Liu Jianchao, Minister of the IDCPC, noted in his keynote speech that currently, in the face of the profound changes and the pandemic both unseen in a century, the world urgently needs to address the development deficit. The Global Development Initiative proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping was actively responded and participated in by the international community. At the High-level Dialogue on Global Development held in June this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping encouraged the business communities, social organizations, media and think tanks to actively participate in global development cooperation. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter to the conference fully shows the great attention of the CPC and the Chinese government on the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the construction of a global community of development with a shared future, and his expectation for the international civil society to continue friendship, strengthen solidarity and coordination, and promote development together. The international civil society is a main force in fostering a global development partnership. The Chinese side would like to work with the international civil society to support the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, gather people’s power, contribute people’s wisdom, and nurture the amity between the peoples. By giving play to the power of the international civil society, we will bring the development issue back to the center of the international agenda, boost people-centered development, lead development with innovation, push global development to a new stage featuring balance, coordination and inclusiveness, and work together to build a global community of development with a shared future.

Liu noted, after the innovation and breakthroughs in theory and practice since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC has successfully promoted and expanded the distinctively Chinese path to modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that Chinese-style modernization is socialist modernization led by the CPC, which is characterized by a large population, common prosperity for all Chinese people, coordination between material and spiritual civilization, harmonious coexistence between human being and nature, and peaceful development. The CPC insists on relying on our own efforts to drive the nation’s development and hold the fate of China’s development and progress firmly in our own hands. China’s success offers a new choice to the countries around the world longing to accelerate their development while maintaining their independence. We are ready to work with the international civil society to support all countries in stepping up exchanges and mutual learning and exploring development paths suited to their national realities.

The foreign participants spoke highly of the Global Development Initiative proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, believing that it is in line with the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping. Against the backdrop of such challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and geopolitical conflicts, the initiative is a powerful response to the urgent need for all countries, particularly developing countries, to accelerate economic recovery in the post-pandemic era, as well as a vivid embodiment on China’s solemn commitment that no country is left behind in this process, and will accelerate the implementation of UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China’s feat of successfully eradicating absolute poverty has provided significant confidence and valuable experience for the rest of the world to promote development. The international civil society is ready to respond actively to the Global Development Initiative, help the international community strengthen solidarity and cooperation, actively translate the Initiative into concrete actions, make good use of the public goods and cooperation platforms provided by the initiative, and push the early realization of the goals set by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

A joint declaration of the international civil society on working together to implement the Global Development Initiative was signed and issued at the conference. The establishment of the “international civil society implementation of global development initiative project library” was announced. And an international civil poverty alleviation cooperation network was launched.

Chen Zhou, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, presided over the conference. Xu Jianguo, Secretary General of the China Foundation for Peace and Development, delivered a speech at the conference. Wang Yaping, an astronaut from Astronaut Center of China, attended the conference as a specially invited representative and made a statement.

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