– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly

26 September 2018

 

Opening ceremony for the China in Action for Sustainable Development exhibit with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

Your Excellency, Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China,

Deputy SG Amina Mohammed,

Your Excellency, Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to attend today’s launch of the exhibit ‘China in Action: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. I thank State Councilor Wang Yi for the kind invitation.

My friends, I believe we all look forward to explore the exhibit, so allow me to keep these remarks brief.

First, I would like to welcome China’s contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, highlighted by this exhibit.

I would like to commend China’s role in the implementation, first, of the Millennium Development Goals and its consistent support to South-South cooperation.

This focus on the SDGs is crucial as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change represent our major chance to respond to the key aspirations of all people safeguarding our environment for current and future questions. To do that we cannot underestimate the constant need to reiterate the important point that in an interdependent world we swim or sink together.

From a personal perspective, I witnessed China’s commitment and leadership for multilateral cooperation in my capacity as the Chair of the G77 last year. Through important initiatives, such as the Belt and Road, new momentum has been injected into the implementation of the ambitious and transformative 2030 Agenda.

In this respect, I look forward to working with the Government of China and the whole of the international community to ensure that we meet our commitments to achieve the SDGs and leave no one behind.

Thank you very much.