In September 2021, addressing the pressing question of where the global development cause is headed, China put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the General Debate of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The GDI offers China's insights and contributions to reinvigorating global development. In just five years, it has turned from a Chinese proposal into a wide consensus and from a statement of goals into concrete actions, lending certainty to global development at a time of transformation and turbulence. 

The GDI upholds the concepts of development as a priority, people-centered development, benefits for all, innovation-driven development, harmony between humanity and nature, as well as results-oriented actions. These principles align precisely with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which consists of 17 goals aiming to end poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, and have continued to drive progress, delivering a steady stream of outcomes.

To date, more than 130 countries and international organizations have expressed their support for the GDI and participated in its cooperation, and nearly 100 countries and international and regional organizations have signed GDI cooperation documents with China. The Group of Friends of the GDI, now with 88 members, has become an important contributor to global development.

Through the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, and the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, the GDI has mobilized more than $23 billion, supporting the implementation of over 1,800 "small and beautiful" livelihood projects and providing training for more than 200,000 people in different professions.

From juncao, which contributes to global poverty reduction, to the Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1, which enables synchronized data sharing, to the MAZU platform, China's AI-powered meteorological early warning system that helps Global South countries with meteorological warning and disaster prevention and mitigation, the GDI has benefited ordinary people. Juncao, literally "mushroom grass," is a type of hybrid grass that serves as the foundation for an agricultural technology invented in China in the 1980s.

At a time when geopolitical agendas sideline development issues, the GDI places "development" back at the forefront. As the Global North-South divide continues to widen, the GDI provides a pragmatic path for inclusive development. The value of the GDI lies above all in the philosophy of cooperation it champions: Development is the right of all countries, rather than an exclusive privilege of the few; cooperation is not a zero-sum game, but features extensive consultation, joint contributions and shared benefits.

The GDI emphasizes alignment with each country's development strategies. Malaysia, for instance, has incorporated railway development into its core national policy framework, a move that mirrors China's vision for infrastructure connectivity. In Tanzania, satellite data projects for agriculture have woven together the GDI framework, funding from international financial institutions and local development plans. This alignment is what improved farmer livelihoods, and this approach is what renders cooperation more sustainable.

Currently, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has seen serious delays. Unilateralism and protectionism are rampant. Some are turning to a "small yard, high fence" approach to wall themselves off; they are pushing for decoupling and "derisking" supply chains. These trends result in development issues being sidelined on the international agenda. In this context, the significance of the GDI for the current era stands out even more prominently.

The fifth anniversary of the GDI is a milestone and, more importantly, a new point of departure. The GDI will continue to uphold the spirit of openness and inclusiveness, inject momentum into efforts to address development deficits, and provide all nations with greater and fairer access to the fruits of development.  

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

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