UNITED NATIONS - China's Global Governance Initiative, introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month, took center stage at a United Nations forum on Monday, marking the organization's 80th anniversary.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said that the devastation of two world wars gave birth to the UN eight decades ago, he added, today the world faces "a period of turbulence and transformation."

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Noting that "strengthening and improving global governance has become an overwhelming trend and the call of the people," Fu said the global governance system has become outdated as the Global South rises, and called Xi's initiative "an important public good contributed by China to the world."

He stressed the initiative's five guiding concepts are in line with the UN Charter and demonstrate China's "firm support for the United Nations and multilateralism."

China, he added, will work with all sides to implement the initiative, "promote a fairer and more equitable system of global governance, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity."

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Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said Xi's four global initiatives on development, security, civilization and governance "respond to the common aspirations of people in all countries" and provide solutions to urgent global challenges.

Li Junhua, UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, warned that progress toward the sustainable development goals was "alarming off the track" and praised China's initiatives as "timely contributions" that support multilateralism.

Dima Al-Khatib, director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, said China's experience in poverty reduction, connectivity and green development had benefited developing nations, calling the Global Governance Initiative "another promising step."

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Other speakers included Jeffrey Sachs, director of Columbia University's Center for Sustainable Development, Singaporean scholar Kishore Mahbubani and Nell Calloway, granddaughter of Flying Tigers commander General Claire Lee Chennault as well as diplomats from Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Qatar and Morocco.

The event, themed "80 Years Together: Inheriting the UN Mission and Exploring New Paths for Global Governance", was co-hosted by China Daily and China's UN Mission.