19 September 2016: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) launched its national plan for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The launch took place at a high-level symposium on the sidelines of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

UN and multilateral agency heads attended the event hosted by the Government of China on the theme, ‘A Universal Push to Transform Our World – China’s Perspective,’ on 19 September 2016, in New York, US. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang chaired the discussion, highlighting his country’s achievements in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including lifting over 400 million people out of poverty, reducing under-five child mortality by two-thirds, and forming the world’s largest social security net for health care and pensions.

Li said the top priority should be eradicating hunger and poverty, and he reminded delegates that the Group of 20 (G-20) Summit in Hangzhou had pledged to actively implement the 2030 Agenda. He stressed the importance of accelerating implementation in view of the current weak global economic recovery as well as other difficulties and risks. He affirmed that China will continuously increase investment in South-South cooperation.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed appreciation for China’s leadership and vision, noting that it was among 22 countries that presented voluntary national reviews of implementing the 2030 Agenda at the 2016 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Ban also noted that over 50 governments are placing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the heart of their development planning, with many doing so with the participation of non-governmental actors, including civil society and the private sector. He acknowledged challenges for countries that are in conflict or post-conflict recovery situations.

Helen Clark, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator, welcomed the adoption of an action plan aligning the G-20’s work with the 2030 Agenda. She noted that new funders in the development landscape, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the BRICS’ New Development Bank, will be important partners for financing sustainable development.

Other participants at the symposium included UNGA President Peter Thomson, International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Christine Lagarde, World Bank President Jim Kim, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevedo and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan.

In a statement during the 71st General Debate, Li pledged an additional US$100 million in annual aid to UN development agencies by 2020, over China’s contribution in 2015. He highlighted that China had been among the first countries to deposit an instrument of ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change. [PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Release] [UN Secretary-General’s Remarks] [UNDP Administrator’s Remarks] [Li Statement to General Debate]