On the afternoon of September 19, 2016 local time, Premier Li Keqiang chaired the symposium on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York and delivered an important speech. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson and heads of all principal organs of the UN and important international organizations were present.
Li Keqiang said that the UN Sustainable Development Summit last year passed "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". President Xi Jinping has showed the international community China's will and resolution to advance the agenda together with other countries. The G20 Hangzhou Summit held lately also pledged to actively implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The fundamental solution to all kinds of global challenges is to promote sustainable development. Accelerating the implementation of the agenda is of great significance for now and in the long term amid a weak global economic recovery and increasing difficulties and risks at present.
Li Keqiang pointed out that eradicating poverty and hunger should be taken as the top priority, and more efforts should be made to promote robust, sustainable, balanced and inclusive economic growth as the support, form virtuous circle in three major fields including economy, society and environment and set out a path of sustainable development with economic prosperity, social progress and beautiful environment.
Li Keqiang stressed that strengthening global development partnership and working together to promote sustainable development are not only moral obligation of the international community, but also will greatly promote overall development of the world. We should stick to the main channel position of North–South Cooperation, and developed countries should implement aid promises and support developing countries to explore development roads conforming to their own national conditions. Developing countries should further promote South-South Cooperation and make efforts to achieve collective self-improvement.
Li Keqiang said that as a developing country with the largest population in the world, China takes leading over 1.3 billion people to live a good life as the fundamental goal of advancing modernization construction. In the past 15 years, the Chinese government highly valued and took the lead in realizing the UN Millennium Development Goals, and has made remarkable achievements in fields such as poverty reduction, health care and education. China has lifted over 400 million people out of poverty, reduced the mortality of children under five years old by two thirds and that of pregnant women by three fourths, forming the world's largest social security net for health care and pensions. Looking into the future, China has fully started its efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and has approved and released National Plan for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to provide guidelines for China to carry it out. As a responsible developing country, China is willing to participate in relevant international cooperation, continuously increase investment in South-South Cooperation, share development experience and opportunities, and move forward together with the international community.
Ban Ki-moon, Peter Thomson, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Helen Clark, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Erik Solheim, Director-General José Graziano da Silva of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bokova, President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo, Chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde, Director-General of the World Health Organiztion (WHO) Margaret Chengave and others delivered speeches successively. The participants said that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has made positive progress since the implementation one year ago. China has been playing a leading and creative role in areas such as implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), poverty eradication, dealing with climate change, and strengthening South-South Cooperation. Particularly, China has been actively promoting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development within the G20 framework. China's emphasis on sustainable development is not only demonstrated in policies proclamations, but also put into actions. China vigorously promotes economic growth, not only bringing benefits to its own people, but also contributing to the development of other countries. The international organizations are willing to further strengthen cooperation with China, popularize China's development experience, and jointly address challenges, so as to push forward the sustainable development of China and the rest of the world.
A press communique, released at the symposium, offered policy suggestions on pushing forward the implementation of SDGs around the world, and deepening international development cooperation.
