Multilateralism a clear and pressing need

Editor's note: Global challenges such as climate change and uneven development highlight the importance of multilateralism, a core founding principle of the United Nations. Xu Haoliang, UNDP associate administrator, spoke to Southern Finance, a financial news outlet based in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, about how these challenges can be tackled and China's role in the UN. Below are excerpts of the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

Many of the issues facing the world cannot be solved by one country alone. Countries are interdependent, so the key is to rebuild confidence in multilateral cooperation mechanisms so that countries can work together effectively to address shared challenges, as well as issues that may be country-specific but have wider global implications.

Data show that the Sustainable Development Goals have fallen short of expectations, with only about 15 percent of the goals achieving satisfactory progress. While there is enough wealth in the world, investment is not adequately aligned with development goals. This gap needs to be addressed. Governments in many countries need to use funds effectively to stimulate investment from the private sector. Success is possible when governments cooperate with the private sector in areas such as clean drinking water, urban development and health infrastructure.

The efforts to achieve the SDGs are not at odds with the green economic transition. Environmental protection and emissions reduction do not necessarily hinder economic growth. It has become increasingly clear that growth at the expense of the environment is unsustainable because it ultimately threatens humanity's survival.

There is also widespread recognition of the importance of digital technology. New technologies such as artificial intelligence have enormous potential to enhance development efficiency. However, global inequality is stark. At least 700 million people still do not have access to electricity, and about 2.6 billion people are not connected to the internet. The digital divide is very apparent.

The rapid development of AI heightens the risk of further widening this digital gap. The UNDP works closely with governments around the world to help them establish the basic conditions needed to address the challenges.

Developing digital public infrastructure is necessary for building a digital economy. This includes digital identification systems, digital payment platforms, data-sharing mechanisms and interoperability among different digital platforms. The UNDP has cooperated with many countries and helped them build such infrastructure.

In addition, sound policies and regulations are vital to ensure that digital technologies support development, fairness and justice while preventing any negative impact. This is also an important area of cooperation between the UNDP and various countries.

Over the past 30 years, the world has witnessed a significant transformation in China's role within the UN system. Its contribution to the UN funding has risen to about 20 percent and China is playing a far more prominent role in UN affairs now.

It is often asked how China and some other developing countries have been able to consistently achieve significant growth. While China's development path cannot be replicated because of the country's special political system, policy environment and historical conditions, certain key factors that have contributed to its growth offer lessons for other developing countries.

These include a clear long-term development vision, a relatively stable policy environment, strong capabilities in financing development, continuous innovation and problem-solving, mechanisms for timely adjustments in the face of setbacks, and a shared determination of both government and society to pursue sustainable and inclusive development.