China to host dialogue marking development initiative anniversary

China will host a high-level dialogue marking the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative at United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday.

The event will take place during the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, which begins on Tuesday.

Speaking at a regular news briefing, Guo said China looks forward to working with other UN member states to review the initiative's achievements and lessons learned over the past five years, share development opportunities, and discuss development cooperation.

These efforts will help advance the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and build a community with a shared future for humanity, he said.

Monday marked the fifth anniversary of the initiative's launch. Guo said the initiative focuses on development as an enduring priority for humanity and encourages the international community to give development a prominent place in the global macroeconomic policy framework.

By working to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the initiative has injected strong momentum into global development efforts and won widespread international acclaim, he said.

Over the past five years, the initiative has mobilized more than $23 billion in funding and supported over 2,000 cooperation projects, Guo said.

Practical cooperation under the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has delivered results in more than 70 countries, benefiting over 40 million people, he added.