The ICC And the UN Resident Coordinator Office in China Held the UN Summit of the Future China Preparatory Meeting and the Wulingyuan Exchange Seminar
On March 14, 2024, the International Cooperation Center Joint Council (ICC) sent an invitation to the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China and his Office to visit Hunan. The high-level expert group of the ICC and the UN Resident Coordinator Office in China therefore visited Changsha and Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province from May 14 to 16. During their stay in Hunan, the two sides held the UN Summit of Future China Preparatory Meeting and the Wulingyuan Exchange Seminar. On the shore of the Xiangjiang River and in Wuling Mountain, the two sides discussed the future development and the general trend of the world.
Hunan is the crossroads of south China, connecting east and west, south and north. The rise of the central region and the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the two national strategies converge in Hunan. On March 20, President Xi Jinping hosted a symposium on promoting the rise of the central region in the new era in Changsha, Hunan and delivered an important speech, emphasizing that Hunan should strengthen its connection with other major development strategies and better integrate into and support the new development pattern. It is necessary to strengthen the integration of reform systems, deeply integrate into the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", and steadily expand institutional opening; he told everyone: "China's door to opening up will open wider and wider, and we are willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with countries around the world."
Zhang chonogqing met with Siddharth Chatterjee
In Changsha, Hunan Province, Zhang Chongqing, member of the Strategic Advisory Committee of the International Cooperation Center (ICC) and honorary president of the China Group Companies Association, met with guests. On the same day, Zhang Chongqing presided over the UN Summit of the Future China Preparatory Meeting and delivered the opening speech entitled "Strengthening International Cooperation and Promoting the Common Development of the World" on behalf of the Strategic Advisory Committee of ICC. In his speech, Zhang Chongqing pointed out that the world today is facing multiple crises and challenges, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has fallen far short of expectations. To effectively respond to global challenges such as climate change and promote inclusive and sustainable growth, all countries in the world must join hands, adhere to multilateralism, and promote the establishment of a broad partnership to support the Global South in enhancing its development capacity. The strengthening of support for South-South and triangular cooperation by UN agencies, especially development agencies, will help deepen the participation of developing countries and better reflect the principle of country ownership and country leadership.
Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the "Global Development Initiative" at the United Nations General Assembly in 2021, contributing Chinese solutions and Chinese wisdom to promote the international community to form a joint force, solve the development deficit problem, and realize the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. From the "Global Development Initiative" proposed at the general debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly in September 2021, to President Xi Jinping's announcement of 32 pragmatic measures at the Global Development High-Level Dialogue in June 2022, to his attendance in August 2023 The "BRICS+" leaders' dialogue made an important statement on global development cooperation. President Xi Jinping has always focused on the long-term goals and practical needs of global common development, proposed the Global Development Initiative and constantly enriched its connotation, leading the implementation of this major initiative. Take root, go deep and solid, and inject strong impetus into promoting the common development of all countries in the world.
Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, delivered an exciting speech at the UN Summit of Future China Preparatory Meeting. In his speech, he said that during his tenure as Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres has made the reform of the United Nations and the realization of the mission of the United Nations a top goal. In 2021, at the request of the United Nations General Assembly, he launched Our Common Agenda, which the Secretary-General described as "designed to advance the 2030 Agenda and make the Sustainable Development Goals a reality in the lives of people everywhere. Because we’re still halfway to 2030, and we're way off track. We can only regain lost ground by addressing the gaps and challenges that have emerged since 2015, including in terms of intergovernmental cooperation."
Chatterjee stressed that like the dialogue we held today in Changsha, Hunan Province is critical to our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, address climate change, and address other global challenges. As Secretary-General Guterres said, "We must recognize that the future of humanity depends on solidarity, trust, and our ability to work together as a global family to achieve common goals." No community or nation can solve its challenges alone. Multilateral action has achieved a great deal over the past 75 years. Our common agenda must be the starting point for ideas and initiatives that build on these achievements."
Zhang Chongqing delivered the opening speech
UN Summit of the Future China Preparatory Meeting
The meeting concluded that historical experience shows that a world without strong multilateral mechanism carries serious risks that could lead to greater geostrategic tensions, disorderly competition, and greater fragmentation. The United Nations welcomes the agreement of Member States to conclude the Future Compact through intergovernmental negotiations and adopt it at future summits, thereby reaffirming the Charter of the United Nations, revitalizing multilateralism, promoting the implementation of existing commitments, and jointly addressing new challenges. The UN Summit of Future, scheduled for 22-23 September 2024, offers an unique opportunity for the international community to rebuild trust and reform outdated multilateral mechanisms and frameworks. The UN Future Summit is an important tool to reduce risks and promote world peace and security.
Participants agreed that the UN Summit of Future is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for all stakeholders to strengthen international cooperation, address major challenges, close gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments, including to the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Charter, and revitalize the multilateral system to make it more capable of positively affecting people's lives. Building on the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals Summit, UN Member States will consider how to lay the foundation for more effective global cooperation to address today's challenges and the new threats of tomorrow. The UN Summit of Future China Preparatory Meeting organized by the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator Office in China and the International Cooperation Center Joint Council will play an important role in advancing this historic process.
Li Minrong, the special guest of the ICC, Chairman of the China Institure of Science and Technology Evaluation, sent a video speech entitled "Building a Community of Human Destiny, Creating a New future for human Society" for the preparatory meeting. In his speech, he warmly congratulated the convening of the high-level closed-door meeting, believing that the meeting is of great significance to the UN Summit of Future to be held at the United Nations Headquarters in September this year. He pointed out that sustainable development refers to development that meets the needs of the present generation without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their needs, and its ultimate goal is to achieve common, coordinated, equitable, efficient and multidimensional development, which is the common responsibility of all mankind and requires close cooperation and joint promotion by all countries in the world.
Authorized Representatives of Both Parties Sign the Initiative
During the meeting, the ICC and the authorized representatives of the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in China signed the "International Cooperation Initiative for the Future". The proposal includes: 1. strengthen solidarity and cooperation and practice genuine multilateralism; 2. revitalize global cooperation to implement the 2030 Agenda; 3. create an enabling environment for accelerating global development; 4. build an equal and balanced global partnership for development. 5. Play the central and leading role of the United Nations system. The two sides believe that under the current circumstances, the right direction is to give play to the role of the United Nations, improve the global governance system and enhance the status of developing countries. China has always been an important supporter of the United Nations and the multilateral system. China has actively participated in the preparations for the UN Summit of Future and the drafting of the Future Compact, which is crucial to the success of the Future Compact. The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the “Global Development Initiative” proposed by China are in line with the mission of the United Nations and the spirit of multilateralism. Going forward, the two sides will continue to work with the international community through in-depth dialogue and consultation to make plans for key issues concerning the common interests and concerns of the international community, promote the building of a more just and equitable international order, and push the world toward a better and brighter future.
Wulingyuan is known in historical books as "the spiritual land of Yudian" and "the secret area of Chi County". The Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei left a poem that "everyone lives together in Wulingyuan, and the countryside starts from outside". Wulingyuan Scenic Area, the core scenic area of Zhangjiajie, is located in the northwest of Hunan Province in central China. It consists of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzishan Nature Reserve, Suoxiyu Nature Reserve and Yangjiajie Nature Reserve. It covers a total area of 369 square kilometers and has more than 3,000 unique mountains and peaks, 243 of which are above a kilometer altitude. In December 1992, Wulingyuan Scenic Area was listed in the "World Natural Heritage" by UNESCO, and in February 2004, it was listed as the first national "World Geopark". Wulingyuan is known as a maze of nature, a museum of geology, a kingdom of forests, a garden of plants, and a paradise of wild animals. On October 16, 2019, Ban Ki-moon, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, and his delegation visited Zhangjiajie. Ban Ki-moon wrote an inscription in Chinese in Wulingyuan: "Zhangjiajie, the highest scenic spot on the Earth".
Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Spot
Wulingyuan Exchange Seminar
On May 16, the ICC and the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in China held a "Wulingyuan Exchange Seminar" in the high mountains of Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie, China. The two sides held a high-level expert discussion on the relevant agenda of the UN Summit of Future Summit China Preparatory Meeting. UN Resident Coordinator in China Chatterjee delivered a keynote speech at the Wulingyuan Exchange Seminar. Zhang Zhixiang, member of the Strategic Advisory Committee of the ICC, and former Executive Director of China to the International Monetary Fund, and other members of the Strategic Advisory Committee of the Center for International Cooperation, as well as invited experts and scholars, made speeches and discussed the key objectives in the planning agenda of the UN summit of Future, such as multilateralism, international cooperation and sustainable development.
At present, more than 100 countries and international organizations have supported the Global Development Initiative, and more than 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative. Today, leaders and experts gather in Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie, China, to discuss how to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the goals of the Global Development Initiative. It is of great significance to share experiences related to initiative projects, which will help promote better, faster and more comprehensive development of developing countries.
The participants agreed that China's current experience and expertise in various fields can serve as important examples in the agenda of UN Summit of Future to play China's increasingly important role in international cooperation and South-South cooperation, and these examples and expertise can be shared with the world. The Wulingyuan Seminar was a forum for identifying new ideas to strengthen multilateralism so that we can more effectively address current and future challenges; Reinvigorating the multilateral system is essential for us to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, address climate change and address other global challenges. China is ready to work with all parties to build a global development community. China will focus on the eight key areas of the Global Development Initiative and promote cooperation in concrete and detailed ways. It is hoped that the International Cooperation Center Joint Council and the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in China will strengthen exchanges and cooperation, contribute to and play a role in the Global Development Initiative, strengthen the alignment of development strategies and initiatives, promote international cooperation, and jointly advance the United Nations 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Siddharth Chatterjee was interviewed by CGTN in Changsha
Reference:
Siddharth Chatterjee has been the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China since 16 January 2021. The United Nations Resident Coordinator is the highest-ranking resident representative in the United Nations development system and is the designated representative of and reports to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.Chatterjee has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of international cooperation, sustainable development, humanitarian coordination, and peace and security, having served in various UN agencies and other international organizations.
The UN China Coordinator leads the UN system in China and all UN organizations in China with the aim of bringing together different UN agencies, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of operational development activities at the country level, and helping the UN become a more connected and reliable partner to governments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN Resident Coordinator Office in China supports the role and functions of the UN Coordinator in China and the UN system in China. The Office of the Coordinator in China coordinates and supports the United Nations system in China and its various inter-agency working mechanisms, including thematic groups. The main functions of the Office of the United Nations Coordinator in China include: strategic analysis, planning and positioning of the China system; Preparation and monitoring of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework; Supporting United Nations joint programming and operational management; Policy guidance; Joint advocacy and communication to enhance UN coherence and enhance the overall programme impact of the UN system in China.
The United Nations Summit of the Future
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in June 2020, UN Member States issued a declaration containing 12 overarching commitments and asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to make recommendations to address current and future challenges. In September 2021, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres responded with his report, Our Common Agenda, which sounded the alarm to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and advance the commitments contained in the Declaration to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, and made recommendations to close strategic gaps in global governance arrangements. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the ministerial preparatory meeting for the Summit of the Future in September 2023 that a multipolar world is emerging. The international community generally believes that the right direction at present is to give play to the role of the United Nations, improve the global governance system and elevate the status of developing countries.
The Common Agenda calls for the Summit of the Future to forge a new global consensus on multilateral solutions to current and future problems. Some of the proposals relate to gaps that have emerged since 2015, for which new intergovernmental agreements are needed. That is why the report calls for a new global consensus to prepare for a future full of risks but also opportunities. The General Assembly welcomed the "rich and pragmatic" report and agreed to hold the United Nations Summit of the Future (Summit of Heads of States and Government) at the United Nations on 22-23 September 2024, preceded by a ministerial meeting in 2023. United Nations member states are expected to agree, through intergovernmental negotiations, on an action-oriented Pact for the Future on the issues decided to advance.
The UN Summit of the Future is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to address major challenges, close gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments, including to the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Charter, and revitalize the multilateral system so that it is more capable of making a positive impact on people's lives. Building on the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals Summit, UN member states will consider how to lay the foundation for more effective global cooperation to address today's challenges and the new threats of tomorrow. The UN Summit of the Future is committed to promoting the common development of all countries and regions in the world, safeguarding the common security of the international community and building a common future for all mankind.