. No collective problem solving,” Guterres continued.
“But the reality is that we live in a world where the logic of cooperation and dialogue is the only path forward. No power or group alone can call the shots. No major global challenge can be solved by a coalition of the willing. We need a coalition of the world.”
Such a coalition must overcome divisions and act together, he said.
“We are committed to make the most of every diplomatic tool for the pacific settlement of disputes, as set out in the United Nations Charter: negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and judicial settlement.”
Guterres said another battle that must end is “our suicidal war against nature”. He called the climate the defining issue of our time and confronting it must be the first priority of every government and multilateral organization.
Csaba Korosi (center), president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, declares the General Debate open on Sept 20 in New York. (WANG YING / XINHUA)
He asked for a transition to renewable energy, which generates three times more jobs, and is already cheaper than fossil fuels and is the pathway to energy security, stable prices and new industries.
“The poorest and most vulnerable — those who contributed least to this crisis — are bearing its most brutal impacts,” Guterres said.
He also said developing countries need help to make this shift, including through international coalitions to support just energy transitions in key emerging economies.
Some 94 countries, home to 1.6 billion people — many in Africa — face a perfect storm: economic and social fallout from the pandemic, soaring food and energy prices, crushing debt burdens, spiraling inflation, and a lack of access to finance.
These cascading crises are feeding on each other, compounding inequalities, creating devastating hardship, delaying the energy transition, and threatening a global financial meltdown, he said.
“Social unrest is inevitable — with conflict not far behind,” he warned.
The Global Development Initiative, or GDI, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping helps achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, he said in his video remarks to the ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of the GDI in New York.
President Xi proposed the GDI in September last year at the General Debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly via video, aiming to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth in the face of the severe shocks of COVID-19.
“The holistic Global Development Initiative is a valued contribution to addressing common challenges and accelerating the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive future,” the UN chief said.
“The Sustainable Development Goals are our blueprint for setting things right. To achieve them, we need solidarity and a renewed multilateralism. Developing countries need expanded fiscal space and financial resources to implement sustainable recovery plans,” he said.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who hosted the meeting on Sept 20, stressed China’s willingness to firmly stand with developing countries to implement the GDI with all-out efforts, saying that no country can be left behind on the path toward development.
Xinhua contributed to this report.
