NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has attended the high-level meeting of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s 80th session in New York.
The meeting, chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, focused on the theme “Recommit to our Original Aspirations, United to Build a Brighter Future for Development.”
On this occasion, the Prime Minister also had an informal meeting and exchange with the Chinese Premier. He also met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who was present for the session.
The Prime Minister’s participation in the meeting reflects the exemplary Pakistan–China friendship and the strong ties between the two countries.
During his visit to China last month, the Prime Minister had lauded President Xi Jinping’s vision of the GDI, terming it an important step toward sustainable development at both regional and global levels.
According to Xinhua, Chinese Premier Li Qiang warned of rising unilateralism and protectionism, strained international cooperation on development, and weaker drivers for global economic growth at a high-level meeting on the Global Development Initiative (GDI) held by China.
“To solve the many problems we now face, we must remain committed to development, dedicate all our efforts to it, and work together to make the pie bigger,” he said.
To reinvigorate global development and advance the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at a faster pace, the Chinese Premier stressed for concrete and proactive actions to increase input in global development and empower the cause through green transition and technological cooperation.
Li pledged that China will continue to provide funds to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to help least developed countries integrate into the global trading system.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the meeting that the GDI “can be an important mechanism to help accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda around the world.”
“Its alignment with the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) — especially poverty eradication, food security, climate action, and inclusive, equitable growth — addresses the development challenges of our time,” Guterres said.
