发改委副主任 宁吉喆,

国开行董事长 赵欢,

各位来宾，女士们，先生们，大家好!

Good afternoon. I would like to extend my best wishes to you on the launch of the new Innovation and Development Center for the BRI. My heartfelt congratulations go to the National Development and Reform Commission and China Development Bank on its establishment. I very much regret that I am unable to join you in person today.

This centre was created at a critical time, as the world struggles to emerge from the pandemic and recover from the unprecedented challenges inflicted on countries, people and their development across the world.

In this context, international engagements, global cooperation and financing will be more important than ever, if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 – to end poverty and safeguard our planet, including meeting the Paris Climate Agreement.

China’s recent pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 is vital in propelling global efforts towards the SDGs.

As China’s international development cooperation grows, it’s crucial for it to continue taking steps that help advance economically, socially and environmentally sustainable and SDG-informed development around the globe. This Center can play a key role in this regard.

In particular, it can help ensure that China’s development cooperation, investments and overseas programmes are geared to support inclusive, green and low carbon development priorities in partner countries. In doing so, China can build on its existing strengths in green technologies, such as low-carbon transport and renewable energies.

UNDP is committed to furthering sustainable development worldwide and supporting efforts to advance the SDGs and Paris accord. We stand ready to work with the Center to ensure its international engagements are grounded in the SDGs and build on global experience, best practices, and international standards.

In light of China’s carbon neutrality pledge, we see an invaluable opportunity to work together to strengthen efforts to combat climate change globally and accelerate the low-carbon transition.

In particular, we look forward to providing advisory support to the Center in research and analysis, to pilot sustainable development projects, forge partnerships with global stakeholders, and facilitate global-level training and capacity building.

Through our partnership, CDB’s global investment and financing portfolio can be paired with UNDP’s global policy advisory and project implementation expertise. Last year’s UNDP-CDB joint report on harmonizing financing and investment standards in line with the SDGs offers a strong example that we can look to in our future collaboration.

With less than 10 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda and with climate change becoming a climate emergency, global development cooperation is more urgent than ever. There is not a moment to waste.

Together, let us continue the work to achieve the SDGs— both in China and in partner countries—to ensure a more inclusive, green and sustainable future for all.