Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations: The Kunming Conference and the Beijing Conference are a new starting point for global biodiversity conservation and sustainable transport development

China Daily, October 22 (Reporter Zhang Minlu) On October 22, Ambassador Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, said at a briefing on the theme of "Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Transport for Global Development" that the first phase of the 15th Conference of the Parties (C0P15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport are a new starting point for global biodiversity conservation and sustainable transport development.

Last week, the first phase of the 15th Conference of the Parties (C0P15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the second United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Transport were successfully held in Kunming and Beijing, China, which received great attention from the international community.

Zhang Jun said that the current COVID-19 epidemic is still raging, the global economic and social development is facing severe challenges, and the achievements of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals for many years have been lost and lost. The transportation industry has been particularly severely affected by the epidemic, and the operation of global supply chains, industrial chains and value chains is difficult. Climate change and biodiversity loss are like the epidemic, which is a wake-up call for humanity, prompting people to think deeply about the relationship between people and nature. In this context, the holding of the two conferences is timely and significant.

Zhang Jun pointed out that the international community generally believes that only through solidarity and cooperation and rapid action can we achieve sustainable, inclusive and resilient post-epidemic recovery and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. All parties attach great importance to the two conferences, actively participate in exchanges and discussions, and jointly promote the fruitful results of the conference. This demonstrates the determination of the international community to jointly fight the epidemic and cope with global challenges, and injects confidence and strength into the cause of global development.

Zhang Jun said that in the preparatory process for the two conferences, China has maintained communication and coordination with the United Nations, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and all Member States, actively played the leading role of the host country, and made great efforts to overcome the impact of the epidemic. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the C0P15 Leaders' Summit and the Sustainable Transport Conference and delivered an important speech, comprehensively explaining the major concepts of promoting global biodiversity conservation and sustainable transport development, putting forward China's propositions and Chinese initiatives, and making China's contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. At the opening ceremony of the Sustainable Transport Conference, President Xi Jinping emphasized that transportation is the link between the economic context and civilization, and advocated that all parties conform to the general trend of world development, promote global transportation cooperation, and write a new chapter of infrastructure connectivity, smooth trade and investment, and intermingling and communication among civilizations.

Zhang Jun said: With the joint efforts of all parties, the two conferences have achieved fruitful results. The first phase of the C0P15 meeting successfully held the Leaders' Summit, ministerial meeting and ecological civilization forum, and adopted the outcome document Kunming Declaration, calling on all parties to take action to jointly build a community of life on earth, releasing a strong political signal on the 2050 vision of striving to achieve harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and laying a solid foundation for the formulation of the "Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework" for the second phase of next year. At the Sustainable Transport Conference, all parties held policy dialogues on the areas of people's livelihood, green development, safe development, connectivity, epidemic response and economic recovery, and put forward action initiatives for the implementation of the transportation-related goals of the 2030 Agenda. President Xi Jinping also announced at the two conferences that China will invest 1.5 billion yuan to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, establish the China International Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center, build a carbon peak, carbon neutrality "1+N" policy system and a national park and botanical garden system, highlighting China's responsibility and responsibility for promoting global development, and setting an example for the international community.

Zhang Jun said that China is willing to work with all parties to continuously deepen the global partnership for development on the basis of the outcome of the Conference and help implement the 2030 Agenda. Not long ago, when President Xi Jinping attended the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, he solemnly put forward a global development initiative, which was universally welcomed by all parties. Adhering to the core concepts of development priority, people-centered, harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and innovation-driven, the initiative takes poverty reduction, climate change and green development, and connectivity as key areas of cooperation, and is committed to promoting stronger, greener and healthier global development. President Xi's important speeches at the Kunming and Beijing conferences are in line with the global development initiative. We welcome all parties to actively join this important initiative and jointly inject new political impetus into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Liu Zhenmin, Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, Ms. Murema, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, and Dai Dongchang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport, attended the briefing and reviewed the two conferences.

Source: China Daily