The Group of Friends of Global Governance established at the UN

The Group of Friends of Global Governance was officially established at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, marking a new step in advancing international cooperation on global governance under the framework.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said the group, which includes 43 founding member countries, was launched under the guidance of the Global Governance Initiative amid growing pressures on multilateralism and global governance.

Founding members include countries such as Cuba, Iran, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Malaysia.

The Global Governance Initiative, or GGI, is the fourth global initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping, following the previous initiatives on development, security and civilization. The initiative "offers China's wisdom and solutions to reforming and improving global governance", Fu said at the inaugural meeting of the group.

The initiative has received support from more than 140 countries and international organizations since its establishment in September, said Fu.

"We have found ourselves in a new period of turbulence," he said, noting that "multilateralism and the role of the United Nations have come under severe strain, and global governance has reached a new crossroads."

Marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations this year, Fu said the international community should not forget the historical lessons that led to the UN's creation.

"Eight decades ago, the international community, based on the profound lessons learned from the scourge of two world wars, resolved to turn the page in history," he said. "This gave birth to the United Nations and opened a new chapter of global governance."

Fu said the GGI was proposed in this context. "It is anchored in five core principles, namely: sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach and emphasis on real actions," he said.

Fu stressed the importance of safeguarding international fairness and justice. "We must never forget the untold suffering that fascism and militarism once inflicted on people around the world," he said, warning any attempt to "whitewash aggression, distort history, or revive militarism is an affront to human conscience and a threat to global peace and stability".

"We must promote the correct historical narrative of World War II, defend the victorious outcomes of the war, and safeguard the international system with the United Nations Charter at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," he added.

He also stressed that security and development must be addressed together, adding that the international community should help developing countries build capacity for self-driven development and effective governance, "so that they may bridge the development divide and achieve long-term stability".