China’s GDI to help Pakistan in epidemic control and poverty alleviation

The Global Development Initiative (GDI) is to assist Pakistan in epidemic control and poverty alleviation, as per the first list of projects in the GDI project pool released by China at the ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of GDI in New York on September 20.

Three projects are Pakistan-specific and aim to help Pakistan achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the GDI project pool. Two projects involve promoting the COVID-19 response and public service capacity in Balochistan. Another focuses on restoring the livelihoods of poor households in Balochistan by providing small household production supplies.

The three projects will be jointly implemented by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), China’s Ministry of Commerce and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The first list of projects in the?GDI project?pool includes?50 practical cooperation projects in poverty reduction, food security, industrialisation and other fields, as well as 1,000 new capacity-building programmes.

Apart from the project pool, China has also proposed another six measures to implement the 2030 Agenda, ranging from food security, clean and renewable energy to digital education.

The Global Development Initiative (GDI) was proposed by China during the UN General Assembly in 2021 to expedite the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Over the past year, more than 100 countries and international organisations, including the United Nations, have supported GDI, and more than 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative.