President,

I have the honour to deliver a joint statement on behalf of the 82 members of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative.

Currently, global progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals has fallen far short of expectations. We are losing years of gains in poverty eradication, and facing multiple challenges of food and energy insecurity and climate change, as well as the widening global development deficit. The international community must practice multilateralism, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and take joint actions to bring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development back on track.

First, we must stay development-oriented and revitalize global development partnerships. Development must be put at the center of international cooperation and more effort must be made to implement the 2030 Agenda. Developed countries should provide financial, technological, and capacity-building support to developing countries, and effectively fulfil their ODA commitments. We should support the central coordinating role of the United Nations in international development cooperation, strengthen the synergies of development strategies between countries, and foster global development featuring benefits for all, balance, openness, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, and common prosperity.

Second, we must strengthen global cooperation in poverty eradication to ensure that no country and no one is left behind. To end poverty is the primary goal of the 2030 Agenda. The international community should, in the context of international development cooperation, increase investment in poverty eradication, especially in rural areas, enhance policy exchanges and practical cooperation in poverty eradication, and help developing countries implement targeted poverty eradication policies, so as to effectively address problems such as extreme poverty, relapse into poverty due to illness, and multidimensional poverty. We call on the Secretary-General to establish a special envoy for poverty eradication and mobilize more resources to address global poverty, especially extreme poverty.

Third, we must safeguard global food security to achieve zero hunger. We should strengthen cooperation in food production, storage, transportation, conservation, and loss reduction, promote sustainable food and agriculture system, and enhance the food self-sufficiency of developing countries with more capacity-building support from developed countries. We should promote a just and reasonable international food trade order, give full play to the role of the UN major agricultural organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization, maintain the stability of the international food market, and avoid politicization of food security issues.

Fourth, we must uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities to jointly address climate change. We should fully and effectively implement the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement. Developed countries should take the lead in significantly reducing emissions, achieving carbon neutrality ahead of schedule, and effectively delivering on their commitments including climate finance commitment. It is imperative to advance a just transition, and promote effective coordination between climate response on the one hand and poverty eradication, energy security, and economic development on the other. We must resolutely oppose the imposition of Unilateral Coercive Measures, that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries, as well as any measures to use climate change as an excuse to practice protectionism and build green trade barriers.

President，

The global community has high expectations of the Summit of the Future scheduled for September this year. We hope the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development will build momentum for the Summit, making it development-focused and action-oriented, so as to achieve tangible outcomes in implementing SDGs and reforming the international financial architecture, thereby facilitating common development across the world. The Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative will continue our constructive participation in the Summit’s preparation and strive for a better future for all.

Thank you.