On 12 October, Minister Counsellor Zhang Gang attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the 3rd Meeting of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Zhang stated that China was the first country to formulate and implement a national plan for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It has not only made remarkable, globally recognized achievements in poverty alleviation, but also helped a large number of developing countries lift themselves out of poverty through South-South cooperation. Faced with the global development deficit, China put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI), which aims to work with all countries to advance the 2030 Agenda and deliver stronger, greener and healthier global development. China actively supports the development of the UNAI SDG Centre, and hopes the center will fully rally the academic community to jointly advance the cause of global sustainable development and build a better future for humanity.

Hosted by the University of Athens, the four-day meeting gathers experts and scholars from over 20 countries and regions including China and Greece, who will hold in-depth discussions on themes including balanced development, energy transition, green finance and talent development.